JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 72 JUNE 2003

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

COSMETIC
ACUPUNCTURE
by Radha Thambirajah
I began my acupuncture practice in Sri Lanka in 1971 by
offering a free clinic a few hours daily for patients who had
difficulties in managing payment. Many of these patients
would have more than four treatment sessions a week,
following the then Chinese fashion.
One such patient was 46 year old Mrs. X. She had been a
rheumatoid arthritis sufferer for over 6 years, and while
having regular acupuncture treatments with me over some
12 weeks, she had gradually reduced and then come off
steroids and anti-inflammatory medications. Mrs. X had
had a characteristic limp when she first came, and her face
was always knotted with pain. Naturally, over the treatment period she lost these. One day I noticed something
more - I noticed that Mrs. X was beautiful! Her skin was
smooth, her hair shiny, her eyes were bright and her posture was great. When I heard my staff remarking the same
thing, I had to attribute this change to her newly-found
healthy state of balance.
From then on, I began to notice patients who were on long
term therapy for chronic illness - polyarthritis, eczema,
acne, menstrual problems, post menopausal problems,
asthma etc. Apart from those cases of eczema or acne I was
not treating their skin, yet all patients taking prolonged
energy-balancing treatment, with no special points for enhancing beauty, went through this gradual but very noticeable metamorphosis.
It was not until after 10 years of practice (when I had became
a better known acupuncturist in my country) that I began
getting some diplomats and film stars as my patients. Here,
for the first time I was requested to treat not a disease, but
some imperfection in their appearance. Overweight or accumulating fat in one part of body, cellulitis, abdominal distention, fine and deep wrinkles, hanging skin, the tendency to
form stretch marks, unclean complexion, sagging breasts and
abdomen were some of these conditions. I accepted the
challenge and had to work backwards on the results I had
produced on my sick patients in the past. I found the work
very rewarding, as one sees results very quickly and the fees
I received for beauty treatments were higher than for back
pain! At this point in time, there was no literature I could refer

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to, and I had to discover and develop my own methods. I

would like to share some of my experience with you.
The most common problem that patients complain of is
fine wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. One factor that
accelerates the ageing process of the facial skin is smoking.
Smoking dries the Lungs and skin - and this leads to the loss
of fluid in the superficial epidermal layer of the skin. So the
less pulpy and more delicate areas such as the eyelids and
perioral region show signs of ageing due to stress or overuse (for example screwing the eyes or tightening the lips
around the cigarette).
Educating the patient, helping them to stop smoking with
or without the aid of acupuncture and rehydrating the skin
is the essence of therapy in these cases. This means that I
tonify Lung yin with needles, and make sure the patient
drinks enough water throughout the day and humidifies
their living area. My patients have made fashion statements
by spraying Evian water around their sitting area in the
office and impressing their workmates!
White rice is good nutrition for Lung yin. This is one reason
why people living in tropical countries eat white rice - because
they need to sustain yin in the skin against exposure to the
sun. Finally, most patients with dry, fine wrinkly skin also
happen to be rather thin. This suggests a blood deficiency due
to Spleen deficiency, which is therefore unable to nourish the
son (Lung). In order to moderately increase nourishment, I
recommend these patients to drink butter-milk (or lassi for
my Asian patients) daily. The wrinkles smooth out within
weeks and the face looks fuller. They are so happy with the
results that their motto has become a (drink of) buttermilk
a day keeps the wrinkles away.
The acupuncture points I use for Lung yin tonification are
Zhongfu LU-1, Taiyuan LU-9, Shanzhong REN-17, Neiguan
P-6 and Taibai SP-3. Naturally, some points are added or
changed according to the specific needs of each patient.
The Seven Star or Plum-Blossom Needle is also very useful.
It can make superficial punctures over larger areas very
quickly. This helps to either improve local blood circulation
(when used with light tapping to produce a red skin reaction),
or to release heat by bleeding (by using heavy tapping).

JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 72 JUNE 2003

We do not seem to use the plum-blossom needle very often

nowadays, but I find it a great connective tissue tightener
and a perfect fat stagnation buster.

The Spleen tones connective tissue

Often after losing weight or entering middle age, many
parts of the body tend to sag, especially the jaws, chin, and
upper eyelids which are of course visible outside clothing.
Our connective tissue is firmed largely by Spleen qi which
helps thus increase adherence of the skin to the muscles,
resulting in tautness. When this is lacking, the skin sags
away from the muscles. Unlike muscles, the connective
tissue cannot be firmed up through exercise, and these
patients need Spleen qi tonification. Besides needling, I also
recommend them to eat wholemeal grains instead of refined grains, eat warm cooked food instead of raw, drink
warm water instead of cold drinks, and take big breakfasts
and smaller evening meals. If I advised this to a patient with
chronic digestive problems I would have had many objections and little compliance. But say this to a patient having
cosmetic acupuncture, and they will hang onto every word,
because after a few days of living badly they begin to see
their body sag again.
The acupuncture points I use to tonify Spleen qi are: Pishu
BL-20, Yinbai SP-1, Zusanli ST-36, Zhongwan REN-12 (with
moxibustion) and Fenglong ST-40. Again, points are added
or changed according to the special needs of the patient. For
example, a patient suffering from gastric acidity will not
receive moxibustion on Zhongwan REN-12 as this may
increase the Stomach heat.
The local treatment for loose connective tissue is plumblossom tapping in the areas beneath the chin and on the
lower abdomen. Both should be performed when the patient is standing, when maximum sagging occurs. Beneath
the chin, a triangular area should be tapped in lines towards
the ear. The three corners of the triangle can be defined as
a. anterior to Lianquan REN-23 (just beneath the point of the
chin), b. just above the adam's apple, c. Yifeng SJ-17. The
patient should raise and tilt the chin when the tapping is
performed. The whole lower abdomen can be tapped in
downward and lateral lines, approximately 3cm apart.
In these modern days of Botox and collagen injections, as
well as cosmetic surgery, acupuncture still stands out as a
safe and longer-lasting method. There are no side effects, no
mask-like appearance and no scars. But the technique and
the know-how to make it last is in the hands of the patient.
If our interior is healthy and balanced, and if we have inner
tranquillity and contentment, if we are well nourished and
exercise moderately, our beauty will shine through.

Cosmetic acupuncture is not about beauty,

but about health
I have learned that cosmetic acupuncture is not about
beauty, but about health. Every part of our body needs good
blood circulation, moisture, free movement of fluid and
ability to eliminate secretions, and no stagnation of damp-

ness (puffy appearance). The skin however, which is the

outermost covering of our body, is visible in a very large
area, and therefore is the most important place to manifest
beauty. When treating skin problems, one has to take into
account the various organs that influence the Lungs.

Fire - Heart & Small Intestine

The skin has a complex relationship with zangfu other than
the Lung and cannot be singularly considered or treated.
For instance, the Heart nourishes and circulates blood. A
deficiency of Heart blood and qi would cause paleness and
cold, dry and dead-looking skin. The treatment would be to
tonify blood - with Geshu BL-17 (hui-meeting point of
blood), Xuehai SP-10, Juque REN-14 (front-mu point of the
Heart), Xinshu BL-15 (back-shu point of the Heart) and give
a suitable tonic to nourish the blood. These patients usually
do not come to us for cosmetic acupuncture - in fact, they
could not care less how they look. They would approach us
with symptoms of endogenous depression, anxiety, mental
fatigue and sleep problems. As Heart blood and qi are
tonified, their mood, complexion, sleep, and confidence all
improve, and their skin glows pink with warmth.

Earth - Spleen & Stomach

The Spleen nourishes the body with the food that is received
by the Stomach, and the Spleen qi distributes the nutrition
to all organs and tissues. The Spleen function of circulating
blood and nutrition, especially to the periphery, is responsible for the capillary circulation of blood. A deficiency of
Spleen qi and yang can cause a marbling effect on the skin
(a mixture of blue and pink colours), and coldness of the
extremities. This can be treated by needling points Pishu
BL-20, Weishu BL-21, Zusanli ST-36, Yinbai SP-1 and
Taiyuan LU-9 (hui-meeting point of the vessels) and applying moxibustion at Zhongwan REN-12. It is essential to take
warm foods and drinks so as to keep the middle jiao warm,
as it is the warmth of the Spleen and Stomach that is
circulated to the periphery.
The Spleen also circulates body fluid. If the Spleen qi is
deficient, this can result in stagnation of body fluid, more so
in the periphery - the eyelids, hands and feet.

Water - Kidney & Urinary Bladder

The Kidneys store water and irrigate the body. If the Kidney
yin is deficient, and the body is dry, the Kidney will not
hesitate to draw the water from its mother the Lung. This will
result in dryness of skin. This is specially apparent in menopausal women, who suffer with general dryness at a time
when their female hormones (Kidney yin) are on the decline.
Treatment should focus on points such as Yingu KID-10,
Sanyinjiao SP-6 and Zhongji REN-3, and patients should
drink water regularly and make sure to take a moderate
amount of sea salt in the diet so that the water can be retained.

Wood -Liver & Gall Bladder

Liver blood deficiency can cause dryness of skin directly,

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JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE NUMBER 72 JUNE 2003

but more importantly Liver wind generated in the interior

can cause skin irritation and itching, for example accompanied by jaundiced skin in hepatitis. The palliative treatment
for the itching can include points such as Xuehai SP-10,
Baihui DU-20 and Geshu BL-17, but it is also necessary to
calm the interior wind and regulate blood. When treating
most skin disorders due to Liver wind, some of which are
allergic in nature, one needs to re-establish the relationship
between metal and wood. In health, metal controls wood.
But if metal has a weak yin, then it loses control over wood,
and uncontrolled wind-heat rises and counter-powers metal.
Treatment would be to support Lung yin and reduce Liver
yang using Xingjian LIV-2 and Yangfu GB-38 with reducing
method. Other wind eliminating points such as Fengchi
GB-20, Fengshi GB-31, Bingfeng SI-12, Bafeng (M-LE-8) and
Baxie (M-UE-22) could be used depending on the affected
areas. It is also necessary to avoid acidic and citrus fruit and
alcohol that can increase the Liver wind.

Metal - Lung & Large Intestine

The function of the Lung (besides that of respiration) is to
ascend and descend water. The Lung descends water to the
Kidney, and when this function is impaired, it can manifest
as excessive mucus in the Lungs. This may be treated in two
ways: either by sending this excess water from the Lung by
reducing Chize LU5 (the water point), or by inducing
diuresis by tonifying Kidney qi with points such as Shenshu
BL-23, Taixi KID-3 and Yinlingquan SP-9, thus encouraging
water to flow from the Lung to the Kidneys.
The ascending function of the Lung pertains more directly to skin problems. It is the Lung qi that disperses
moisture to the skin surface, and a combination of thick but
dry skin shows that there is excess Lung yin below the skin,
but inadequate qi to disperse it to the surface. Treatment
should focus on helping to open the skin pores and ascend
the moisture to the skin surface with point such as Hegu
L.I.-4, Feishu BL-13 (back-shu point of the Lung) and Quchi
L.I.-11. A moderate amount of spices like ginger will also
help the skin to sweat.
An illustration of this impeded ascending function is
found in acne vulgaris, common among teenagers and in a
few older patients. In moderate to severe acne, there appear
pustular and cystic lesions mostly on the face, back, chest
and shoulders (mainly in the area of the upper jiao). Residual scars make the skin look very uneven.
In my opinion this shows a damp-heat condition of the
skin. The skin produces excessive sebaceous secretions
(dampness) which cannot be eliminated effectively because
the opening-eliminating function of the skin is poor. This
stagnating dampness can create heat or inflammation over
a period of time - causing the papules and pustules. The
treatment I use on my patients is to improve elimination,
decrease dampness, and if necessary, eliminate heat.
To improve elimination, it is of first importance to make
sure that the patient has regular and good bowel movements. Many youngsters do not empty their bowels regu-

44

larly. I use Hegu L.I.-4, Zhigou SJ-6, Tianshu ST-25 and

paravertebral tapping with a plum-blossom needle between lumbar vertebra 2 and sacral vertebra 2 to produce a
red skin reaction. To help skin elimination I sometimes add
Feishu BL-13 and Quchi L.I.-11.
To decrease dampness, I select Fenglong ST-40,
Yinlingquan SP-9, and occasionally Chize LU5 and advise
patients to avoid refined sugar and fatty milk products
(milk, cream and chocolate).
Eliminating heat is not necessary most of the time, because once the dampness and elimination are improved,
there is no basis from which heat can be generated. However if it is still a problem, I prick Chize LU-5 to induce
bleeding, usually on one side at each treatment, bleeding
the other side the next treatment if necessary.
The key part of the acne therapy however, is local treatment. I use many .20 gauge 15mm needles around the areas
of the acne - mostly on the face. The needles are inserted
very superficially and left in place for 20 minutes. This helps
promote circulation of the stagnant dampness and helps to
smooth the skin. The general points that are used seem to
improve the inflammation of skin, but it is the local needles
that make the difference, and at the end of a course of 12
treatments, the effect lasts much longer than if no local
needles were used.
I treat my acne patients twice weekly, for about 12 sessions. The results are striking and long-lasting.

Conclusion
Finally, a word of caution about choosing patients for cosmetic acupuncture. In my practice, I have had good experiences with treating many cosmetic problems mostly in women.
The majority are aged 45-65, and are working women who
have had acupuncture treatment in the past. They use other
complementary therapies and are comfortable with needles,
enjoy their sessions and feel the benefit on their health as well.
They work together with me in making our therapy successful, and take responsibility for themselves, for their eating
and living habits for example.
There are others however, who want a quick-fix because of a wedding or a holiday for example. They come
at the last minute, do not have time to eat or sleep properly
- let alone cook, and expect a great deal out of the acupuncture. These are not the best candidates for cosmetic acupuncture. Even if the treatment works on them, the results
will not last very long.
Radha Thambirajah was born in Sri Lanka. She studied medicine,
specialising in acupuncture, at the Military Medical College, Shanghai,
and graduated in 1970. She founded the Academy of Chinese
Acupuncure in Sri lanka in 1980, and in Berlin in 1986. She lives and
practises SuttonColdfield, West Midlands, and lectures to doctors and
health professionals in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland,
Spain and Italy. She can be contacted on radhaindumathi@hotmail.com