Ancient Wisdom for Natural Beauty ✨🌹✨

Ancient Wisdom, Natural Beauty 

I am super excited to announce that I have received my Advanced Certificate in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture from the one and only, Michelle Gellis!

The practice of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is indeed ancient, mentioned in some of the earliest texts about Chinese Medicine. 

It turns out, people have always wanted their skin to look healthy, vibrant and youthful :) and they've been using Acupuncture for thousands of years to do so.

What does Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture do? 

When we are inserting needles into the face, we are stimulating collagen and elastin production and increasing local blood flow, while also relaxing the facial muscles.

Fun fact: your face is the only place on your body where the muscles attach through a tissue network onto the skin - everywhere else the muscles attach to bones via the tendons. This direct connectivity is why we are able to make facial expressions.

When the muscles of the face are used over and over, they become tight in a particular pattern. The skin ends up developing folds and we start to see the appearance of facial lines. 

While something like Botox paralyzes the muscles so that they cannot be overused, Acupuncture relaxes and nourishes the muscle tissue to help the muscles relax and recover. 

Our faces tell our stories

Something that has really stood out to me in studying and applying Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is the surprising depth it brings to understanding the stories that our faces might have to tell.

There are entire books written about what the lines of the face have to say about an individual's lived experience, what they have been through, what they have survived, what emotional experiences might predominate. 

It doesn't seem appropriate to me to assume that I know what someone has been through just by looking at their face but it is interesting food for thought. It brings another lens to the various diagnostic skills we learn to apply as clinicians of Chinese Medicine. 

In my humble opinion from the courses of study I have pursued, it is always the case that our lived experiences reside in our bodies. From the high highs to the low lows, the joys, anxieties, all across the spectrum of human emotions, our bodies are the containers that respond to and process whatever we experience as we move through the world. 

I often have that particular conversation with patients in my clinic, and to apply it via Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is no different. 

A unique application of Chinese Medicine, and yet it is Chinese Medicine all the same 

While the amount of needles inserted in the face increases, we always tailor every treatment to the individual person, the same way every Acupuncture treatment considers your unique patterns and imbalances. 

You still receive a full body Acupuncture treatment. While collagen production is being stimulated, we are still supporting the health of your tissues and organs and balancing your hormones and nervous system. When you feel and function better, your complexion will reflect that. It is indeed a natural skincare approach that nourishes you BOTH inside AND out. 

Not dissimilar to a focused Acupuncture treatment plan, improving the health of the skin and stimulating the raw materials for a healthy, balanced complexion does take time. After every treatment, collagen production has been stimulated and yet it does take time and consistency to get that collagen to remain. It can take 12-20 once weekly treatments to establish a healthy, functioning foundation of collagen (all while receiving the whole body benefits of consistent Acupuncture treatments). 

There are a few conditions that are contraindicated for Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture such as a patient with migraine headaches, high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, or for patients who are pregnant. So if you have any of these conditions or are currently pregnant, it would be advised for us to first have a consultation so we can discuss.  

The Beauty of Facial Cupping and Gua Sha...

Another important revelation I have had recently is that so much of our communication is non-verbal.

Our faces transmit a lot of information on our behalf. We furrow our brows when we are in thought. We raise our eyebrows when we are surprised or caught off guard. Our eyes communicate our level of presence, pain, joy or sadness. 

Outside of your traditional facial or self-massage practice, when and how can we tend to the muscles and fascia of our faces that are working so diligently on our behalf day in and day out?? 

Enter: Facial Cupping and Gua Sha. Unlike traditional Cupping and Gua Sha on the rest of the body, when we do Facial Cupping and Gua Sha we are NOT trying to create marks. 

Every Facial Rejuvenation session ends with both Facial Cupping and Gua Sha. It is an impactful procedure that temporarily creates space in the fascia, relieves tension from the muscles of the face, increases healthy blood flow to the skin, stimulates collagen and elastin production and also allows for healthy lymphatic drainage. 

I have been offering Facial Cupping and Gua Sha as an add-on to your Traditional Acupuncture Treatment for about 2 years now and to really wonderful results. Every person who has experienced Facial Cupping and Gua Sha remarks on how it is so supremely relaxing to the whole system.

It will for sure make things "plumpy"! :) You really can feel and see the collagen benefits for a solid 48 hours afterwards! 

We have a local skincare Maven in our midst!

Maria Henry is the founder of Luminous Rose. 

She crafts small batch, all natural and organic skin care and hair care products, locally in Waterloo, WI.

Since beginning this course of study, I have learned about the importance of using skin care products as a crucial part of maintaining the health and well-being of my skin. 

I have been using Maria's products for about 8 months and have been really pleased with how gentle and effective they are. My winter favorites are the Deep Hydration Facial Tonic - paired with a pump of the Vitamin C Brightening Serum - for a daytime treatment, the Velvet Skin Barrier Balm for my walks in the woods, and the Night Pressed Recovery Serum for my evening routine. As an adult who still has the occasional blemish, I have found her Acne Relief Gel Heaven-sent! A few dabs a day and those blemishes disappear so quickly.

In general, I have found that a little goes a long way with all of her products. The lovingly crafted small batch goods last quite a long time, even with daily use. 

Everyone's skin care needs are so different, and Maria is so generous with her consultations and her knowledge. If you have questions about what might be a great product or few products for your routine, you can always inquire about specifics and visit her website for more details.

The combined practices of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Facial Cupping and Gua Sha and all natural + clean skin care products support the health of your skin in every season and at every stage of life, while also having profound benefits to your overall well-being <3