“I want my skin to have a radiant glow.” Perhaps facial acupuncture can help

“I want my skin to have a radiant glow.” Perhaps facial acupuncture can help.

Facial acupuncture works by inserting very thin needles into specific points on your face to create positive micro-trauma.
This stimulates collagen production and encourages more blood & nutrient flow on the face, giving you a nourished glow from the inside out.
Facial acupuncture also works cumulatively, meaning that the effects build off the previous treatment.

If you miss more than 1 week, it’s similar to taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back and you don’t want to be starting all over again!

To get the best out of the facial acupuncture, here are some very simple plans that you can follow.
Although they may seem very basic, many of us forget it sometimes.

1. Acupuncture Plan
2. Nourishment Plan
3. Mind and Movement Plan
4. Posture Plan
5. Skincare Plan

Facial Acupuncture Plan

1 treatment plan: 10 to 12 sessions. To be done 1 – 2 times a week. Afterwards, monthly maintenance acupuncture is recommended.

Here’s are the 3 main principles:

1. Holistic approach
   Body acupuncture points are selected to target the organs that are causing problems on the skin.
   Eg) Pale complexion = blood deficiency = needle Spleen point to boost the blood
2. Local effect
   Very fine needles are used on the face to create micro-trauma in the skin. This will trigger collagen production.
   More collagen and more blood flow = less visible wrinkles.
3. Balance face symmetry
   Tension on big muscles such as the neck, shoulders and jaw muscles can cause the face to be unbalanced. So it’s important to check and release those tension by stimulating acupuncture points on those areas.

Nourishment Plan

Goal: To bring more nutrients and blood flow to the skin

• Eat warm and cooked whole food. Chew well and enjoy!
• Eat an appropriate amount of protein.
  0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is recommended per day.
  Eg) If you’re 60kg, 0.8 x 60 = 48g of protein per day
  That’s roughly about 50g / day. So if you eat 1 boiled eggs, some chickpea and 1 palm-size salmon, that’d be about 50g.
• Enough fibre and anti-oxidants. Try to have at least 2 servings of fresh fruits + 2 rice bowls servings of cooked vegetables everyday.
• Eat healthy fats. Olive oil, coconut oil, nut butters, sunflower, linseed, pumpkin, sesame seeds.
• Cut down on caffeine, sugars, simple carbohydrates, alcohol, dairy. It’s ok to enjoy them once in a while.
• Eat some collagen: Collagen powder, pig skin, fish skin, chicken skin, bone broths. Take with vitamin C (vegetables, citrus fruits) to maximise collagen production. It’s not only good for the skin, it’s great for your joints and tendons too.
• Hydrate: Drink bout 1.5 litres of room temperature water a day. Drink more water if you’re exercising or sweating more.

4 major TCM organ systems related to facial acupuncture

1. LUNG: Govern the skin. Control the opening and closing of pores and detoxifies by sweating.
   Eat: White coloured / pungent food – white pepper, tofu, white fungus, cauliflower, almonds, daikon radish, pear.
2. KIDNEY: Control the rate of ageing. Keeping Kidney function at its optimum is key to longevity and younger looking skin.
   Eat: Black coloured / naturally salty food – Fungus, sesame, beans, peppercorns, seaweed, kelp.
3. SPLEEN: Transform nutrients to energy to nourish the skin and muscles. A strong Spleen function is important for a good digestion so that your body can absorb the nutrients.
   Eat: Yellow coloured /naturally sweet food – Corn, millet, brown rice, oats, carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, soybeans, eggs, miso, onion, ginger, honey.
4. LIVER: Control the free flow of life energy (Qi) in the body. Stress is a sign of Liver Qi stagnation.
   Eat: Green coloured / sour food- dark green leafy vegetables, lemon, sour plum, apple cider, high quality vinegar. For drinks, try peppermint tea and floral teas (jasmine, rose, lavender, osmanthus) to soothe the flow of energy and calm the mind.

Mind and Movement Plan

Goal: To improve circulation and manage stress

• What kind of movement do you enjoy? __________(fill in the blank)_________
  (Yoga, stretching, walking, swimming, jogging, playing with pets)
• Start with something simple and try for 10 minutes. Continue doing frequently until it becomes a habit.
  Relying on motivation and willpower won’t work long term.
• Relaxing method
  Prop yourself in a comfortable position with cushions in a dim lighted room and smell your favourite scent.  Take deep breaths.Your mind will most likely start to chatter!  But the mind will always be busy because that’s the mind’s job. Your focus is to leave the mind alone, rather than trying to change it and getting frustrated at it. Let it be, let thoughts pass by like clouds.

Posture Plan

Goal: To restore symmetry of the body and face

• Make sure you have the right posture at work. Support your back and keep laptop at eye level.
• Make sure you stand up straight when you walk or stand. Imagine someone pulling you upwards.
• Avoid sitting too long.
• When texting, lift your phone up to your eye level.

Skincare Plan

Goal: To protect the face from harmful environmental factors

• Sunscreen: 90% of visible skin ageing is due to sunlight. Reapply sunscreen lotion every 3 hours if you’re under strong sun and after swimming, sweating, or towelling off. Choose at least SPF 15.
• Sunglasses: Protect the tender and thin skin around your eyes. It also helps to protect the eyes from risk of cataracts.
• Cleanse: Use oil based make up remover. Then, lather and foam up the facial soap and gently roll the foam against the skin. Avoid scrubbing / exfoliating too often. At most, once a week.
• Hydrate: Keep your skin hydrated (even over your make up) with toner or mist.
• Moisturise: Use beauty oil morning and night (if your skin is dry) to retain moisture in the skin.

*5YINA TCM-infused skin care products are available for trying in the clinic.
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