You made the appointment, perhaps out of curiosity; perhaps after scrolling past before-and-afters for months. Now, a little question comes to the back of your mind. So what actually happens when someone sticks needles in your face? In theory, facial acupuncture sounds kind of scary, and yet most people find the experience gentler than they envisioned. Knowing what’s coming helps calm the nerves.
Facial acupuncture, also known as cosmetic or facial rejuvenation acupuncture, uses very fine needles to stimulate points in your face and body. The goal is to nourish your skin internally, using your own circulatory and reparative processes (no injections here). The first is as much an assessment as a treatment. Before your practitioner gets their hands on your skin, they want to get to know it.
Alan is also kind enough to offer the first session at the Center for Acupuncture & Anti-Aging Medicine to run longer than a regular one. There is history to obtain, questions to address, and then a treatment plan to outline. Make sure to leave additional time and avoid coming directly from something stressful. It is the calmest who usually receive the most from it.
Preparing for Your First Facial Acupuncture Treatment
Here, a little prep will go a long way.
- Come with clean skin, or the practitioner will cleanse your face directly before needling.
- Avoid heavy makeup as it will get off anyway.
- You are better off eating something cause not eating can cause you to faint.
Note all medications and supplements you are taking, as well as any allergies. Your practitioner needs to be aware of blood thinners and certain supplements, as they increase the risk of bruising. Next, if you have had any injectable treatment recently, let them know, as the timing can dictate where the needles will be inserted.
The Consultation and Skin Assessment
All first sessions start with a conversation. For a skin appointment, this can seem rather strange, but your health professional will ask you about everything from sleep to digestion, stress, and your monthly cycle. However, according to Chinese medicine, the face reflects everything that happens inside our bodies. A little deeper is often the root of dull skin or puffiness.
Next, an intimate look at your complexion. After that, the practitioner inspects the tone, texture, fine lines, and/or areas of tension or sagging. They then decide which points to use on your face (and body). Which is why two people are hardly ever treated the same way. The plan traces your skin, not a choreographed routine. Others recommend slight modifications to sleep or hydration as well, because those are also reflected on your face.
What Facial Acupuncture Needles Feel Like
This is the part that everyone gets nervous about. The face needles are also much, much thinner than the ones you typically see for an injection or a blood test; they resemble a strand of hair. Most experience a faint prickle at most, and others none at all. High-level practitioners will insert anywhere from a few dozen to 50 or more of these little needles into the skin, depending on your complexion and your objectives.
You have them sit with you for twenty to forty minutes. This is where the surprise hits you. So many people walk in already tense over needles, and find themselves nearly asleep, lured by that stillness. Your body saw that quiet time as an opportunity to not move one bit, which is kind of what it was in the first place.
Some Ways Facial Acupuncture Benefits Your Skin
But how does pricking the skin make it look good? It’s a little controlled micro-injury from each needle. Your body then perceives these little tears as small repairs to make, rushing blood, oxygen, and collagen-building activity to the site. Ture is a milder alternative to microneedling that accomplishes the same goal. This theory partly relies on the idea that formerly needled facial muscles regain their resting tone and, in doing so, soften the resting appreciation of how lines lie.
That means you’re also bringing new blood flow to the face, hence why skin can look more radiant just post-treatment. Research is scarce, although one small pilot study found an effect on facial elasticity following five treatments. Because studies involve so few participants and weak controls, massive claims matter less than realistic expectations here.
After Your Session and in the Subsequent Days
As soon as the needles come out, you can go right back to your day. Facial acupuncture has minimal downtime, and makeup can be reapplied if desired. For some, it is immediately apparent, i,e., they get up from the surgery and look fresh and rested; for others, this change is more subtle, progressing over the course of a week or so.
Light redness is typical and usually disappears within hours. Be a little more sensitive to the sun that day, so take it easy with the sun. The only downside is a slight bruise now and then, as facial capillaries are situated right under the skin. Book a week ahead if you have an event coming up, just in case one comes. This helps your body to settle, either by drinking water or by skipping hard workouts for the rest of the day.
How Many Facial Acupuncture Sessions Do You Need
No honest practitioner would suggest that in one session, your face will be reborn. Facial acupuncture acts slowly through repeated, gentle stimulation. Most note more consistent changes in tone and texture after five or six treatments. Results can also differ quite a bit, since skin type and age, as well as many daily habits, help guide how quickly you plan to respond. The complete course consists of 8 to 12 sessions at weekly or biweekly intervals, followed by monthly or every-other-month maintenance visits. Consider it like a skin-care regimen with slow release. If you want a tighter face without freezing your expressions or injecting filler, this is the evolution you tolerate. For most people, this seems worth it.