Cosmetic Acupuncture-all you wanted to know!

First published online on blueheronclinic.com/blog.html on May 26th 2012.
 How does it work?

For thousands of years, the people of the Orient have known that beauty comes from within. A healthy person will radiate health and beauty. The Chinese discovered ways to change the energy flow within the body to begin the healing process for rejuvenation.

Cosmetic Acupuncture even more so than traditional acupuncture has at the heart of it’s ethos the fundamental principle of “where Qi goes, blood follows.”  It works to clear stagnant Qi, and increase circulation. This keeps the skin rosy and youthful, while also helping the whole body to look and feel younger by addressing the physical, mental and emotional patterns that cause disease and contribute to the aging process. It is far less expensive, more natural, non-invasive and safer than plastic surgery or Botox injections, and has no side effects, toxicity, inflammation, or recovery time.

So what are the many benefits of Cosmetic Acupuncture?

·        - It increases collagen production, which helps maintain the elasticity of the skin.

·         -It can eliminate aging epithelial cells, improve secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands and promotes       circulation.

·         -Increases the local tissue’s requirements for oxygen and promotes elimination of nitrogen and carbon dioxide

·        - Reduces stress evident in the face

·         -Tightens the skin and the pores, improves muscle tone and dermal contraction

·        - Improves the colour of the complexion

·         -Reduces bags under eyes and puffiness in the face by draining excess fluid.

·        - Eliminate fine lines and wrinkles

·         -Helps to lift drooping eyelids and brightens the eyes

·         -Improves hormonal balance, combating acne

·         -Moisturises the skin by circulating blood to the face

·        - Brings out a person’s innate beauty and radiance

·        - Slows the aging process

What can I expect from a session?

Cosmetic Acupuncture is similar to regular acupuncture in that a consolation is offered by the therapist and a diagnosis made based on the patient’s lifestyle, diet and prevalent problem. Points are needled on the body to address the specific ailments a patient may have. Then the hard work really begins! As the patient relaxes, a full facial massage is administered. This is necessary in order to stimulate the face for the insertion of the facial needles. These needles are even finer than regular ones and will be inserted directly into lines and wrinkles in order to attract Qi and blood to the area and smoothen out dry, inelastic skin.

Those who have regular sessions of Cosmetic Acupuncture are often pleasantly surprised at the effects of the treatment. After just one session, skin looks fresher and rosier. A course of at least six sessions is recommended in order to maximise the benefits of this all natural, non-surgical alternative to other cosmetic treatments.

Teething tips on an alternative scale

Teething-it's no fun for babies and even less for parents and carers! You may think there's nothing to be done but reach for the Calpol but before you open that press, have a read of some alternative methods to help your little one! There are lots of natural remedies out there and here are some I've found to be particularly effective. 

Teetha is a homeopathic remedy and can be found in gel form-this allows it to be massaged onto the gums, so you can pop some on a soother and onto baby's mouth.

Chamomilla is another homeopathic remedy and is great for when baby is very hot and bothered. This comes in tiny pellet sugar pill form and is placed on baby's tongue where it quickly dissolves.

Acupuncture can also help! There are two points on the hand which are easy to reach and have a great influence on pain. Look for these points on yourself and then find them on your baby.
LI4 or Hegu is found in the 'web' of flesh between the thumb and fore finger and approximately half way of the distance of the second metacarpal bone, or the bone in between the knuckle of your first finger and your wrist. The point is closer to this bone and you should feel a dull ache when you press on this. Just a word of warning for any pregnant mums-do not seek out this point on yourself as one of its other functions is to initiate labour!!
LI5 or Yangxi is found just a little bit further on from LI4, very close to the wrist. If you flex your thumb back towards your body, you should see a small hollow form right at the base of the thumb. It's known as the 'anatomical snuffbox' and right in the centre of this hollow is your point.
LI11 or Quchi is found at the elbow and is the main point in the body to clear heat. This can be handy when fever strikes your little one. It is found by bending your elbow, placing the fingers of your other hand underneath your elbow so that both arms are in a parallel position to each other and bringing the thumb just at the bend of the elbow into the soft fleshy part and pressing down hard.Locating and gently but firmly massaging these points a few times a day should alleviate symptoms.Hopefully these remedies will help soothe the savage baby and make daily life a little less stressful for mummies and daddies!

Treating acne with Acupuncture

First published online on blueheronclinic.com/blog.html on May 27th 2012.

Acne,  one little four letter word that strikes fear into the hearts of many.  It is mostly experienced by adoslescents and males are more susceptible than females.  It can cause massive self-confidence issues that can leave many physical and emotional scars. To add insult to injury, it’s not just teenagers that suffer from this affliction. Adult acne is more common than you think with gorgeous celebrities such as Cameron Diaz  and  Katy Perry admitting to a daily struggle against the debilitaing affliction. Diaz has admitted in interviews that “she tried everything from facials to meditation” with no success.

What causes it?Well, the truth is no one can say for sure. There are various notions regarding sebaceous gland secretions(sebum) blocking the sweat glands leading to blackheads and inflammation. It’s usually the face and neck which is affected, however, the chest and back are also susceptible to outbreaks in more severe cases.

Traditional Chinese Medicine puts the blame on an accumulation of heat in the body. There is almost always an element of Qi stagnation also, which may manifest symptoms of irritabilty, headaches and general moodiness.

So what can be done? Acupuncture can be very effective at treating acne as it works very well at unblocking stagnation in order to promote a smooth flow of Qi. This will help the negative emotional aspect of acne aswell as the cosmetic one.

And speaking of cosmetic,  Facial or Cosmetic Acupuncture can also make a huge difference, being a step further along the treatment scale.  Extra fine needles are applied to the face as well as the arms and legs for a deeper, more intense treatment. 10 sessions of this should be enough for most bodies to be detoxified from the occurence of acne.

A good acupuncturist, as well as treating the affliction will also dispense advice on nutrition and lifestyle choices which should help to combat the problem. As acne is often caused by an accumulation of heat,  your therapist will suggest cooling foods such as peppermint,  apple, barley, watermelon, grapefruit, millet, cabbage, clam, bamboo shoots, elderflower and potato. It is also a good idea to stay away from heat producing food such as alcohol, sweet and sugary foods, spicy foods, preservatives and coffee.

If you do suffer from acne, make sure to heed the above advice, as well as drinking 6-8 glasses of water a week, getting plenty of rest and make sure not to pick the pimples as this will increase the likelihood of permanent scarring.