When you look in the mirror, what do you see? As far back as we can observe in human history, the desire for beauty has been a primary concern for women across the globe spanning all eras. In the pursuit of beauty, youthful looking skin is one of the most sought after facets.
With advances in medical technology, there are increasing options to reverse the effects of aging such as sagging skin, wrinkles and age spots. Such options include surgical facelifts, chemical peels, liposuction, injections, surgical threading and laser treatments. However, the risks from those forms of treatment should not be overlooked. These include scarring, nerve damage, sloughing of the skin, lumpiness, swelling, allergic reactions, permanent discolouring and even death.
A safe, healthy and minimally invasive option is available from the ancient world of Chinese medicine. Cosmetic acupuncture is based on the wisdom of traditional Chinese acupuncture to help you look younger and feel healthy and rejuvenated. An effective cosmetic acupuncture treatment protocol, the Mei Zen cosmetic acupuncture system, was developed by Martha Lucas, PhD, LAc, and is now used around the world. Mei Zen, meaning “beautiful person” in Chinese, is a cosmetic acupuncture system that focuses on bringing balance to the interior, which is reflected by rejuvenated skin on the exterior. It is a safe, non-invasive, effective and healthy approach to looking younger. The procedure is very low risk because the needling is so superficial, only to the dermis (three millimetres into the skin). It is the goal during the treatment to increase the flow of blood and qi in the body, face and neck, while also enhancing the production of collagen and elastin.
There are many possible cosmetic effects of Mei Zen. Some of these include skin becoming softer and more delicate, skin tone becoming brighter and more evenly consistent, clearing or reduction of age spots, improvement in acne and rosacea, reduction of wrinkles, erasing of fine lines and reduction of deeper lines, smoother cheeks, reduction in sagginess, reduction of jowls, lifting of droopy eyelids, and reduction of wrinkles on the décolleté. Mei Zen is one of the few cosmetic treatments available for the neck.
While Mei Zen is considered a cosmetic treatment, unlike most other cosmetic treatments, it has the combined benefit of increasing overall health as well. Outward beauty and youthful appearance will be the result of inner fitness. Mei Zen is based on the classical acupuncture points on the meridians of the body, face and neck. Although it is called cosmetic acupuncture, the benefits are not limited to the face because it treats the whole body through the meridian systems traversing the face.
Along with the aforementioned cosmetic benefits, there are many coinciding health benefits that have been reported, including reduction or clearing of hot flashes and night sweats, decreased insomnia, reduction of headaches, decreased anxiety, improvement in digestion, weight loss, increased energy, brighter look in the eyes, increased mental clarity and focus, and a feeling of well-being and overall improvement of health.
From a western medicine standpoint, cosmetic acupuncture works because the needling causes micro-traumas in the skin to which the body can respond by increasing blood flow and the production of collagen and elastin for wound healing. From the traditional Chinese medicine perspective, qi and blood are being brought to the face and neck, qi is being lifted, the circulation of the blood is being restored and the body’s energetic systems are being put into balance. This is why the wonderful side effects occur.
The best candidates for Mei Zen are people in their mid-thirties and older. This is the age that collagen and elastin levels in the skin begin to decrease. The earlier people start treating themselves with Mei Zen, the better the long-term results are going to be.
Sangeun Riehl, RAc, practices acupuncture at Full Circle Health Centre, which also offers Chinese medicine, physiotherapy and chiropractic services. For more information, call the clinic at 250-402-2044.