Go ahead: Take a shot
Acupuncture can help delay the aging process
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
Acupuncturist Bard Widmer at his office in Ketchum. Photo by David N. Seelig
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You know the saying: Beauty is only skin deep. Ketchum acupuncturist Bard Widmer has another saying, one that doubles as his mission statement, ?Beauty is soul deep.?
His practice, Longevity Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Center in Ketchum, specializes in Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, or put another way, cosmetic acupuncture. Forget the intrusive knife and scary anesthesia when seeking a facelift, Facial Rejuvenation is less costly.
This process has been featured in articles in the New York Times, health and fitness magazines and on various television talk shows.
Firstly, it?s important to know that the face is merely the manifestation of how a body is doing internally, Widmer pointed out. With its origins in ancient Chinese medicine, acupuncture at its core improves blood flow, and facial muscle and skin tone.
According to Chinese medicine, as people age, the quantity of energy (or Qi) and blood in the skin and underlying facial muscles gradually decrease, causing a loss of nourishment, support and moisture, Widmer said.
Only those certified in Facial Rejuvenation can use this method. Thin needles are inserted into special meridian channels which renews circulation to certain areas, and we all know good circulation is essential to good health. This brings more oxygen to one?s system and can eliminate and remove metabolic toxins.
Widmer said Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is appropriate for anyone concerned with the onset of deep wrinkles, fine lines, bags under the eyes, sagging, puffiness, drooping eyelids, double chin, large pores, dry skin or acne. Since acupuncture may relieve stress, habitual expressions such as frowns can be transformed resulting in a younger, calmer, and less worn looking face and spirit.
Of course, since it?s a form of holistic medicine, the whole body and mind are treated and evaluated. Different methods are emphasized and specific points stimulated according to how an individual is aging. For instance, a person with excess puffiness would require a different treatment than someone with very dry skin.
Like many people, Widmer began coming to the Wood River Valley from California as a visitor and eventually moved here. He studied with Cal Millar, another Ketchum acupuncturist, and worked in her clinic.
?This was a place my heart felt really at home. It?s what?s so great about this community.?
Before moving here in September, however, Widmer moved to New York City to continue his training and become certified.
?I found out about Facial Rejuvenation and realized it was perfect for me. Acupuncture is fairly broad. But this gives something to focus on. I?ve been very happy about it and am excited to let people know what I do.?
Widmer said the magic number of sessions in a series is 12, taken two times a week. The idea is generally that it takes time to be lasting. It?s not until about halfway through that it has a really lasting effect, he said. This will be followed with once a month or once a season visits to the acupuncturist for maintenance. The whole treatment also includes herbal and nutritional supplements, facial massage, Chi Gong and nutrition.
Widmer starts a series of sessions by dealing first with the whole body?s constitution, from digestion and sleep to stress and a patient?s medical history.
?That?s the level I like to work with,? he said. ?Since it?s constitutional treatment, I start with body points to balance the energy and ground the core. Then there are points in the scalp that have a lifting effect. It?s the lifting of both the face and spirit. The nature of a person begins to change as well.?
Widmer is currently offering the 12-treatment series at a special half off introductory rate.
But does it work? According to the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, a 1996 study showed that ?among 300 cases treated with facial acupuncture, 90 percent had marked beneficial results with only one course of treatment.?
A good acupuncturist has good hands and a gentle manner. Widmer embodies those aspects as well as having a restful serene spirit. A visit with him is like having a refreshing time out in the middle of the day. And maybe a time out in the aging process.
