Facial acupuncture places fine needles at points on the face and the body in one unhurried visit. At our Financial District office, a 75-minute session works on tone, fine lines and the tension that shows in your face, with no downtime afterward.
People choose facial acupuncture when they notice their face changing and want a gentle approach without injections or surgery: fine lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth, a dull or uneven complexion, puffiness or dark circles, or softening along the jawline and cheeks.
Irina reviews your health history, current concerns and goals; at your first visit, pulse and tongue reading guide the choice of points.
The skin is cleansed, and a brief acupressure warm-up relaxes the muscles of the face and brings more blood to the area before the needles go in.
Fine, sterile needles go in at chosen points on the face, such as beside the nose, near the corners of the eyes, above the brows and along the jaw, and at points on the body at the same time.
You rest quietly for 20 to 30 minutes with the needles in place. Most people doze or settle into a deep calm, and Irina checks on you.
The needles are removed carefully, the skin is lightly moisturized, and you can go straight back to your day; there is no recovery time.
Facial acupuncture, also called cosmetic acupuncture, uses fine, sterile, single-use needles at chosen points on the face and neck. Each needle makes a tiny, controlled prompt in the skin, which is thought to encourage the skin's own renewal, including collagen, and to improve blood and lymph flow in the area.
The needles are also thought to soften muscles that are held tight, such as a clenched jaw or a furrowed brow, and to support tone where it has faded. The changes build gradually over a series of sessions rather than all at once. Research on facial acupuncture is ongoing, and results vary from person to person.
In East Asian medicine the face is not treated on its own, so every session at our office includes points on the body as well, for sleep, stress or whatever else shows in your face.
Facial acupuncture does not cause much discomfort. Each needle is either painless or a brief, dull pressure that fades within seconds, and many people fall asleep during the rest. There is no recovery time: you leave and carry on with your day.
Now and then a tiny bruise appears at a needle site and fades within a day or two, and the skin can feel a little more sensitive for a few hours. Many people notice a rested glow after the first session; softening of fine lines takes a series of visits, because deeper changes in the skin and the facial muscles take time.
Facial acupuncture is offered at our acupuncture studio in FiDi, 139 Fulton Street, Suite 136, two minutes from the Fulton St station; here is your route to 139 Fulton Street. Sessions are Monday to Friday, by appointment.
Check with your doctor first; the points may be adapted, or the session may wait.
Bruising is more likely; tell Irina before booking.
An active skin infection, a cold sore outbreak, open wounds or a history of keloid scars: the session is adapted or postponed.
Epilepsy, a pacemaker or another implanted device, a fever, or high blood pressure that is not well controlled: check with your doctor first.
Safety
Facial acupuncture is considered safe when it is done by a licensed practitioner with sterile, single-use needles. Side effects are usually minor: a tiny bruise now and then, or skin that feels a little sensitive for a few hours.
If you have other cosmetic treatments elsewhere, such as peels or laser work, allow time between them: a light peel needs at least a week before or after a facial session, and deeper procedures need longer. Mention any recent treatments so the plan can account for them.
At our office, a facial acupuncture session is 75 minutes and costs $180, our longest visit. Another treatment combined in the same visit is billed separately.
Facial acupuncture works as a series: visits are closer together at the start, then spaced out, with an occasional maintenance visit to keep the result. Irina sets the plan at your first consultation and confirms the pricing with no obligation.
Cupping for a tight neck and gua sha for the shoulders are sometimes added to a facial series to release the neck and shoulder muscles that pull on the face; each treatment is billed separately.
We are out of network and do not bill insurance plans, so visits are paid at the time of care. If you are comparing the cost of facial acupuncture in NYC, the prices below are exactly what you pay per session.
Good to know
Its effects build gradually. Many people notice better tone and a rested glow after the first session; softening of fine lines usually takes a series of sessions, because changes in the skin and the facial muscles develop over time. Research is ongoing, and results vary.
A 75-minute session at our office is $180, our longest visit. We are out of network, visits are paid at the time of care, and another treatment combined in the same visit is billed separately.
They are very different. Botox relaxes muscles with an injected medicine and works within days; facial acupuncture uses fine needles to encourage the skin's own renewal and to ease held tension, and its changes build gradually over a series. Some people choose it because they prefer to avoid injections.
Changes build over the series and are kept with occasional maintenance visits. How long they last depends on your skin, your age and everyday habits such as sleep and sun.
Facial acupuncture is a series of visits, closer together at the start and spaced out later; the plan is set at your first consultation. Changes in fine lines and skin quality build gradually, and occasional maintenance visits help keep them.
Most people feel a brief, dull pressure as each needle goes in, which fades within seconds. Many doze off during the rest, and there is no recovery time afterward.
Yes. Cupping and gua sha for the neck and shoulders are often added to a facial series to release the tension that pulls on the face. Each treatment is billed separately when combined in one visit.
Check with a doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, have an active skin infection, cold sores or open wounds on the face, have epilepsy, a pacemaker or a history of keloid scars, have a fever, or have high blood pressure that is not well controlled.
At 139 Fulton Street, Suite 136, New York, NY 10038, two minutes on foot from the Fulton St station (A, C, J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5); WTC / Cortlandt (E, R, W) and the PATH are just west. Battery Park City, Tribeca, the Seaport and the Civic Center are within a ten-minute walk, and parking garages sit within a block on Fulton, Ann and Gold Streets. Sessions are Monday to Friday, by appointment.
