movement, which sees users share alternative anti-ageing treatments they deem safer and more natural.
Elizabeth Cullen, the principal traditional Chinese medicine practitioner at The Dao Health in Sydney, says the needles create “micro-traumas” in the skin, which stimulate blood flow and the production of collagen and elastin. This in turn is said to aid skin hydration, even skin tone and pigmentation, and reduce fine lines, sagging, wrinkles and scarring.
“[Botox] limits the muscle movement, as opposed to cosmetic acupuncture, which relaxes the muscle. It’s therefore unlikely to give the same clinical end point,” Rudd says. “There are no robust clinical trials comparing the efficacy of Botox to cosmetic acupuncture.” Rudd also notes the lack of robust clinical studies around its efficacy. For example, a 2015 study in the peer-reviewedjournal tested the effectiveness of “manual acupuncture” in reducing melasma, a facial skin condition that presents as brown or grey patches. It found that acupuncture “appeared to be beneficial and safe for women with melasma”. However, not enough data was gathered for it to be considered conclusive evidence.
However, Welsh takes issue with the way it’s “seductively marketed”, particularly on social media, as a natural, one-stop-shop for certain physical ailments and facial conditions, including acne, dryness, eczema and rosacea. , with its effects lasting for approximately three to four months. Therefore, the minimum cost for someone seeking repeat treatment would be about $900 a year.In comparison, owner of Melbourne Cosmetic Acupuncture Dr Vivian Tam says one session costs between $130 and $150 . She recommends a patient begin with weekly sessions for about four to eight weeks before moving into “maintenance sessions”, which would include around one session every one to two months.