Going under the needles

Our editor Marja-Leena tried cosmetic acupuncture

I was very excited to arrive at Sasha’s welcoming treatment room for my first ever session of cosmetic acupuncture. I wanted to discover how it works as an anti-ageing treatment. Before we could get started, Sasha asked me a whole host of questions in order to fill in a comprehensive health questionnaire as she likes to tailor her treatments to health and beauty. She also took my pulses, yes there are several, and looked at my tongue which tells a thousand tales to a Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine like Sasha. I was then tucked up comfortably on a treatment bed and Sasha got to work at inserting around a hundred very fine needles on my face and also some on my head, ankles and hands. She uses varying sizes of needles; larger ones for acupoints and finer needles on my forehead, cheeks and around my mouth where I have lines and wrinkles. The needles cause a wound heal affect to the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production in those areas. You may be familiar when it comes to needles puncturing the face, for instance micro-needling, fillers or Botox. However, acupuncture has been used in a cosmetic context for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you are not a fan of needles, you’ll be pleased to know that I didn’t feel any pain when the needles were inserted, only a tiny pinch which disappeared as soon as the needle was in. After all the needles were in, I was left to relax for half an hour listening to soothing music. Sasha made no promises for results after just one treatment, but I could definitely see a smoother forehead. As a bonus I felt extremely relaxed and energised too, it was a really lovely experience. A course of twelve treatments is recommended followed by a maintenance programme to keep up the good work. I am definitely going back for more! If TCM acupuncture is something you are interested in please visit www.serenitymedica.com or call or email Sasha 07757991511 sasha@serenitymedica.com