There are many different approaches offered to help skin look youthful, vibrant, and healthy. Which procedures are beneficial? Which techniques might be harmful? With so many options out there how does one decide?

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Denise Ellinger Moran, a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, licensed acupuncturist, who is known for her practice in facial rejuvenation techniques. Before becoming a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, she worked for a plastic surgeon as an administrator and surgical technician. I took this opportunity to ask her a few basic questions about some of the popular approaches to beautiful skin. Below is a compilation of Denise's work and my own.

Tools that contribute to younger looking skin: -Facial Rejuvenation Protocol: 2x/wk. for 5 weeks for a total of 10 treatments. This series of treatments can produce lasting results from 2-5 years, depending on age and condition of skin. -Clarisonic Brush: www.clarisonic.com

Either the Plus or Smart Profile option -Skin Nutrients for face: http://abccosmeticacupuncture.com/wabi-sabi-skin-nutrients/ -Basic vitamins for skin: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Peptides, and Hyaluronic Acid. Vitamin A is actually chirally correct. It helps to repair skin. Methods that can cause potential damage to skin: -Micro-Needling causes scar tissue to form underneath the top layer of the skin if done more than one time per month. A healing cycle for the skin is about one month.

-Glycolic Peels: even the gentlest penetrate too deep. The molecular structure of glycolics is such that they can pass through the layers of the epidermis and sometimes even the dermis. It depends on the strength and ph level of the peel as to how deep it will penetrate the skin. Eestheticians can use upwards of 50 percent, cosmetic surgeons and nurses can use higher than this. The general public has access to glycolics at 10 percent. The deeper you go, the longer the healing process. If anyone is suffering from an auto-immune disease process of any kind, they should consult with their aesthetician in regards to using these products.

-Microdermabrasion: too abrasive

-We lose 1 percent of thickness of our skin every year after age 35. Glycoloic peels and Microdermabrasion modalities actually can increase this process.

-RetinA: thins the dermis of the skin by as much as 3 percent per year, if one is using it every day. Add this to the natural decrease of thickness of our skin, 1 percent per year, and you are looking at a 4 percent reduction in thickness of the dermis.

-Just say No to Botox! We really do not know the long term implications of Botox. Denise commented that Botox, over time, can actually lead to a reduction in the tonicity, or elasticity, of the muscle. We don't want that!