Stress manifests on many levels, including at the most immediately visible part of us - our skin. Skin gets it’s body and texture from fibers called collagen and elastin. These fibers are generated more slowly as we age, thus the wrinkles we all get as the years go by (and as we hopefully gain wisdom and experience as a consolation prize). When we experience stress our adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol shuts down less immediately urgent body processes as our body prepares for “fight or flight”. One of these “unnecessary” processes is the manufacturing of collagen. Thus when we are under ongoing stress over long periods of time our skin loses collagen. So in addition to the natural slowing down of collagen manufacturing as we age, stress slows this process down even more, in effect aging us even faster. We’ve probably all known or seen people who have undergone difficult problems, traumas, death of a spouse, or any prolonged stress, and who then seem to age drastically.

Of course we can’t always control what life brings us. But to a great extent we can control certain other aspects of our lives to alleviate the impact of stress. Adequate sleep and regular exercise are crucial to combat the effects of stress. Various breathing techniques are immensely powerful as well. Acupuncture has a profoundly beneficial effect on the nervous system. This is why all acupuncture protocols to improve the skin include not just local points for the various wrinkels and sags, but also systemic points to regulate the nervous system and thus help cortisol levels come back to normal. A face lift is fine as far as it goes, but in Chinese medicine we aim deeper. The healthy glow that comes from a deeper level of healing cannot be obtained from a mechanical stretching of skin over bone. The free circulation of qi and blood gives the face true radiance.