Keep chemical products, which in the needles

Pianist JANE BECKER, a composer and solo, it celebrated its 50th anniversary in the dermatologist, paying $1,500 shot of Restylane and Botox. But three months later, their effects of smoothing wrinkles wore. Therefore, returned to a less artificial tone of youth: facial acupuncture.

Skip to next paragraph Natasha Calzatti cosmetic acupuncture of The New York TimesSTICKER SHOCK has attracted the attention of an increasing number of women who want to slow down signs of aging, but do not want to undergo surgery or inject chemicals. Fred r. Conrad and the New York Times

Like many women who have tried acupuncture in search of beauty, Ms. Becker hopes to have needles strategically inserted into his face would be cheaper and last most of the injections of their birthday.

The Mrs. Becker, now 53, began with 10 sessions in five weeks ($1,000) and past monthly maintenance from ($ 105 a session).

Acupuncture not ends up being much of an agreement, but pay in other ways, said.

"I can really see a difference in my face," said Ms. Becker, who sees Steven Sonmore, an acupuncturist licensed in Minneapolis. "It seems younger, smoother, brighter and more uplifted".

Early as Mrs. Becker spread in the first place of the virtues of a lift called acupuncture. Then, before the awards Oscar 2005, a crew of facial acupuncturists descended at Soho House, a local celebrity improvised in Los Angeles, and A-listers took the opportunity to transform your skin from the inside.

Now, thanks to the more robust marketing, cosmetic acupuncture has attracted the attention of more than crumpled public. Its holistic approach appeals in particular to women who want to slow down signs of aging, but do not want to undergo surgery or inject chemicals.

If he is called facial rejuvenation, facelift of acupuncture or cosmetic acupuncture, the goal is to address wrinkles, muscle tension that may be causing unsightly lines, as well as the systematic ongoing issues between you and shiny skin. Just as with the traditional technique of needle, putting needles in acupuncture points stimulates natural energies of the body, had called qi, but with additional benefits.

If cosmetic acupuncture work still has to prove it. Randomized, controlled studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective complementary treatment for hypertension, chronic pain, headaches and back pain. But there is no research revised, showing that acupuncture reduces wrinkles.

Even so, an industry devoted to the puncture of juvenile skin has grown in recent years.

"There is an increase in the interest of the country," said Martha Lucas, an acupuncturist licensed which helped create the cosmetic acupuncture Mei Zen system in 2003. Teaches a dozen yearly seminars for stays of more than 30 budding facialists. "L.A. used to be the largest market." "But now we have people from the Midwest vocation."

Practitioners of this style of cosmetic acupuncture called Mei Zen ("beautiful person" in Chinese) offer their services in 16 States.

Mary Elizabeth Wakefield, an acupuncturist licensed who led the Oscar 2005 event, has trained more than 2,000 teachers in 40 States in his technique: constitutional facial acupuncture. This year, she has trained nearly 1,200 professionals, up from 100 in 2001, said. "For centuries, the ancient Chinese have promoted health and beauty," said Ms. Wakefield, "but we have taken it to another level".

Part of the reason is marketing led to: monthly seminars by Mrs Lucas include pointers on taking pictures of before and after effective and fruitful relationships with dermatologists. It even happens to t-shirts that proclaimed "Cosmetic acupuncture works".A half-dozen women interviewed for this article, said swelling have been decreasing, under-eye bags disappear and lines decrease or they soften.

Dr. Richard g. Glogau, a clinical professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, said that these changes were made very possible. "It is clear that people carries around much muscle tension in the face, which gives them frowns and wrinkles," he said. "My take from this is that you there is muscle relaxation."

But Dr. Glogau does not believe that facial acupuncture can increase collagen, another claim of some professionals.