cosmetic acupuncture

JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 72 JUNE 2003

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

COSMETICACUPUNCTURE

by Radha Thambirajah

I began my acupuncture practice in Sri Lanka in 1971 byoffering a free clinic a few hours daily for patients who haddifficulties in managing payment. Many of these patientswould have more than four treatment sessions a week,following the then Chinese fashion.

One such patient was 46 year old Mrs. X. She had been arheumatoid arthritis sufferer for over 6 years, and whilehaving regular acupuncture treatments with me over some12 weeks, she had gradually reduced and then come offsteroids and anti-inflammatory medications. Mrs. X hadhad a characteristic limp when she first came, and her facewas always knotted with pain. Naturally, over the treat-ment period she lost these. One day I noticed somethingmore - I noticed that Mrs. X was beautiful! Her skin wassmooth, her hair shiny, her eyes were bright and her pos-ture was great. When I heard my staff remarking the samething, I had to attribute this change to her newly-foundhealthy state of balance.

From then on, I began to notice patients who were on longterm therapy for chronic illness - polyarthritis, eczema,acne, menstrual problems, post menopausal problems,asthma etc. Apart from those cases of eczema or acne I wasnot treating their skin, yet all patients taking prolongedenergy-balancing treatment, with no special points for en-hancing beauty, went through this gradual but very notice-able metamorphosis.

It was not until after 10 years of practice (when I had becamea better known acupuncturist in my country) that I begangetting some diplomats and film stars as my patients. Here,for the first time I was requested to treat not a disease, butsome imperfection in their appearance. Overweight or accu-mulating fat in one part of body, cellulitis, abdominal disten-tion, fine and deep wrinkles, hanging skin, the tendency toform stretch marks, unclean complexion, sagging breasts andabdomen were some of these conditions. I accepted thechallenge and had to work backwards on the results I hadproduced on my sick patients in the past. I found the workvery rewarding, as one sees results very quickly and the feesI received for beauty treatments were higher than for backpain! At this point in time, there was no literature I could refer

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to, and I had to discover and develop my own methods. Iwould like to share some of my experience with you.

The most common problem that patients complain of isfine wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. One factor thataccelerates the ageing process of the facial skin is smoking.Smoking dries the Lungs and skin - and this leads to the lossof fluid in the superficial epidermal layer of the skin. So theless pulpy and more delicate areas such as the eyelids andperioral region show signs of ageing due to stress or over-use (for example screwing the eyes or tightening the lipsaround the cigarette).

Educating the patient, helping them to stop smoking withor without the aid of acupuncture and rehydrating the skinis the essence of therapy in these cases. This means that Itonify Lung yin with needles, and make sure the patientdrinks enough water throughout the day and humidifiestheir living area. My patients have made fashion statementsby spraying Evian water around their sitting area in theoffice and impressing their workmates!

White rice is good nutrition for Lung yin. This is one reasonwhy people living in tropical countries eat white rice - becausethey need to sustain yin in the skin against exposure to thesun. Finally, most patients with dry, fine wrinkly skin alsohappen to be rather thin. This suggests a blood deficiency dueto Spleen deficiency, which is therefore unable to nourish theson (Lung). In order to moderately increase nourishment, Irecommend these patients to drink butter-milk (or lassi formy Asian patients) daily. The wrinkles smooth out withinweeks and the face looks fuller. They are so happy with theresults that their motto has become “ a (drink of) buttermilka day keeps the wrinkles away”.

The acupuncture points I use for Lung yin tonification areZhongfu LU-1, Taiyuan LU-9, Shanzhong REN-17, NeiguanP-6 and Taibai SP-3. Naturally, some points are added orchanged according to the specific needs of each patient.

The Seven Star or Plum-Blossom Needle is also very useful.It can make superficial punctures over larger areas veryquickly. This helps to either improve local blood circulation(when used with light tapping to produce a red skin reaction),or to release heat by bleeding (by using heavy tapping).


We do not seem to use the plum-blossom needle very oftennowadays, but I find it a great “connective tissue tightener”and a perfect “fat stagnation buster”.

The Spleen tones connective tissueOften after losing weight or entering middle age, manyparts of the body tend to sag, especially the jaws, chin, andupper eyelids which are of course visible outside clothing.Our connective tissue is firmed largely by Spleen qi whichhelps thus increase adherence of the skin to the muscles,resulting in tautness. When this is lacking, the skin sagsaway from the muscles. Unlike muscles, the connectivetissue cannot be firmed up through exercise, and thesepatients need Spleen qi tonification. Besides needling, I alsorecommend them to eat wholemeal grains instead of re-fined grains, eat warm cooked food instead of raw, drinkwarm water instead of cold drinks, and take big breakfastsand smaller evening meals. If I advised this to a patient withchronic digestive problems I would have had many objec-tions and little compliance. But say this to a patient havingcosmetic acupuncture, and they will hang onto every word,because after a few days of living “badly” they begin to seetheir body sag again.

The acupuncture points I use to tonify Spleen qi are: PishuBL-20, Yinbai SP-1, Zusanli ST-36, Zhongwan REN-12 (withmoxibustion) and Fenglong ST-40. Again, points are addedor changed according to the special needs of the patient. Forexample, a patient suffering from gastric acidity will notreceive moxibustion on Zhongwan REN-12 as this mayincrease the Stomach heat.

The local treatment for loose connective tissue is plum-blossom tapping in the areas beneath the chin and on thelower abdomen. Both should be performed when the pa-tient is standing, when maximum sagging occurs. Beneaththe chin, a triangular area should be tapped in lines towardsthe ear. The three corners of the triangle can be defined asa. anterior to Lianquan REN-23 (just beneath the point of thechin), b. just above the adam's apple, c. Yifeng SJ-17. Thepatient should raise and tilt the chin when the tapping isperformed. The whole lower abdomen can be tapped indownward and lateral lines, approximately 3cm apart.

In these modern days of Botox and collagen injections, aswell as cosmetic surgery, acupuncture still stands out as asafe and longer-lasting method. There are no side effects, nomask-like appearance and no scars. But the technique andthe know-how to make it last is in the hands of the patient.If our interior is healthy and balanced, and if we have innertranquillity and contentment, if we are well nourished andexercise moderately, our beauty will shine through.

Cosmetic acupuncture is not about beauty,but about health

I have learned that cosmetic acupuncture is not aboutbeauty, but about health. Every part of our body needs goodblood circulation, moisture, free movement of fluid andability to eliminate secretions, and no stagnation of damp-

ness (puffy appearance). The skin however, which is theoutermost covering of our body, is visible in a very largearea, and therefore is the most important place to manifestbeauty. When treating skin problems, one has to take intoaccount the various organs that influence the Lungs.

Fire - Heart & Small IntestineThe skin has a complex relationship with zangfu other thanthe Lung and cannot be singularly considered or treated.For instance, the Heart nourishes and circulates blood. Adeficiency of Heart blood and qi would cause paleness andcold, dry and dead-looking skin. The treatment would be totonify blood - with Geshu BL-17 (hui-meeting point ofblood), Xuehai SP-10, Juque REN-14 (front-mu point of theHeart), Xinshu BL-15 (back-shu point of the Heart) and givea suitable tonic to nourish the blood. These patients usuallydo not come to us for cosmetic acupuncture - in fact, theycould not care less how they look. They would approach uswith symptoms of endogenous depression, anxiety, mentalfatigue and sleep problems. As Heart blood and qi aretonified, their mood, complexion, sleep, and confidence allimprove, and their skin glows pink with warmth.

Earth - Spleen & StomachThe Spleen nourishes the body with the food that is receivedby the Stomach, and the Spleen qi distributes the nutritionto all organs and tissues. The Spleen function of circulatingblood and nutrition, especially to the periphery, is respon-sible for the capillary circulation of blood. A deficiency ofSpleen qi and yang can cause a marbling effect on the skin(a mixture of blue and pink colours), and coldness of theextremities. This can be treated by needling points PishuBL-20, Weishu BL-21, Zusanli ST-36, Yinbai SP-1 andTaiyuan LU-9 (hui-meeting point of the vessels) and apply-ing moxibustion at Zhongwan REN-12. It is essential to takewarm foods and drinks so as to keep the middle jiao warm,as it is the warmth of the Spleen and Stomach that iscirculated to the periphery.

The Spleen also circulates body fluid. If the Spleen qi isdeficient, this can result in stagnation of body fluid, more soin the periphery - the eyelids, hands and feet.

Water - Kidney & Urinary BladderThe Kidneys store water and irrigate the body. If the Kidneyyin is deficient, and the body is dry, the Kidney will nothesitate to draw the water from its mother the Lung. This willresult in dryness of skin. This is specially apparent in meno-pausal women, who suffer with general dryness at a timewhen their female hormones (Kidney yin) are on the decline.Treatment should focus on points such as Yingu KID-10,Sanyinjiao SP-6 and Zhongji REN-3, and patients shoulddrink water regularly and make sure to take a moderateamount of sea salt in the diet so that the water can be retained.

Wood -Liver & Gall BladderLiver blood deficiency can cause dryness of skin directly,

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but more importantly Liver wind generated in the interiorcan cause skin irritation and itching, for example accompa-nied by jaundiced skin in hepatitis. The palliative treatmentfor the itching can include points such as Xuehai SP-10,Baihui DU-20 and Geshu BL-17, but it is also necessary tocalm the interior wind and regulate blood. When treatingmost skin disorders due to Liver wind, some of which areallergic in nature, one needs to re-establish the relationshipbetween metal and wood. In health, metal controls wood.But if metal has a weak yin, then it loses control over wood,and uncontrolled wind-heat rises and counter-powers metal.Treatment would be to support Lung yin and reduce Liveryang using Xingjian LIV-2 and Yangfu GB-38 with reducingmethod. Other wind eliminating points such as FengchiGB-20, Fengshi GB-31, Bingfeng SI-12, Bafeng (M-LE-8) andBaxie (M-UE-22) could be used depending on the affectedareas. It is also necessary to avoid acidic and citrus fruit andalcohol that can increase the Liver wind.

Metal - Lung & Large IntestineThe function of the Lung (besides that of respiration) is toascend and descend water. The Lung descends water to theKidney, and when this function is impaired, it can manifestas excessive mucus in the Lungs. This may be treated in twoways: either by sending this excess water from the Lung byreducing Chize LU–5 (the water point), or by inducingdiuresis by tonifying Kidney qi with points such as ShenshuBL-23, Taixi KID-3 and Yinlingquan SP-9, thus encouragingwater to flow from the Lung to the Kidneys.

The ascending function of the Lung pertains more di-rectly to skin problems. It is the Lung qi that dispersesmoisture to the skin surface, and a combination of thick butdry skin shows that there is excess Lung yin below the skin,but inadequate qi to disperse it to the surface. Treatmentshould focus on helping to open the skin pores and ascendthe moisture to the skin surface with point such as HeguL.I.-4, Feishu BL-13 (back-shu point of the Lung) and QuchiL.I.-11. A moderate amount of spices like ginger will alsohelp the skin to sweat.

An illustration of this impeded ascending function isfound in acne vulgaris, common among teenagers and in afew older patients. In moderate to severe acne, there appearpustular and cystic lesions mostly on the face, back, chestand shoulders (mainly in the area of the upper jiao). Re-sidual scars make the skin look very uneven.

In my opinion this shows a damp-heat condition of theskin. The skin produces excessive sebaceous secretions(dampness) which cannot be eliminated effectively becausethe opening-eliminating function of the skin is poor. Thisstagnating dampness can create heat or inflammation overa period of time - causing the papules and pustules. Thetreatment I use on my patients is to improve elimination,decrease dampness, and if necessary, eliminate heat.

To improve elimination, it is of first importance to makesure that the patient has regular and good bowel move-ments. Many youngsters do not empty their bowels regu-

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larly. I use Hegu L.I.-4, Zhigou SJ-6, Tianshu ST-25 andparavertebral tapping with a plum-blossom needle be-tween lumbar vertebra 2 and sacral vertebra 2 to produce ared skin reaction. To help skin elimination I sometimes addFeishu BL-13 and Quchi L.I.-11.

To decrease dampness, I select Fenglong ST-40,Yinlingquan SP-9, and occasionally Chize LU–5 and advisepatients to avoid refined sugar and fatty milk products(milk, cream and chocolate).

Eliminating heat is not necessary most of the time, be-cause once the dampness and elimination are improved,there is no basis from which heat can be generated. How-ever if it is still a problem, I prick Chize LU-5 to inducebleeding, usually on one side at each treatment, bleedingthe other side the next treatment if necessary.

The key part of the acne therapy however, is local treat-ment. I use many .20 gauge 15mm needles around the areasof the acne - mostly on the face. The needles are insertedvery superficially and left in place for 20 minutes. This helpspromote circulation of the stagnant dampness and helps tosmooth the skin. The general points that are used seem toimprove the inflammation of skin, but it is the local needlesthat make the difference, and at the end of a course of 12treatments, the effect lasts much longer than if no localneedles were used.

I treat my acne patients twice weekly, for about 12 ses-sions. The results are striking and long-lasting.

ConclusionFinally, a word of caution about choosing patients for cos-metic acupuncture. In my practice, I have had good experi-ences with treating many cosmetic problems mostly in women.The majority are aged 45-65, and are working women whohave had acupuncture treatment in the past. They use othercomplementary therapies and are comfortable with needles,enjoy their sessions and feel the benefit on their health as well.They work together with me in making our therapy success-ful, and take responsibility for themselves, for their eatingand living habits for example.

There are others however, who want a “quick-fix” -because of a wedding or a holiday for example. They comeat the last minute, do not have time to eat or sleep properly- let alone cook, and expect a great deal out of the acupunc-ture. These are not the best candidates for cosmetic acu-puncture. Even if the treatment works on them, the resultswill not last very long.

Radha Thambirajah was born in Sri Lanka. She studied medicine,specialising in acupuncture, at the Military Medical College, Shanghai,and graduated in 1970. She founded the Academy of ChineseAcupuncure in Sri lanka in 1980, and in Berlin in 1986. She lives andpractises SuttonColdfield, West Midlands, and lectures to doctors andhealth professionals in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland,Spain and Italy. She can be contacted on [email protected]

cosmetic acupuncture

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