Acupuncture facelift

July 16, 1:55 PMIndianapolis Health ExaminerTeresa Tanoos

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AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Want to look younger without the expense and downtime of a conventional facelift? Facial acupuncture may be the solution.

Unlike surgery or non-invasive fillers like Botox that are used to smooth wrinkles in the face, cosmetic acupuncture doesn't involve any of the bruising or swelling such procedures often cause. Indeed, facial acupuncture has been shown to be a very effective treatment for minimizing lines around the face, including the furrows between the eyebrows that can create an angry look or scowl.

While acupuncture has been around for centuries in Asia, the U.S. government only recently gave it its stamp of approval as a viable treatment for certain kinds of pain. Since then, acupuncture has been used in this country to treat a variety of health conditions during the last couple decades. Most recently, it has found tremendous success in treating cosmetic issues.

"Cosmetic acupuncture can be used to firm skin, relax facial wrinkles, and improve the vascularity and glow of facial skin," says renowned facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Catherine Winslow, who recently scored highest in the nation on the Facial Plastic Surgery Board examination. Winslow says that facial acupuncture can be combined with herbal therapies to complement the treatment results to boost immunity and improve hormonal imbalances.

Her patients report seeing a huge difference, "My skin looks brighter and smoother, and the wrinkles are much softer. I never dreamed this was an option, and it didn’t hurt at all.”

So how can needles inserted in your face be painless? According to Dr. Winslow, it has to do with size, "Although needles are involved, they are so tiny your skin does not sense them as painful."

Facial acupuncture is offered at Winslow Wellness Center by Dr. Suhong Xiao, who perfected the technique with her training in China as a Doctor of Acupuncture. Dr. Xiao combines acupuncture with traditional herbal therapies to treat a wide variety of health conditions. She has taken her training to the fullest extent with studies and publications, some of which are now being conducted with the IU School of Medicine.

The process of acupuncture stimulates the natural energies in the body, called qi. Several randomized, controlled studies have found acupuncture to be effective adjunctive therapy for many illnesses, including hypertension, chronic pain, and headaches. Taking the ability to relax muscles one step further, cosmetic acupuncture was introduced successfully in Hollywood and used by many celebrities prior to the Academy Awards.

For more info: Contact the office of Dr. Winslow at 317-814-1104, or visit the Winslow Wellness & Facial Plastic Surgery Center Website at www.IndyFace.com.