Beauty and the Least

We all know that there is a tremendous interest these days in any product or procedure that is touted as being “anti-aging”. No matter what the state of the economy, people continue to spend billions of dollars a year on therapies and procedures that promise to make them look younger, thinner, or more beautiful. You can have a procedure to modify almost anything about your body with which you are dissatisfied. People are having chin implants, fat transplantation, arm lifts, ear plastic surgery, cosmetic foot surgery, and even (believe it or not) cosmetic leg lengthening surgery. The industry has gone so far that there is now a book written for children about mommy’s plastic surgery. When children’s books are being written about how kids can keep up with the world of cosmetic “improvements”, the field has reached a new low in my opinion.

Many cosmetic procedures began as medical treatments. Plastic surgery began as a blessing to those who had been disfigured in an accident, born with a cleft palate, or injured in combat. In fact, war injuries accelerated experimentation in plastic surgery after World War I. The history of Botox also begins with its beneficial use. In the 1950s it was discovered to relax hypertensive muscles and spasms and is still used to give relief to patients who suffer from facial, neck, or shoulder spasms.

Acupuncture treatments didn’t start out being “cosmetic” either but there were unintended outcomes (i.e., “cosmetic” results) of using certain points and techniques. For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of my practice is having the skills and knowledge to help use “the least” to help people maintain their youthful appearance. You can be youthful by using your own body! With the use of needling, herbs, QiGong, and/or nutritional advice – all basic therapies included in the system of Chinese medicine – our medicine can stave off the outward signs of aging. That’s because when I use Chinese medicine for “cosmetic” results, that is, do the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture protocol, I am treating the internal causes of aging, not just the outward results of it. That is the true beauty of Chinese medicine; it treats wrinkles from the inside and the outside.

Chinese medicine can help you maintain a youthful appearance with the use of one of the “least” aggressive procedures available: cosmetic acupuncture. Cosmetic acupuncture improves your health rather than damaging it. It uses your own body to be youthful rather than injecting toxins into it. Chinese medicine can create a vibrancy and healthfulness inside that is reflected on the outside. 

For beautiful skin, please check out my skin care line too! (www.MyZenSkinCare.com)