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Christina Rincon had been getting Botox for a decade when she came across horror stories about potential risks, including muscle atrophy and botulism.
“It kind of freaked me out,” the 42-year-old told The Post. “I thought I should probably take a break for a while.”
Looking for an alternative, she turned to Moon Rabbit Acupuncture in Chicago — though she wasn’t sure it would help smooth her wrinkles.
“I went in thinking that I was going to hardly see any results,” said Rincon, a private wealth adviser.
“I had actually scheduled a Botox appointment a few months out for my ‘elevens’ because I thought there was no way acupuncture was going to fix them,” she continued. “I cancelled it.”
Rincon isn’t the only beauty buff turning to facial rejuvenation acupuncture, a natural alternative that promises younger, smoother and healthier-looking skin without the chemicals or frozen foreheads.
Acupuncture — the ancient Chinese practice of inserting hair-thin needles into strategic points on the body — has been used to treat everything from chronic pain and menstrual cramps to anxiety and infertility.
Since opening her practice five years ago, Gudrun Snyder, who owns Moon Rabbit Acupuncture, has seen a steady increase in people using it to improve their skin’s health and appearance — a trend she said has spiked in recent months.
“The thing that I hear a lot from people is that they want to avoid Botox,” she said, noting that many come to her with concerns about smile lines, crow’s feet and “elevens” between the eyes. “They’re looking for a gentle way to treat them, either preventatively or retroactively.”
You can’t rush radiance
In New York, Dr. Brittany Schneider, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist at ORA, said she’s seeing the same trend.
“There are a lot of people who have been coming in who don’t want to get as much Botox or as often,” she said.
Acupuncture, she explained, works on multiple levels to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The needles create tiny micro-wounds in the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production while triggering the body’s natural healing response.
It also boosts blood and lymph flow, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to skin cells.
“Let’s say you’re on a crash diet. To me, that’s like Botox,” explained Snyder, a doctor of East Asian Acupuncture. “You want a quick fix, but it’s not sustainable and it’s not going to create long lasting change.
“If you start cosmetic acupuncture early, it’s like a healthy, beautiful, well-balanced diet. Over time, cumulatively, it’s going to give you a better result.”
Many practitioners also pair facial acupuncture with whole-body treatments to address underlying imbalances that can contribute to aging and other health issues, leaving the complexion nourished, radiant and youthful.
Does facial rejuvenation acupuncture work? The Post tests it out
Curious about whether it really works, I tried one of ORA’s treatments myself. At 25, I’ve recently started noticing my first pesky wrinkles, particularly across my forehead and between my eyebrows.
Their 65-minute session costs $250 and isn’t covered by insurance, though it is FSA- and HSA-eligible.
My appointment began with a consultation about my health and wellness goals before I settled onto a heated massage table. Soon, Schneider began inserting fine needles from head to toe — most of which I barely felt.
The needles stayed in place for about 30 minutes while a guided meditation track encouraged me to take deep, slow breaths, lulling me into a half-asleep state. Above, a red light bathed the room in a warm glow, a signature feature of the ORA Method.
“With the acupuncture alone, we’re stimulating collagen, chi, blood and other nutrients to the face, but the red light is going to tap into the body at a cellular level,” Schneider explained.
“It’s also going to help with full-body inflammation, blood circulation and our nervous system, taking us from flight or fight mode to a rest and digest state.”
“When I look in the mirror and I raise my eyebrows, the wrinkles aren’t as crazy. I still have all the movement in my face, but it’s just kind of relaxed.”
Christina Rincon
And rest I did. I barely wanted to open my eyes when Schneider returned to remove the needles.
Looking in the mirror afterward, my fine lines hadn’t vanished — but I looked refreshed and felt amazing.
“It takes time,” Schneider reassured me.
For Rincon, it took a few treatments before the results really stuck.
Moon Rabbit recommends starting with a series of 10 sessions, once or twice a week, followed by monthly maintenance appointments, though the timing varies for each person.
The clinic says this can smooth fine lines, firm skin, treat acne and calm inflammation. A 50-minute session costs $205 and includes a choice of face rolling, gua sha or cupping alongside acupuncture.
After her initial treatment, Rincon noticed that her skin felt smooth and taut — a result Snyder calls the “acu-glow.”
“Immediately, you will look like you had the best night’s sleep you’ve had,” she said. “But it’s not going to be a drastic change.”
About 48 hours later, Rincon saw the early effects wane, but she kept at it weekly. By her fourth session, the changes stuck.
“Now the glow lasts instead of fading,” she said — and unlike with Botox, Rincon still has full facial movement.
“When I look in the mirror and I raise my eyebrows, the wrinkles aren’t as crazy,” she said. “I still have all the movement in my face, but it’s just kind of relaxed.”
The best of both worlds
The Post’s wellness editor, Carly Stern — a self-proclaimed Botox lover — also tested the natural route with WTHN‘s Acupuncture Facial Treatment, billed as a “natural glow-up” that stimulates collagen and elastin, boosts circulation and tones facial muscles.
The hourlong treatment includes acupuncture, gua sha and LED light therapy for $195 a pop (or $155 for first-timers) and is HSA/FSA eligible.
“I’ll definitely say that it was way, way, way more pleasant than getting Botox,” Stern said. “Botox hurts. This feels lovely and relaxing and I nearly fell asleep.”
While she didn’t notice dramatic results after her first visit, she noted the “science is pretty good” that consistent treatments can make a difference.
“But even if I go back … you’re not taking away my Botox,” she added with a laugh.
Fortunately, Botox devotees don’t have to choose one over the other.
“If people want to come in that have Botox, we just wait two weeks so that it has time to settle,” Schneider said. “Then, the acupuncture can actually enhance those results by prolonging them.”
After all, the effects of a standard Botox treatment typically last only three or four months.
“I’m a huge believer in the integration of both Eastern and Western medicine,” Schneider said. “When we use them together, that’s where healing truly begins.”
