Cosmetic acupuncture service in Geelong

Cosmetic acupuncture is for people who want to improve their skin with a natural, gradual process that works with your body rather than overriding it.

In Chinese medicine, your skin reflects what’s happening inside. Digestion, hormones, sleep, and stress all show up in your complexion. We treat the internal patterns driving the skin changes alongside the skin itself. The result is healthier skin that comes from a healthier system, not a procedure that masks what’s underneath.

What it helps with

Dull or dry skin, acne and acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone and pigmentation, and sagging or loss of firmness.

What a session feels like

Each appointment is 90 minutes. The needles used on your face are ultra-fine, much thinner than those used in body acupuncture. Most people find the sensation minimal and the session deeply relaxing.

We start with a Chinese medicine consultation to assess your skin and overall health. From there we do full-body acupuncture to address the internal imbalances contributing to your skin presentation. Then we move to facial acupuncture, placing 40-70 ultra-fine needles into areas of concern. Electroacupuncture may be applied to some points depending on what we find. The session finishes with a jade facial massage using organic oil and a natural quartz roller set.

You won’t walk out looking dramatically different after one session. This is cumulative work. Patients typically notice improved hydration and glow within the first few treatments, with firming and softening of lines building over the full course.

How many sessions

A full course is 10-12 weekly sessions. After the initial course, maintenance sessions can be scheduled as needed to hold the results.

Side effects

Cosmetic acupuncture is safe. Occasional short-term superficial bruising may occur, particularly with sensitive skin or if you’re taking blood thinners. We’ll discuss this with you before treatment.

Pricing and rebates

Unlike standard acupuncture, cosmetic acupuncture is classified as a cosmetic service. This means it attracts GST and may not be eligible for private health fund rebates. Check with your fund before booking. For current pricing, see our Appointment Types and Pricing page.

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cosmetic facial acupuncture

Understanding cosmetic acupuncture

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How does cosmetic acupuncture work?

The facial needling creates controlled microtraumas that trigger your body’s own healing response. This stimulates collagen and elastin production, improves blood flow and oxygenation, restores facial muscle tone, and enhances skin hydration.

The body acupuncture addresses the deeper picture. In Chinese medicine, the Lung governs the skin and pores. The Spleen and Stomach produce the blood and fluids that nourish it. When these systems are out of balance, it shows up as dryness, breakouts, pigmentation, or premature ageing. Treating the whole system produces results that last longer than treating the surface alone.

Research

Clinical studies support the use of cosmetic acupuncture for improving facial elasticity (Yun et al., 2013), skin appearance and moisture (Donoyama et al., 2012), local skin microcirculation (Gao et al., 2018), and reduction of melasma (Rerksuppaphol et al., 2016). A multicentre survey found adverse effects from acupuncture treatments were mild and reported by only 1-2.9% of patients (Ernst et al., 2003).

Potential side effects

In general, small percentage (1-2.9%) of patients who received acupuncture treatments reported a few mild adverse effects in a multicentre survey, including small bleeding, haematoma (bruising), dizziness, fatigue and local allergic reaction (rare) (6).

Rarely there are side effects associated with cosmetic acupuncture. However, a short-term, superficial bruising may occur occasionally when dealing with sensitive skin or patient is taking blood thinners. Appropriate care and advice during and after the treatment can prevent or manage bruising.

What does cosmetic acupuncture involve?

Cosmetic acupuncture involves the client in an organic, gradual process, which is customised for each individual. It is not a substitute for a surgical ‘face lift’ or Botox injection. To achieve satisfactory effects, repeated weekly acupuncture sessions are required for 10-12 sessions.

Each cosmetic acupuncture treatment usually lasts much longer than a standard acupuncture treatment session as it will address both internal imbalance as well as the skin issue. At Geelong Chinese Medicine Clinic, each cosmetic acupuncture cession will take 90 min and offers of a holistic skin care, including

  1. A comprehensive Chinese medicine consultation (15min) helps practitioners to assess your skin condition and make individualised plans according to Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation diagnosis.
  2. Body acupuncture: the acupuncturist will then complete the regular full-body acupuncture first to address the imbalance in the body and ensure free flow of Qi (energy);
  3. Facial acupuncture (30 min): After the body acupuncture, high-quality and ultra-fine needles will be inserted into the facial areas of concern. Electro-acupuncture may be used depending on individual conditions. In electro-acupuncture, small electrical current is applied to needles to strengthen the treatment effect.
  4. Jade facial massage (20 min): After all needles are gently and carefully removed, organic facial oil will be applied on the face followed by 20 min of Jade facial massage, using the natural quartz roller set.
  5. Finishing up.
Jade Facial Massage
Jade facial massage

Sources

  1. Yun Y, Kim S, Kim M, Kim K, Park JS, Choi I. Effect of facial cosmetic acupuncture on facial elasticity: an open-label, single-arm pilot study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:424313.
  2. Donoyama N, Kojima A, Suoh S, Ohkoshi N. Cosmetic acupuncture to enhance facial skin appearance: a preliminary study. Acupunct Med. 2012;30(2):152-3.
  3. Gao Y, Lin W, Zhou S, Shi G, He J, Chen Y. Treatment of Rosacea using acupuncture for improving the local skin microcirculation: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(34):e11931.
  4. Rerksuppaphol L, Charoenpong T, Rerksuppaphol S. Randomized clinical trial of facial acupuncture with or without body acupuncture for treatment of melasma. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016;22:1-7.
  5. Leung HYC, Leong PK, Chen J, Ko KM. Inter-Organ Relationships among Gut, Lung and Skin beyond the Pathogenesis of Allergies: Relevance to the Zang-Fu Theory in Chinese Medicine. Chinese Medicine. 2017;08(03):73-81.
  6. Ernst G, Strzyz H, Hagmeister H. Incidence of adverse effects during acupuncture therapy—a multicentre survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2003;11(2):93-7.