Keep chemicals bring in needles

Pianist JANE BECKER, a composer and soloist, celebrated his birthday number 50 in the dermatologist, pay $1,500 for Restylane and Botox shots. But three months later, the effects of smoothing wrinkles wore. Thus, returned to a less artificial tone of youth: facial acupuncture.

Go to the next paragraph Natasha Calzatti for The New York TimesSTICKER SHOCK cosmetic acupuncture has drawn the attention of an increasing number of women who want to delay the signs of aging, but do not want to undergo surgery or inject chemicals. Fred r. Conrad/the New York Times

Like many women who have tried acupuncture of beauty, Ms. Becker hopes to have needles strategically inserted into his face would be cheaper and the latter more longer than injections of their birthday.

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

Acupuncture does not end up being great part of a negotiation, but is worth in another way, he 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 face-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 jumped the opportunity to transform your skin from the inside.

Now, thanks to the more robust marketing cosmetic acupuncture struck over crumpled public. Its holistic approach urges in particular to women who want to delay the signs of aging, but do not want to undergo surgery or inject chemicals.

If he is called facial rejuvenation, face-lift of acupuncture or acupuncture cosmetics, 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. As with needle traditional put needles in acupuncture points stimulates the natural energy of the body, he had called qi, but with additional benefits.

If it works the cosmetic acupuncture has yet to be tested. Randomized, controlled studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective adjunctive treatment for hypertension, chronic pain, headaches and back pain. But there is no research scientist showing that acupuncture reduces wrinkles.

Even so, an industry devoted to the drilling of a young 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. It teaches a dozen seminars annually to more than 30 budding facialists rooms. "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 2005 Academy Awards 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".

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

Dr. Richard g. Glogau, a clinical professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, said that these changes were quite possible. "It is clear that people wear much muscle tension in the face, which gives them frowns and wrinkles," he said. "My take on 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.