Getting pinned

December 29, 2004 - Chicago Sun Times

BY CHERYL V. JACKSON Staff Reporter

When Pamela McCord saw the notice for a "facial rejuvenation" workshop at her acupuncturist's office last spring, the 60-year-old had to find out more.

For a holistic health advocate like McCord, not to mention a scaredy-cat when it comes to scalpels, the idea of cosmetic acupuncture was more than attractive.

"I really don't want to go under the knife if I don't have to," said McCord, an interior designer and artist.

"But I have a desire to be able to express my outer being in an optimal way."

She likes to look good. As do the many women turning to cosmetic acupuncture to erase or reduce lines on the face and bags around the neck.

With Botox under scrutiny after recent cases of botulism, Chicago area professionals are calling for training sessions in cosmetic acupuncture to meet the demands of a growing group of women who want the painless, nontoxic technique, leaders say.

Here, people are getting to know it, said Alla Milikovsky, who provides the treatments at her Health and Vitality acupuncture clinic at 3823 N. Clark. "It's a great alternative to surgery. The face is luscious and beautiful."

McCord's acupuncturist of two years, Milikovsky began doing the procedure in New England four years ago. The Chicago native moved back here in 2002.

More Chicago area practitioners are expected to provide the treatments in the next year, said Glenview acupuncturist Claudette Baker, president of the Illinois State Acupuncture Association. She plans to be among them.

Training will be provided at the American Association of Oriental Medicine convention in Chicago next fall, she said.

"People want it. It's safe, effective and cheap," Baker said. "They're intrigued by it. Especially anything that doesn't require surgery."

More than 128,000 Americans had surgical face-lifts last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

The society's president, Scott Spear, said that in the end, the knife might be a better value.

"I personally have not seen any evidence that cosmetic acupuncture has any significant or long-term benefits," he said.

A client who makes it into Milikovsky's office before turning 37 can get away with eight to 10 one-hour treatments, at about $100 to $150 a pop, she said. After about age 50, the patient likely will need 12 to 15 treatments, then monthly to bimonthly maintenance, all depending on the person's physical health, she said.

By comparison, traditional surgical face-lifts cost $5,000 to $20,000, and patients have a long recovery process.

And Botox injections cost several hundred dollars per treatment, which last about three months.

McCord said news of bad results of Botox injections turned her off to that method.

Milikovsky gave McCord an initial treatment as a freebie. McCord was hooked, noticing an immediate difference and scheduling a second treatment right away. McCord had 10 more sessions, including another bonus, before settling into a maintenance routine of one monthly session.

She estimates she lost at least 10 years from her face.

"Friends were seeing a refreshed appearance," McCord said. "Some did not know what I was doing but could see that I was doing something."

She began to spread the word, inviting Milikovsky to her Barrington home to introduce her to friends "so they could witness what this was like," McCord said.

Facial acupuncture, which does not necessarily call for needles to be inserted into the face, can be traced back 3,000 years.

Acupuncture face-lifts focus on improving muscle tone of the face and neck while treating underlying imbalances that factor into the aging process, Milikovsky said.

Those with high blood pressure or diabetes are not good candidates for the treatment, Milikovsky said. And she won't offer it to those with pituitary problems.

Wrinkles form from an energy weakness and imbalance, Milikovsky said. The acupuncture strengthens and stimulates the circulation of energy to improve skin and muscle tone while enhancing and increasing elasticity of the skin, she said.

The face-lift procedure was a natural for McCord, who practices Reiki, a system of hands-on touching believed to strengthen the body's vital energy fields.

"I have a definite bent toward whatever is natural and what's going to balance the system," she said.