As we get older, our faces begin to change—it’s inevitable, and everyone is different. Some see an abundance of wrinkles, while others see jowls, shadows under the eyes or drooping eyelids. And, unfortunately, the more stressed we become, the more it shows in our appearance. Michelle Dominique Leigh’s book Inner Peace, Outer Beauty sums it up perfectly: “At the age of forty, the mind is visible on the face.”

While many men and women now choose to combat the aging process with procedures like microdermabrasion, injections and plastic surgery, these options are expensive and not always the safest. And, as we all know by now, the results can be less than ideal.

With the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture—a beauty treatment for concubines as far back as the Sun Dynasty (960-1270 A.D.)—we use fine-gauge needles placed in specific areas on the face, such as frown lines, crow’s feet, mouth lines and jowls. When we inject the needles, tiny traumas are created in the skin, which triggers a physiological reaction that sends increased circulation and collagen to the “wounded’’ area. 

As we age, our collagen production decreases. That’s why when the body sends collagen to “heal” these miniscule puncture wounds, your skin begins to appear smoother, fuller and brighter.

Because each patient is different, we recommend anywhere from 12 to 15 treatments, administered once or twice a week. Results will depend on the patient’s age, health and lifestyle but may be seen as early as the first treatment, though they’ll usually see improvement in their appearance around the seventh treatment.