A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX

But it still involves needles…

SAY YES TO…

THERE ARE NEEDLES INVOLVED, BUT THERE’S NOT AN INJECTABLE IN SIGHT

WHAT IT IS: While acupuncture has been employed in Chinese medicine for centuries, the cosmetic benefits of facial acupuncture are only just beginning to become known. The concept is the same – a practitioner assesses your concerns and then gently administers needles to stimulate your body’s systems — but the results are entirely different. MO+ in Sydney offers a Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treatment, which promises a plumper complexion with visible improvement to skin texture. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: Tiny pricks on the surface of the skin, but there’s no pain. If anything, the sensation is more like the fleeting tingle of an itch. First, the acupuncturist checks my tongue and listens to my pulse to become more attuned to any bodily issues that may be

manifesting themselves on the surface of my skin, such as digestion or liver function. Following a double cleanse and an energising round of gua sha, the needles are placed across the sections of my face that require the biggest boost of collagen (fine lines on my forehead) or detoxing (the hotbed of hormonal acne along my jawline), in addition to the pressure points that will work to balance any internal problems. From there, goggles go on and a LED light is placed overhead to awaken sleepy collagen stores — it’s so calming, I drift off a few minutes in. Half an hour later, the needles are delicately plucked from my skin and a generous layer of moisturiser seals in my newfound glow. VERDICT: Immediately after, my skin is visibly smoother and clearer, especially my forehead. There’s no post-treatment redness, and I’m so relaxed I practically float home. The real magic happens a few days later, when my hormonal breakouts clear up, as if they’ve been healed from within. But the biggest win comes when a colleague asks if I’ve paid a visit to the injector recently. Nope, I tell her, just an ancient Chinese secret. Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, $165 for

90 minutes, MO+, moplus.com.au

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