Acupuncture Torbay

Avoid Cosmetic Acupuncture if you suffer from these conditions

High Blood pressure if uncontrolled
Epilepsy
Easily bruised including patients on blood thinning medication
Haemophiliacs although you can use Cosmetic Acupuncture carefully I have experienced
Skin Cancer
Within four months of Botox injections in the area
If pregnant avoid Abdominal Acupuncture

Results

Works in 90% of cases. Be realistic, Acupuncture works with your skin and body. if you have deep, multiple lines these will not go but will fill out making your face look younger. Microcirculation will improve so your skin tone will be much better.

Commitment

You need to commit to 10 Facial Acupuncture treatments for realistic results. If you give up after a few you will not achieve very much. This is why it is a good idea to pay for the treatments at the beginning, then if you do weaken you will know that you have already paid and will carry on until the end.

The following can lessen the results

Smoking – chemicals damage the skin and make you look older.
Sun damaged skin – always use a good sun block
Harsh soap – can cause your skin to react adversely
Poor diet – you need good nutrients to nourish the skin
Excess alcohol – damages your liver and in Chinese Medicine, heats up the blood causing damage to the skin and other tissues in the body.

Are there any side effects from Cosmetic Acupuncture?

Acupuncture can rarely cause bruising to the skin this will go quickly. it is best to apply Arnica cream or gel before treatment. Occasionally when the needles are removed, the points may bleed. Please read the above Patient information for Cosmetic Acupuncture.

Ways to help treatment

Stop smoking. I can help. Do not wear make up in the Clinic. You can take it off when you get here. Use Sunscreens. No heavy moisturisers before treatment. Do not take Vitamin E above 800mg or Aspirin unless on prescription for two weeks prior as this can increase bruising. Have a good diet. Side effects are much lower with cosmetic Acupuncture than many other Cosmetic treatments.

Above all be positive!

Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to address the actual cause of skin aging. Surgery, Botulism toxin and collagen injections do not do that. They mask, without correcting, the underlying problems.

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