spa
a tale of two treatments Our faces tell the stories of our lives — sometimes, whether we want them to or not. This month, two writers headed to the health experts of their choice, to try out two ends of the spa spectrum: one natural, the other not so much. Here are their reports.
On pins and needles Laugh lines aren’t so funny. At least not to me and the crows’ feet that have marched their way from outer eye to temple. I’m not against Botox, but the husband is. He says he’d rather see me look old than creepy. Realistically, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the quarterly injections anyway. In the quest for an affordable lift, I’ve embarked upon a series of facial acupuncture treatments aimed at reducing the signs of aging. In the quest for smooth skin, you apparently can’t get around the needle. Touted as a natural alternative to Botox, facial acupuncture is a non-surgical procedure
that reduces the signs of aging by inserting hair-thin needles along specific points of the body, based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. More than a cosmetic procedure, this type of facial rejuvenation increases circulation, stimulates collagen production and, most importantly, reflects what’s happening inside, on the outside. My sessions at Johal Health Centre (johalhealth.com) begin with a tongue examination, giving facial rejuvenation specialist, Sonia Navdeep, an idea of what’s happening at the organ level. “What’s going on with a personal internally eventually shows up on their face,” she says.
Needles are then inserted along the appropriate meridian lines on my body (including those pesky facial furrows), a step that always makes me drowsy. “The body stops thinking so much and focuses on moving energy and areas of stagnation,” explains Navdeep. The needles are tweaked 15 minutes later and I’m left alone for another intense nap. Besides the needles, sessions alternate between getting a Chinese herbal mask — with green tea, mushrooms and ginseng — or having a mini turkey baster suction my laugh lines. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44
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Photo, DEAN BICKNELL
HEALTH