THE TREATMENT: Acupuncture Facial Renewal
Although comforted by the fact that the Chinese have practised acupuncture for centuries, I was still nervous about having needles inserted in my face.
Reassured by acupuncturist Patrice Hardy (from Arch Hill Acupuncture) that it was a painless procedure, I put my face in her capable hands and afterwards couldn’t have felt or looked better.
Facial acupuncture is being touted as a modern day Botox – minus the side effects – and I can now see why.
When the face is needled the body interprets this as a positive injury, which in turn stimulates collagen and elastin production – two vital ingredients that diminish as we age.
Acupuncture also stimulates the nervous system, which triggers a cascade of effects within the body that help to restore overall health and wellbeing.
When I visited Patrice for the treatment, I was feeling the onset of the flu. After telling her this during the lengthy consultation, she positioned a few needles at particular points in my body (in addition to the ones I had in my face for the facial) to help ease the symptoms. Rather miraculously after the one-hour long treatment I felt much better and that dreaded flu never did arrive.
As for worrying about the needles, the session was in fact so relaxing that I fell into a deep sleep – awoken only by my own snoring. Before the needles are inserted, the face is cleansed and exfoliated and after they have been removed, a mask and skincare is applied.
Immediately after the treatment I felt slightly disorientated and as if I was floating. This is a common side effect apparently and quite a nice one at that!
As for my skin, it felt incredibly soft and plump and obviously looked it as my boyfriend remarked that I looked like a teenager again! How could I not be happy with that!
The next day my skin was no longer glowing like it had been, but felt more hydrated than usual and the fine lines around my eyes weren’t as prominent.
Although it will vary for each individual, generally around ten to fifteen treatments are needed to see the desired results listed below. Once this initial course has been completed, Patrice recommends a monthly treatment to maintain the results.
Lesson learnt: While I only had one treatment, I can see why people would return again, if not for the health benefits of acupuncture alone.
Benefits of Acupuncture Facial Renewal:
- Improves muscle tone and dermal contraction
- Increases collagen and elastin production
- Helps to eliminate and reduce bags under the eyes and lifts sagging jowls
- Helps to eliminate fine lines on face and has a diminishing effect on larger lines
- Improves hormone balance
- Moisturises the skin and increases the circulation of blood and lymph
- Improves facial colour
- Reduces or eliminates double chins
- Tightens the facial pores
- Helps to lift drooping eyes
- Slows the ageing process
- Addresses the whole person.
Patrice Hardy
Arch Hill Acupuncture
Tel: +64 9 376 9999
THE PRODUCT: Kerastase Biotic
Designed to prevent scalp irritations and promote strong, healthy hair growth, the Kerastase Biotic shampoo and re-balancing program did not disappoint.
At the product launch of this new range by Kerastase, an analogy between the scalp and soil was made to explain why a healthy scalp is so beneficial to hair growth. The comparison made the point that, just as plants need nutrient-rich soil in order to grow and flourish, your hair needs a healthy scalp so it can be healthy too.
Kerastase Bain Bio-Recharge – Dry Hair
The Bioflorine ingredient in this range is a probiotic which works to re-balance, refresh and stimulate the scalp. Although I don’t suffer from scalp irritations (dandruff, itching, flakiness) as such, using this shampoo had the same effect as watering a pot plant. It fed my scalp with necessary nutrients for my hair. I found the shampoo very hydrating and while it nourished my hair, it didn’t leave it too limp or lacking in volume – an important aspect for someone with fine hair like me.
Kerastase Biotic Concentrate Bio Recharge
This replenishing programme helps reinforces the scalp’s natural defences so that it is in optimum condition to produce hair that looks and feels beautiful. While I can’t say my hair looked “beautiful” as such (I haven’t been blessed with beautiful hair), after five weeks of using the treatment it definitely felt stronger and looked much healthier and fuller. I liked the fact that the treatment was quick and easy – only needing to be left in towel-dried hair for three to five minutes.
Lesson learnt: healthy hair relies on a healthy scalp.
