Everything you need to know about cosmetic acupuncture

What to know before booking in for cosmetic acupuncture.

Even if you’ve never tried it, most of us have a certain idea of what acupuncture involves. Most often, it’ll conjure up an image of someone laying back, while a specialist (usually a Chinese Medicine Doctor) inserts a course of needles into your skin. Though it’s not meant to be painful, it’s probably not one you’d try if you had trypanophobia.

I’d always wanted to try it for myself, having had several friends and family members who either grew up practising Chinese medicine, or who discovered it later in life and swore by its effects. So, when the offer to try out not just regular acupuncture, but acupuncture specifically meant to give you glowy skin, I jumped at the chance.

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Based in Melbourne, Cosmetic Acupuncture Melbourne (CAM) clinic was first founded by Dr Vivian Tam, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor.. Having grown up with acne-prone skin, Dr Viv’s used Chinese medicine and acupuncture to target and treat herself, leading her to discover cosmetic acupuncture.

What exactly is cosmetic acupuncture?

A key aspect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into targeted areas of your body. It’s a practice that has evolved over thousands of years, originating as a form of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

TCM follows the belief that your body’s energy (referred to as ‘qi’) flows along meridians – if  the qi is blocked, it can imbalance the yin and yang. One of the ways TCM practitioners approach this is through acupuncture. By using acupuncture points to stimulate the central nervous system, this is said to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities.

Cosmetic acupuncture, also known as ‘facial rejuvenation’ builds on these principles. It uses fine needles made for the face to create a ‘triple threat’, as Dr Viv tells me. One layer is blood circulation, which she says can help with issues like dehydration, sensitivity and redness. The next layer is collagen, which is more closely associated with ageing, fine lines and wrinkles. Next is muscle toning, which ease issues like jaw stress and tension, or can help tighten sagging.

“It’s this idea that every time we use needles, we’re causing a micro trauma that can then stimulate your body to produce more collagen in that area,” she explains. “It’s a very similar concept to conventional beauty treatments like microneedling or derma pens, which have been really widely accepted in the beauty industries.” The difference, Dr Viv says, is that those treatments typically use a stamp, pen or a roller with little needles to create a stimulus or micro trauma to get your body to heal.

As a Chinese Medicine Doctor, Dr Viv aims to take a fairly holistic approach to treatment, whether you’re coming in for a cosmetic-related appointment or something else. Your exact treatment then, depends on a range of factors, including your age, general health and what exactly you’re trying to target.

Can you have cosmetic acupuncture if you’ve had Botox or filler?

“Botox these days is very common,” Dr Viv says when I ask her whether the cosmetic procedures can work alongside facial acupuncture. Although having Botox doesn’t cancel you out, it will alter the kind of treatment you can get.

Where Botox freezes muscles to prevent lines, Dr Viv explains cosmetic acupuncture works on a superficial level to stimulate collagen in the skin and soft tissue. A key aim of the treatment aims to target muscles, so if they’re frozen from Botox injections, nothing will happen. In that case, cosmetic acupuncture will instead work to soften fine lines and wrinkles.

Cosmetic acupuncture is regularly pitched as the ‘natural alternative’ to Botox, but Dr Viv is hesitant to lean too heavily into the comparison. “Botox and filler don’t really replace what we do, and vice versa,” she says. “I can’t freeze a muscle. Botox can’t work on collagen and volume.”

Does it acupuncture hurt?

This is the million dollar question, and the one that was lingering in the back of my mind as I drove to my appointment. Surely I would feel if several needles were sticking out of my face?

When asking Dr Viv about it, she didn’t hesitate: “Acupuncture should never hurt.” In fact, the way she described the process soothed all rising worry. Though I might ‘notice’ it, she likened it to no more than a very slight, painless prick. The needles used in the face at CAM Clinics are 0.12 of a millimetre, which they say is finer than half of a single hair strand.

What to expect when getting cosmetic acupuncture

When booking in for the first time, you’ll be allocated a 75 minute appointment for $190, giving you time for a consult and skin assessment, as well as facial and body acupuncture. From there, return sessions are priced at $146 for a 45 minute session. The clinic also offers other services, including acne-related acupuncture, consult-only sessions and other acupuncture for concerns relating to women’s health, internal medicine and pain.

My session began by discussing my skin history with Dr Viv, explaining my experiences with acne and eczema. I also had a strong headache, and was generally feeling congested and stiff, which I flagged with her.

After that, I lay back on the table and she asked me a few questions. Less than a couple of minutes into the treatment, she paused. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “Because you’ve got about 20 needles in your face”. Dr Viv then proceeded to put a few extra needles in both of my hands and feet, before turning on an LED light and leaving me to sit for 20 minutes.

Despite any initial anxiety, I feel immediately calm. Calmer than I’ve felt in a long time. I knew the needles were there, and though I could notice them, I really couldn’t feel them. She checked on me halfway through, and then spent even less time removing them than she did inserting them. When I said how relaxed I felt, she was happy, but not entirely surprised. “Some of the needles were inserted into areas designed to lower your cortisol,” she told me.

Would I try it again?

As someone who works in the fashion and beauty space, I try to resist the overwhelming pressures surrounding ‘preventative ageing’. Part of me was worried that in walking into the appointment, I was going to have a mirror held up to a range of issues I wasn’t even aware of. Tiny lines pointed out to me, new insecurities to start worrying about.

Thankfully, this was not Dr Viv’s approach. Though she noted that it’s often around 26 that people first start to experience changes in their skin, like a loss of volume or firmness, she didn’t position it was something I needed to spend a lot of time worrying about. Instead, the focus was on refreshing my skin, helping it to feel brighter and less congested.

Walking out of the appointment, I was surprised to notice my headache had completely lifted. I’d woken up, having one of those mornings where you can’t shake the brain fog. Sleep lingered and I felt heavy, contemplating cancelling my plans later than night. Post appointment, I felt like a whole new person.

In the following days, my skin did feel clear, even-toned and brighter than usual. I’m not sure how long after I’ll continue to ride the high, but would definitely try it again for that post-appointment feeling. Like a lot of skin treatments, optimal results are promised after a few repeated sessions, but its definitely a financial commitment. If you’re feeling curious but can’t justify to ongoing sessions, then I’d suggest booking in the day before a special event.

For more on facial acupuncture, try this.