Can Facial Acupuncture Ease Fine Lines & Wrinkles? Here's The 101

There’s a wide variety of services you can receive in the name of skin care—facials of all kinds, in-office procedures, and the list goes on. If you tend to lean toward more holistic facial practices, however, you might have heard of facial acupuncture. 

First, a little acupuncture 101: Acupuncture is an integrative medicine practice that involves pricking the skin or tissues with small, thin needles at certain anatomical points. Originating in ancient China, this practice has been used for thousands of years and gradually made its way to the west over time. If you want to dive deeper into the fascinating history of acupuncture, you can read all about it here. 

Facial acupuncture is, as you can probably guess, acupuncture done on the face. Just like body-focused acupuncture, Eastern cultures have been practicing facial treatments for centuries. In recent years, however, there’s been a spike in popularity in the West. 

Cynthia Gorman, M.S., L.Ac, an acupuncturist at New York City-based luxury acupuncture studio ORA, tells mbg about this rise: “In my opinion, facial acupuncture has gained tremendous popularity over the years simply because people are caring more about their skin health now than ever before.” 

This ancient practice has been clinically studied in recent years with promising results. For example, one study1 looked at the efficacy of facial acupuncture in treating nasolabial folds and eye wrinkles in participants aged 20 to late 70s. This study concluded that facial acupuncture did, in fact, improve the appearance of nasolabial folds and eye wrinkles, “suggesting that this technique is a safe and effective method for the improvement of facial skin conditions,” researchers said. 

Another study2 set out to determine if facial cosmetic acupuncture (FCA) could improve facial elasticity. The result? A significant improvement was shown among 27 women, ages 40 to 59. In this study, the participants completed five treatment sessions before measuring the results. 

While this benefit may not be quite as well-known as healthy skin aging, acupuncture has the potential to brighten the complexion as well. Here’s how it works: “The needles create a vasodilation effect around the insertion site, increasing blood flow and circulation in the face,” Gorman explains. “This new blood flow contains red blood cells, white blood cells, oxygen, and other nutrients that naturally give the skin a beautiful glow and brighter complexion.” 

It’s common for practitioners to administer facial and body acupuncture simultaneously. There are plenty of additional benefits to the latter that extend far beyond cosmetic and visual impact. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes acupuncture as an effective treatment for 28 conditions, including neck and back pain and some allergies.