Acupuncture for facial rejuvenation
Madonna: said to be an acupuncture fan.
Facial acupuncture is the Hollywood star's shortcut to younger looking skin. Precious Williams tries it
Who wouldn't want to look 10 years younger in just 20 minutes? In America, you can - as long as you don't mind lying in a darkened room with needles protruding from your face, eyes and ears.
The rich, the vain and the famous (reportedly Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cher) are having weekly "acupuncture facelifts" to ward off their wrinkles.
The "facelift" is administered by a doctor of Oriental Medicine (or OMD), who spikes your face with disposable, hair-thin needles that - allegedly - turn back time and halt the physical manifestations of ageing.
The needles are inserted into wrinkles and frown lines, eventually making them vanish.
The stimulation brings blood rushing to the face, which makes it look flushed. Apparently, after a few sessions, eyes brighten, skin feels firmer, lips become plumper and blemishes vanish.
"Facial acupuncture stimulates the cells to lay down new collagen fibres under wrinkles, thereby filling them in," says New York acupuncturist Billy Villano. "And the needles relax muscles, which combats sagging in facial areas. The results are amazing."
The facial acupuncture works by making energy circulate properly around your face, but energy needs to circulate properly around your whole body as well, not just your face."
Traditional acupuncture has been practiced for centuries and is used to treat many ailments, from migraines to menstrual disorders.
It focuses on the entire body by regulating one's flow of energy, or "qi", and addressing the "energy blockages" that might be causing the problem.
Acupuncture facelifts fly in the face of that philosophy, focusing solely on the appearance of the facial skin and feature.
According to Hollywood stars, who incorporate acupuncture facelifts into their primping routines, it works. It makes you look young and bursting with health, even if you are a chain-smoker who lives on junk food.
Part of the beauty of these facelifts is their accessibility; they take about as long as a manicure. Afterwards, there is no scar and no permanently surprised expression.
A half-hour session costs about $125 and it takes around 25 weekly sessions, (12 bi-weekly) to achieve lasting results (50 sessions if you're extremely wrinkly.
It won't be as dramatic as a surgical facelift, If you had severe wrinkles or a double chin, it won't promise that this would eliminate them, but it would definitely make them look better."