Seneca Falls Acupuncture
Cosmetic Acupuncture Pain Management Acupuncture and Massage Therapy in Seneca Falls, New York
Lifestyle & Diet Recommendations for Gorgeous Skin
We ask all of our cosmetic acupuncture patients to make some small lifestyle changes that have a BIG impact on their skin health, and therefore, on the results they see from cosmetic treatments. In Chinese medicine, gorgeous skin is a direct result of internal health and balance.
Even if you’re not getting a series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments, you can still practice these things at home for beautiful skin!
Of course, as with any diet or lifestyle advice, consult your doctor before starting.
Recommendation #1
Increase dietary protein intake.
The goal of cosmetic acupuncture is to create tiny microtraumas in the dermis, which the body fills in with protein (collagen). If you don’t eat enough protein, the body will divert your resources to more essential functions. Eating extra protein helps ensure the best results from our efforts in your cosmetic treatments!
For example, you could eat an extra chicken breast each day, or you could add a collagen peptide supplement.
Our absolute favorite collagen peptide supplement is Ancient Nutrition’s Strawberry Lemonade Peptides with Vitamin C. Delicious!
Recommendation #2
Wear a non-toxic sunscreen.
The sun’s UV rays directly break down collagen – the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve with cosmetic acupuncture! Even in winter or cloudy weather, I highly recommend wearing sunscreen every single day to protect collagen and prevent skin cancer. My favorite for light skin tones is Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.
Recommendation #3
Increase Vitamin C in your diet.
Vitamin C is an essential factor in the repair, creation, and protection of collagen.
This can be as simple as adding a squeeze of lemon to your water first thing in the morning. You can also take collagen peptides that include Vitamin C, like the Ancient Nutrition peptides mentioned above.
You want to ensure that our efforts to build collagen with cosmetic acupuncture are possible and lack of Vitamin C can be a limiting factor.
For more detail and research on all the ways Vitamin C is important for collagen and skin health, click here.
Recommendation #4
Really focus on eating more antioxidant-rich foods.
Antioxidants reduce molecules in the body called “free radicals.” Free radicals are known to directly damage collagen. Increasing your antioxidants helps protect the collagen you have, as well as protecting other structures in the body and your overall health.
Antioxidant-rich foods include brightly colored vegetables and fruits, a focus on whole foods and reduced packaged foods, and green or white tea, to name a few examples.
Recommendation #5
Reduce and manage stress levels as much as possible.
Stress takes an enormous toll on the body and over time it is very visible in the skin. Prolonged stress can cause increased heart rate, elevated levels of stress hormones, weight gain, insomnia, digestive problems, and increased blood pressure.
It’s hard to get the best results from cosmetic acupuncture when stress levels are very high because the body is in a state of “fight or flight.” Optimal healing begins in the relaxed state of “rest and digest” (parasympathetic nervous system activity).
Long story short: If stress is under control, your cosmetic acupuncture results will be better!
Recommendation #6
Practice at-home gua sha facial massage 3-5 times per week.
Facial gua sha is a gentle style of massage that has been used in China for skincare for centuries and is still practiced today. Gua sha is included at the end of every cosmetic acupuncture treatment.
It enhances the results of cosmetic acupuncture AND is wonderful even if you’re not getting cosmetic acupuncture because it improves circulation, brightens the skin, and provides a gentle lift.
Gua sha on the face is often practiced using polished crystal such as jade, rose quartz, or amethyst. Here’s a link to my favorite amethyst gua sha tool, and here’s a great tutorial for at-home gua sha from acupuncturist and TCM expert Sandra Lanshin Chiu.
We also sell Mount Lai crystal gua sha stones and our favorite all-natural facial serum in our office.
Get glowing.
Want more skin-optimizing and wrinkle-preventing recommendations?
Click here to download our full list of lifestyle recommendations to help maintain beautiful skin. (Coming soon.)
If you want to learn more about cosmetic acupuncture, click here.
And if you’re ready to start your series of 10 cosmetic treatments, we’d love to have you! The first step is to set up a Free Cosmetic Acupuncture Consult. You can schedule online here.
Common Questions About Cosmetic Acupuncture:
Like all acupuncture, cosmetic acupuncture is cumulative. Two treatments per week for five or six weeks is the standard recommendation for a series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments.
Yes. Once you’ve completed the 10-treatment series, I recommend one cosmetic acupuncture treatment every four to six weeks for maintenance.
I recommend starting your series of 10 treatments eight or nine weeks before the wedding. That way your treatments are completed at least three weeks before the event.
Like all acupuncture, cosmetic acupuncture can occasionally cause bruises. I do EVERYTHING I possibly can to avoid this, of course, but it’s not unusual to get 1-2 very small bruises on the face during the 10-treatment series.
If you have a special event coming up, like a wedding, or anything where you’re having photos taken, I recommend completing the series three weeks beforehand. This way any bruises have more than enough time to fade before your event.
Cosmetic acupuncture is not recommended for those who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. In Chinese medicine, we simply prefer to send your body’s resources to the fetus, as opposed to your face/skin.
It’s also not recommended for those who have chronic migraines or headaches, or chronic high blood pressure.
If you have chronic headaches and want to do cosmetic acupuncture, we would first do a series of general acupuncture treatments to manage the headaches, before starting the cosmetic acupuncture series.
Feel free to check out this page with in-depth information on cosmetic acupuncture.
You can also feel free to email our office at info@senecafallsacupuncture.com.
If you’d like to ask your questions in person, you’re welcome to set up a Free Cosmetic Acupuncture Consult here.
This is a 30-minute chat in which we’ll discuss your skincare goals, answer all your questions, and talk about what to expect from a series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments.