FAQs

What is Chinese Medicine?

Chinese Medicine (CM) has been practised in China for over 2,000 years and has begun to gain recognition in many Western countries. The components of CM include acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, qigong, diet therapy, moxibustion and tuina (Chinese massage).

CM has a holistic view of the body and views the body, mind, emotions and spirit of a person is interconnected. CM recognises that each individual manifests disease and illness differently, and the way to restore good health is to bring the body back to a harmonious and balanced state.

In Australia, Chinese Medicine is heavily regulated, allowing only qualified practitioners to practice and only allowing certain Chinese herbs to be prescribed. This means that endangered species are not allowed to be prescribed.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a Chinese Medicine treatment that uses fine needles inserted at specific points on the body to regulate functions and encourage homeostasis within the body.

Does Acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture is not meant to be painful. However, on insertion of the needles, you may feel a prick or not feel anything at all.

After the needle has been inserted and you are relaxing on the table, patients describe acupuncture sensations as dull, fullness, vibrating, moving, rising or as a tight sensation. These sensations just feel “different” and are not usually uncomfortable. It is important to note that some areas of the body are more sensitive such as the face, feet, wrists and hands. For those who do not like needles and worry about having their blood taken, the needles we use are extremely thin. Between 20-40 acupuncture needles fit into a hypodermic needle that is used to take blood.

Do you reuse needles?

No, we use single-use disposable needles that are disposed of in sharps containers.

What is Cosmetic Acupuncture?

Cosmetic acupuncture is a facial rejuvenation technique that focuses on building collagen and elastin in your skin to combat the gradual degradation of collagen and elastin that naturally occurs. Acupuncture needles stimulate blood circulation to the skin, which oxygenates the skin cells helping them to perform at their highest capability.

Do you use Jade rollers and Gua Sha tools?

Yes! In the 90 minute cosmetic acupuncture treatments, you will receive a facial rejuvenation massage using jade rollers and gua sha (unless you have a condition that contraindicates its use). Jade is known as the fountain of youth stone and so is ideal for use in cosmetic acupuncture.

Can I have Cosmetic Acupuncture when I have Botox?

If you have Botox you can still have cosmetic acupuncture. However, as facial acupuncture causes blood circulation to the face, this may quicken the degradation of the Botox. There is no research on this so if you choose to combine the use of cosmetic acupuncture and Botox, you do so at your own risk. Gua sha is not recommended to use over injectable fillers.

Can everyone receive cosmetic acupuncture?

Cosmetic acupuncture can be used by young to older aged individuals who are looking for natural support for their skin. 

However, you should not receive cosmetic acupuncture if you are pregnant or if you have headaches triggered by anger or stress. We can support these individuals with other methods of acupuncture and herbal medicine.

What conditions are suitable for acupuncture?

The most researched aspects of acupuncture are around its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. It has also been shown to have potential benefits for some other conditions. Please contact me to enquire if acupuncture may be beneficial to your health issue.

How many treatments will I need?

Treatment plans will differ between each person as every person presents with their own unique signs and symptoms. The effects of acupuncture are cumulative, therefore frequent treatments are necessary to notice improvements.

For pain conditions, 1-2 treatments per week are ideal to pre-empt your pain pattern. For acute pain, treatments for 8 weeks are ideal. For chronic pain, at least 6 months is recommended.

For acne conditions, a treatment plan of weekly-fortnightly appointments for at least 4 months will be required. As the skin has a cycle of 28 days, improvements will be noticed within this period.

For cosmetic acupuncture, weekly treatments for 4-15 weeks are recommended. Another round of sessions is recommended every 24 months after the initial course of treatment. Between this period, a maintenance session every 1-2 months is recommended.

Treatment plans are dependent on your lifestyle, smoking, drinking, poor diet and sleep and will impact the response time to treatment.

Within the first few weeks, softer skin and increased hydration will be more noticeable. As with acne, the skin cycle is 28 days so improvements in collagen production will be more noticeable after the first 4 weeks. Maintenance sessions are recommended every 12 months after the initial course of treatment.

Are there any negative effects of Acupuncture?

The main negative effect that can occur is bruising. While actions are taken to prevent this during cosmetic acupuncture treatments it can still occur. This is more likely if you are taking anticoagulant medication (e.g. aspirin, warfarin etc.) It’s important to have eaten before receiving acupuncture as it’s possible for fainting to occur when someone has not eaten. Otherwise, acupuncture is a safe treatment and is often considered in comparison with other pain relief medications due to its limited side effects and no risk of addiction.

Where can I park?

Free untimed parking is available on the street outside my clinic space. 

What is your Cancellation Policy?

Cancellations on the day of the appointment will be charged at 50% of the treatment fee. No shows or cancellations within 1 hour of appointment will be charged at the full appointment fee. Individual circumstances will always be taken into consideration before charging the fees.