Used in a holistic approach, Microneedling acupuncture is used to promote, maintain, restore, or improve health, to prevent a disorder, imbalance, or disease, or to alleviate pain.
When stimulating an acupuncture point it also has a strong positive effect locally on the skin and the tissues below with improved blood flow and breaking down of scar tissues, wrinkles, skin imperfections, etc.
Leaving you with a healthier and more relaxed body, mind and skin.

 Microneedling is an effective natural alternative to fillers, injectables and invasive treatments.  You can achieve natural long-term results without the risks and side effects of other treatments with a treatment catered specifically for you and your imbalances.  Collagen produced from this treatment makes your skin tighter and firmer and your fascia stronger, softer and more relaxed. 

How does it work?

Microneedling Acupuncture is a modernized version of the traditional TCM technique “plum blossom acupuncture, or 7-Star-Needle,” which is used to resolve Blood Stasis and remove Qi Stagnation in the meridians, promoting overall health and well-being, while improving the blood flow, nourishment, and healing of the skin, mucous membranes, or subcutaneous tissues.
Its uses ultra fine needles to stimulate acupuncture points on the body and face and break down any signs of Blood Stasis. Visible signs are scars, wrinkles, and skin imperfections. This activates the body’s natural healing process, restoring the natural flow of Qi, and creating fresh new cells and collagen bounds (ie: in the fascia, the skin, etc.).

Locally by creating microscopic punctures in the skin, microneedling creates thousands of tiny injuries and small channels. This triggers a healing response that releases a cascade of growth factors, which in turn boosts production of the body’s own collagen (the protein fibers that keep skin smooth and supple) and elastin.

The creation of small channels also increases product absorption by 3000%– we incorporate a variety of natural products and herbs into the treatment to enhance the healing properties of the treatment. “As a result, the skin looks progressively better over time,” says Dr. Lara Devgan, a plastic surgeon in NYC and Chief Medical Editor for RealSelf.

Microneedling Acupuncture can help smooth fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, refine enlarged pores, tighten skin, and fade scars and stretch marks. For acne scars, this is one of the best solutions giving amazing results without destroying the skin surface.

Microneedling treatment involves a thorough consultation and TCM diagnosis of the patient, which allows the practitioner to focus on a holistic approach to the treatment. It is a great treatment to improve health, to prevent a disorder, imbalance, or disease, or to alleviate pain.

It can be used on the face, neck, décolleté’, arms, hands, legs, abdomen, and neck—the areas that often reveal the most tell-tale signs of aging, imbalances and damages from injuries, sun exposition, etc.

Microneedling Acupuncture is provided by Dr. Allison Maloney, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Registered Acupuncturist and Naturopath, Micropen and Microneedling Certified Acupuncturist.
Our Acupuncture treatment involves a thorough consultation and TCM diagnosis of the patient, which allows the practitioner to focus on a holistic approach to the treatment.
Our Acupuncture and Naturopathic treatments are covered by private insurance under Acupuncture and/or Naturopathy (most insurances cover 80% of the cost), we can also direct-bill.
Don’t hesitate to give us a call to check your situation or call your insurance to know your coverage.

The treatment takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Dr. Allison Maloney will begin with a TCM consultation followed by applying a high quality numbing cream on local area, body, face, etc. followed by a 30 minute LED Light Therapy treatment to lightly (pun intended) stimulate the acupuncture points in the area.

A medical grade Hyaluronic Acid Serum is applied on the skin to be absorbed in the deeper layers using the microneedling device.

Our specific Microneedling Acupuncture device, the Eclipse Evo Pen, Health Canada approved, provides a smooth and gentle glide thanks to its 7000RPM.
All our treatments, use sterile disposable single-use needles.

The device delivers thousands of micro-injuries, you will feel a light prickling sensation across the skin. While some areas may be more sensitive than others, the speed of the reciprocating tip helps make the treatment more comfortable.

Immediately afterwards, you will notice redness to the skin similar to the sensation of a mild sunburn lasting a few hours, in some cases up to 24 hours.

After the stimulation of the acupuncture points in the area, patients can notice an immediate glow to their skin and more relaxed subcutaneous tissues, an improvement of their overall health and imbalances while more visible changes develop over the course of several weeks. Results can continue to improve up to 6 months after the treatment. For best results, a series of 4 treatments should be done at 4 week intervals.

For patients with more significant Blood Stasis signs with concerns such as acne scarring, it is recommended to receive 6-8 sessions at 6 week intervals.

Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of Microneedling / plum blossom acupuncture / 7-Star-Needle as a medical treatment for various health issues, including insomnia, scars, facial palsy, and amblyopia in children. For example, a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials demonstrated the comparative effectiveness of multiple acupuncture therapies for primary insomnia (source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945722000880). Additionally, a clinical study showed that electrical plum-blossom needle treatment was effective for amblyopia in children (source: https://europepmc.org/article/med/21485075). Another study demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture in treating scars following tissue trauma (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6415480/), and a comparison of therapeutic effects between plum-blossom needle tapping plus cupping and laser irradiation in the treatment of acute facial palsy patients with concomitant peri-auricular pain was conducted (source: https://europepmc.org/article/med/22379790). Additionally, a video demonstrates the usage of this medical treatment to treat facial paralysis (beware, slightly graphic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw83I7LV2kQ.

These studies support the effectiveness of Microneedling Facial Acupuncture for medical purposes based on TCM principles.

MICRONEEDLING ACUPUNCTURE PRE-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Following the right pre-treatment instructions ensures that your treatment will go smoothly and helps minimize side effects.

Pre-Treatment Tips

• Avoid Accutane in the six months prior to beginning your treatment sessions.
• Local areas that received ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​® in the last 3-6 months will be avoided during treatment.
• Do not use topical agents that may increase the sensitivity of your skin such as retinoids, exfoliants, topical antibiotics or acids 5-7 days prior to your treatment.
• Do not take anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Motrin, or Advil for at least 3 days prior to your Microneedling Acupuncture session. These will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is critical for your skin rejuvenation.
• Avoid IPL/Laser procedures, unprotected sun exposure, or sunburn for at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure.
• No waxing, depilatory creams, or electrolysis to the area being treated for 5-7 days prior.
• Do not shave the day of the procedure to avoid skin irritation. If there’s dense hair present in the treatment area, shave the day before you arrive for your appointment.
• If you’re prone to cold sores, take an antiviral agent for 2 days prior to and the day of the treatment.
• Avoid blood thinning agents for one week prior because bruising is a common side effect of microneedling.

DAY OF TREATMENT

Your skin will be cleaned so it’s free of lotion, oil, makeup, powder, or sunscreen. If you wish, you can wash your face in the office upon arrival.

You will be asked to inform the Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor about any relevant changes in your medical history and of all the medications you’re taking.

The practitioner will ask if there are any cosmetic tattoos in the treatment areas.

30-45 minutes prior to your treatment, topical lidocaine will be applied to your skin.

The Microneedling Acupuncture treatment is an in-office procedure that typically takes up to 60 minutes to complete.

POST-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• Do not take any anti-inflammatory medications for one week after the procedure.
• Do not use ice on your face, and avoid using arnica/bromelain. These may interfere with the natural inflammatory process that’s critical for your blood flow and healing in the skin and subcutaneous tissues.
• Avoid sun tanning and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks. After 24 hours, always use sunblock (30 SPF or higher) and wear a hat if you’re outside.
• You can use a painkiller, such as Tylenol, if you experience any soreness.

LED Light Therapy is a non-invasive medical treatment that uses light at different wavelength to stimulate acupuncture points, mitochondrial functioning, which helps to produce protein and promote healing in the body. This type of therapy has been shown to have therapeutic effects, particularly in reducing inflammation, improving healing and relieving pain associated with conditions such as osteoarthritis and nerve pain like sciatica.

One of the side effect of LED Light therapy is the improvement in skin conditions such as acne, acne scars, pigmentation, dull skin and sensitive skin and boost skin rejuvenation.

How does it work?

The process is similar to Photosynthesis in plants. While plants can safely absorb light from the sun, the sun emits harmful UV rays that can be damaging to our skin. LED Light Therapy contains no UV rays and the light emitted is proven to be beneficial in cellular activity and repair. Thanks to this ground-breaking technology, now there is a new way to stimulate acupuncture points and blood flow to reverse the signs of aging and damage to ensure your inner brilliance shines through!
Different wavelengths of light have very specific effects on the skin, mucous membranes, or subcutaneous tissues , including anti-aging effects, wrinkle reduction, scar treatment, acne treatment and more.

Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of LED Light Therapy in reducing inflammation and pain. A triple-blind study of mice found that red light therapy significantly decreased neuropathic pain due to inflammation (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27497321/). Another study found that LED Light Therapy was effective at decreasing pain and increasing function in patients with knee osteoarthritis when combined with exercise (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24487957/). Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that LED Light Therapy can be an effective treatment for chronic low back pain (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5000419/).

LED Light Therapy has also been proven effective at relieving chronic neck pain. A double-blind, randomized controlled study of chronic neck pain patients found that high intensity light therapy increased range of motion, decreased pain, and improved functionality over six weeks when compared to placebo laser therapy (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26914684/). Another study demonstrated that portable infrared therapy packs were effective at reducing chronic lower back pain, surpassing the pain reduction felt by the placebo group (source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2539004/).

Red LED Light Therapy:

• This type of therapy has been shown to have therapeutic effects, particularly in reducing inflammation and relieving pain associated with conditions such as osteoarthritis and nerve pain like sciatica.
• Red LED light therapy stimulates the fibroblasts that produce collagen, which gives young skin its plump look.
• Treatment can also minimize fine lines and wrinkles, treat sun-damage and stretch marks, and reduce redness after more aggressive IPL or laser treatments.

Blue LED Light Therapy:

• Blue LED light therapy is quickly absorbed by acne-causing bacteria. Molecules within the bacteria then react by producing singlet oxygen free radicals that in-turn destroy the P. Acnes bacteria.
• Blue LED light has been proven to have powerful anti-bacterial properties and also helps to purify the skin, stabilize oil glands, and soothe inflammation.

Green LED Light Therapy:

• Green light is absorbed into the skin where it has a calming effect. It helps to lighten hyperpigmentation spots, revealing a brighter complexion. The calming effect also has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the surface of the skin.
• Green LED therapy is used to treat dilated capillaries, sagging skin around the eyes, circles under the eyes, hyperpigmentation and sun spots. It also helps to promote optimal moisture balance of the skin, and reduces excessive oiliness.

Yellow LED Light Therapy:

• Yellow light reduces the appearance of redness, swelling, and inflammation. This colour of light is beneficial for Rosacea and treating burns such as sunburns.
• Also stimulates the production of red blood cells in the skin and is effective in treating abnormal pigmentation (hypo- and hyper-), improving lymphatic function, and stimulating circulation.

What Can It Do For You?
LED Light Therapy can dramatically revitalize your body and your skin without any downtime or discomfort. It provides noticeable results, often in only a couple of treatments, without the high cost and downtime of other more expensive treatment options.

Dr. Allison Maloney will begin the session with a TCM consultation to treat your specific imbalances with TCM holistic approach. The Acupuncture treatment will start by inserting Acupuncture needles to stimulate acupuncture points which help locally to improve muscle tone, relax facial muscles, and increase blood flow collagen production!
After you’re totally relaxed from your Acu-Nap, we use Canadian made Om Organics all-natural skin care products, to assist cleansing & hydrating the face. Facial Massage along with a Rose Quartz Facial Roller / Gua Sha will be glided over your skin in combination with the serums and moisturizers to increase the stimulation of the acupuncture points and effect of the treatment!

You leave with the most stunning glow and feeling blissfully zen!