THIS ARTICLE APPEARED ON HOLLYWOOD LIFE | DEC 5, 2019 | BY ALI STAGNITTA

Salma Hayek, Ashley Graham & more stars turn to acupuncture for the multitude of natural benefits it offers. Celebrity acupuncturist Stefanie DiLibero spoke to HL about why it’s so beneficial.

Just a month and a half ago, Salma Hayek posed nude on Instagram to celebrate her 12 million followers during an acupuncture session. Then, Ashley Graham revealed that she has been doing acupuncture throughout her entire pregnancy and revealed it’s “been keeping my body feeling so good.” Gotham Wellness founder Stefanie DiLibero, who consistently works with stars such as Debby Ryan and Antoni Porowski in her NYC office, spoke to HollywoodLife.com about how this form of alternative medicine can be your mind and body’s saving grace, especially during the holiday season.

“Better sleep, less anxiety, better digestion, emotional regulation, improved menstrual cycles, relaxed jaws, addiction and allergy relief are all benefits of facial acupuncture,” Stefanie explained, adding that she practices a form of cosmetic acupuncture called Aculectrics, “which combines the best of ancient medicine and modern technology to enhance health from the inside out, and from the outside in.” “Cosmetic acupuncture aims to treat the imbalance of physiological conditions that may be having an affect on how you present yourself to the world, by using both body and facial acupuncture points, as well as treating the face directly, to enhance the production of collagen via micro injury to the skin, increasing blood flow, stimulate immune responses that reduce inflammation, and activate and number of functional points that have various responses (like reducing jay tension, relieving anxiety),” she said.

The process works by “restoring homeostasis to the system of your body,” as the small needles send signals to the nervous system, which responds by releasing endorphins, like serotonin and naturally occurring opioids” and puts the body into a “parasympathetic state where restoration and balance are possible.” While there are other points on the body acupuncture needles do go into, Stefanie added that most conditions that happen in our bodies, show up on our face, which acupuncture can help alleviate through facial work. “Emotions such as anger, sadness, & fear, that are expressed repeatedly over time, can show up an expression lines on the face. Digestive issues can show up a facial puffiness or acne, insomnia can appears as dark circles under the eyes. If the spleen is weak, the muscles of the face begin or continue to sag,” she explained. “You have to treat the root causes of the facial concerns that arise in order to make any lasting change.”