Acupuncture Torbay – Facial Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture photos from my article in Devon Today magazine.

How do I get Facial Acupuncture?

Book in for a free assessment. Then I will discuss your medical history and the pro’s and con’s of the treatment. Pregnant ladies Abdominal Acupuncture is not suitable for you. (It is good for fertility though!). People that smoke may not get such good results as they are constantly damaging their skin by smoking. I can help Smokers to quit as part of their treatment. You will need to experience having a few needles put in so that you can see it is not painful. Also please read the Patient Information on the next page.

Your First Treatment for Facial Rejuvenation

By this time you will have decided to commit to a course of treatment. this is necessary as a course does take some commitment on your part and mine. You will need at least 10 treatments, possibly twice a week so you will need to be patient.

I will take your pulses on both sides and your tongue will be looked at to determine your overall health. Body points may then be needed to be used so there is a possibility that you will be undressed to your underwear to start with. This is a Holistic treatment and true beauty comes from within. After this I may start on the Cosmetic points or I may do this at the next treatment, depending on your state of health. The first thing you will notice is a healthy glow.

As this treatment does take commitment, if you book all ten treatments and pay at the first treatment you will receive the tenth treatment free!

Advantages of Facial Acupuncture

This deep, natural treatment works with your body and is not an assault on your face like plastic surgery or Botox so rarely produces bruising. It is used as a preventative by younger women and men to help them to keep looking young. Acupuncture is used to treat scars and after Cosmetic Surgery to bring the spirit back to the skin and help repair any damage. Botox can actually be dangerous. Cosmetic Acupuncture is also known as “Rejuvenation Acupuncture” because it actually improves the condition of the skin instead of masking the imperfections like most other beauty treatments.

Imagine meeting with an old friend and she says “Wow have you had something done to your face? You look fantastic” This has happened to several of my Patients and because the changes occur over ten treatments Patients often think nothing much is happening until others start to notice.

Despite my ‘needle phobia’ I found the whole experience quite enjoyable – all tingly and warming. After all the insertions i rested on the couch and drifted in and out of a nice doze until the needles were removed.

Kim predicted that the results wouldn’t show for a couple of days and that I would need a series of treatments to see real results. However, just one day later, I had more energy and my skin looked warmer and healthier, the fine lines on my forehead and around my eyes were visibly smoother, and what I didn’t expect at all, the few spots which were a permenant feature on my face since I was a teenager, have disappeared!

The International Journal of Acupuncture has shown that Cosmetic Acupuncture is 90% effective, results last three to five years but it is a good idea to have top ups to maintain the effect

If I had these results based on just one treatment I do believe that my problem skin after a series of treatments would be problem free!

Devon Life 2004

KIM MAIDMENT

Mei zen translates from the Chinese into English as `beautiful person', which conjures up a lovely image to describe what is, in fact, facelifts using acupuncture instead of surgery.

The man or woman in the street commonly thinks that if he or she looks good, then feeling good will surely follow. But an acupuncturist believes the feeling good comes first, and then a person will look good too.

Facelifts by acupuncture might seem new and radical today but the practice is in fact thousands of years old. A Chinese Emperor would request his Empress and his concubines to have cosmetic acupuncture so that they remained beautiful to him,

The desire for Western women (and not a few men too) to have facelifts and botox injections has been largely influenced by the cosmetic industry in the U.S.A. But, the thought of going under a surgeon's knife can be a traumatic thought, yet alone deed. And many people have been looking for a more natural approach to retain their youthful looks.

To this end, Kim Maidment (an acupuncturist who has been in practice for nine years) has spent time in Philadelphia, U.S.A., where he learned - and qualified in - the protocols of cosmetic acupuncture, which is also known as facial rejuvenation.

Cosmetic acupuncture is far less intrusive to the body than is the surgeon's knife, or botox - the latter for the most part being a paralysing poison.

At a first - and free - consultation, Kim takes an assessment of his patient, when the pros and cons of cosmetic acupuncture will be discussed. At this time Kim will also give the patient a general health check, taking pulses and documenting

details of the patient's lifestyle. With the patient's approval, Kim will then insert a few trial needles. Kim can usually very quickly judge the suitability of a patient for

cosmetic acupuncture. At this stage the patient will need to make a committed decision to proceed for a minimum of ten treatments.

But it is not only the face that can benefit from this type of treatment; the abdomen also responds very well, showing significant improvement in muscle tone as well as skin tone. Kim is also hoping to develop protocols so that other ageing problem areas on the body can be successfully treated - i.e. thighs and buttocks. However, the breast area is unsuitable for cosmetic acupuncture.

Most large cities in the U.S.A. have acupuncturists trained in cosmetic techniques. But here in the U.K, a practitioner is harder to find. In fact, Kim - based in Paignton, Devon - is the only qualified Mei zen cosmetic acupuncturist in the whole of the country.

What results can be expected of cosmetic acupuncture?

Kim stresses that the patient must be realistic in their expectations. Fine lines can disappear and deeper lines will be levelled out. Skin becomes more healthy looking and appears fresh as nourishment to the skin is improved. Age spots can clear or, at least, be reduced. Eye bags firm up, and droopy eyelids are lifted. And is there a downside?

Kim points out that we are all aware of the stretched, immovable, skin following cosmetic surgery. This doesn't happen with cosmetic acupuncture although a patient may bruise at the point of needle contact, and there may be a minute loss of blood here, too, although Kim has yet to experience this in any of his patients. There are some medical conditions and lifestyles which are not suited to cosmetic acupuncture and these will be pointed out at a potential patient's first consultation.

Not everyone is happy with needles. So what are the needles used in cosmetic acupuncture like?

For facial rejuvenation Kim chooses to use very small and fine needles, no longer that 8 mm. These needles only just enter into the outer layer of dermis, of which we have seven.

The question which will be on everyone's lips is how soon a patient can reasonably expect to see a change in their appearance. But this will vary from patient to patient; their general health being an important factor. But as with any beauty treatment a realistic attitude is paramount.

There has been much media interest in cosmetic acupuncture. Kim has been interviewed on Radio Devon and has also appeared on B.B.C Spotlight Television. And as Kim is the only practitioner of this treatment in the UK national newspapers are also showing great interest.

Kim Maidment LicAc.MCMA will be happy to discuss any aspect of cosmetic acupuncture or acupuncture in general and can be contacted on:

01803 525019 or 07901 888586

Kim's website address is www.acupuncturetorbay.uk

Anyone interested in learning more is welcome to access the website of leading American cosmetic acupuncturist, Dr. Martha Lucas:- www.energymedicinewoman.com

Written By Linda Mitchelmore. Devon Life.

Herald Express Article

Devon Today 2005

While many of us are slapping on face creams and hoping for the best, or perhaps turning to more drastic surgical measures to improve our looks, cosmetic acupuncture is quietly working small miracles. For those who want a natural approach to banish wrinkles, crow’s feet and other signs of ageing, the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System may be a face-saver.

The Acupuncture Clinic in Preston has been helping people with both medical ails and cosmetic issues for 10 years, owned and run by Kim Maidment LicAc. MCMA.

“I first became interested in acupuncture when my wife suffered with debilitating osteo-arthritis in her neck,” explained Kim. “The doctor had told her she’d end up in a wheelchair by the age of 40, so I encouraged her to look into alternative therapies. I was interested in oriental philosophies, and suggested she try traditional Chinese acupuncture. After about a year’s treatment of this she was back to her old self! That convinced me that I should go back to college and learn how I could help people in the same way.”

A real martyr to his vocation, Kim sold his beloved Harley-Davidson to raise money for his studies, and now, has his own business tucked away off a busy Paignton street. Kim treats everything from asthma, arthritis and IBS to women’s disorders (including fertility problems), cardio-vascular disease and addictions. Perhaps needle-phobes won’t have read this far, because funnily enough, a large factor of these treatments involves the use of those very things! And for cosmetic procedures, that means needles in the face (or abdomen, if you want to tone up a jelly-belly). But we can report that it’s not painful! The pictures may look like something out of Hellraiser, but our tester trialled 10 sessions and has nothing but praise for the experience.

“I’m a bit of a sceptic when it comes to age-defying products,” she said. “I’ve tried creams that have had little effect, but half way through the acupuncture course my husband noticed a change in my appearance.” Following an initial consultation on the first visit, Kim checks the client’s pulse on both wrists (this corresponds to the health of different organs) as well as looking at the tongue for discolouration. To enlighten us further on the subject, Kim presented a textbook on some of the world’s foulest palates. “The mouth is a great indicator of general health, of which most people could improve upon,” Kim surmised.

In cosmetic acupuncture, clients can expect some 60 needles placed at acupressure points on the face and scalp. When ready, Kim leaves the client to relax for 20 minutes, allowing the treatment maximum effect. “It works by correcting and re-channelling the Chi flow (the body’s energy) into the face, encouraging the body to repair itself, thus ironing out those laughter lines. It works in the same way on other areas of the body.”

The entire treatment takes no more than an hour, which is a rather surprising feat judging by all those needles. By the end of the treatment you can expect any slight facial redness to fade within half an hour. Our tester looked quite radiant on leaving the clinic. “My complexion has improved,” she confirmed. “Normally during the winter my skin is quite dry, but it feels much better than usual.” Acupuncture is recommended as a way to maintain optimum health, and as Kim’s before and after testimonials illustrate, also a smart way to turn back the clock.

Written by Tina Mangan Devon Today

Beach Hut Article