Spring cleaning can also refer to your energy. For over 3,000 years, acupuncture has been an effective healthcare tool in traditional Chinese medicine– alongside herbs, guasha, body therapy, and more to re-center the body. “It is a complete medical system, addressing the total person,” clinical director at Academic Clinic of the Virginia University of Integrated Medicine, Dr. Haley Parker tells ESSENCE. “It works on all levels of the body, mind, spirit to help correct imbalances from the inside-out.”
Below, Parker gives us the ins and outs of the ancient beauty trend.
Behind the 3,000-year-old practice
“Acupuncture has been around for over 3,000 years practiced as the main form of healthcare for over a quarter of the world’s population,” Parker says. According to the World Health Organization, 170 countries reported the use of traditional medicine, with acupuncture being the most common form of practice in 113 countries. Used as preventative care to help maintain wellness, acupuncture is more than just the treatment of symptoms like Western medicine will often prescribe. “It does this by harmonizing the circuits of the body and helping to bring the body into a homeostatic state where the body can optimize its own power of healing and rejuvenation.”
How does it work?
Slightly thicker than a human hair, the stainless steel needle is inserted by a practitioner using a specific technique to a maximum depth of 4.42 cm (less so on the face). “The needles are placed along the specific meridians and channels to activate the healing and stimulate the circuits of the body,” Parker says.
Evidence shows acupuncture may affect the nervous system and other body tissue where needles are inserted, according to the NIH. “Facial acupuncture focuses on the muscles and tissues around the face and neck,” she says, along with the body points to help harmonize the patient. “This creates a ‘positive micro trauma’ that promotes the ‘qi,’ or body’s healing energy, to the area to stimulate a healing response.”
What are the benefits?
Facial acupuncture helps diminish signs of aging– like fine lines, elasticity and age spots. It also promotes circulation and reduces puffiness and eye circles. “Acupuncture also detoxes the body of toxins and impurities we accumulate over time and start to make us look old and sluggish,” she says, particularly the lymphatics of the face. Benefiting the facial muscles, the needles stimulate both the nerves and collagen production for an even tone and brighter complexion.
Other than cosmetic improvements, acupuncture is used to target other facial conditions from jaw tension and migraines to tooth pain and allergies. When inserted into the body, the technique “boosts the immune system and releases endorphins and neurotransmitters throughout the brain and body,” she says. “This is why acupuncture is so good for stress and why we try to avoid stress because the signs show on the face.”
How do acufacials differ from full body?
“The face is very sensitive to changes in the body (hydration, lack of sleep, illness) and acupuncture supports the body in reregulating these rhythms,” she says. When the inside of the body is not healthy, it is proven to show on the outside including in your facial skin. “Since skin is the largest organ, it demands a lot of attention to stay looking its best.” Instead of being inserted on the body– like the arms, legs, and back– acupuncture needles are inserted around the face and neck, and not as deep as in the thicker body skin.
Does facial acupuncture have any risks?
“Acupuncture is safe when performed by a licensed, qualified practitioner,” Parker says. However, depending on your sensitivity, you may experience soreness or slight achiness at the point as well as minor bruising or bleeding at the needle site. “When these microfine needles are inserted into the skin, the body registers a microtrauma to the tissue and boosts the body’s natural healing mechanisms,” she says. It is normal to have itchiness, redness and minor swelling, which all indicate the body’s healing response– resulting in a more balanced body.