Terra Sigillata

“Cosmetic Acupuncture” – seriously?

Posted by Abel Pharmboy on June 25, 2009
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While I lack the intestinal fortitude of my colleague, Orac, who actively seeks out the most impressive examples of pseudoscience and quackery, examples come to me without even looking for them.

This week’s case is in the form of a book announcement press release from a Denver-based “practitioner” who specializes in cosmetic acupuncture. Yes, the needle without the Botox®.

Martha Lucas, Ph.D., L.Ac., Denver-based acupuncturist and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has authored “Vanity Calamity: Your Guide to Cosmetic Acupuncture for Anti-aging.” The announcement is made by Dr. Lucas who says “Vanity Calamity tells the history of vanity and what women have been willing to do to look younger or more beautiful. Now there’s a healthy, safe option – Cosmetic Acupuncture.

Note that the qualifiers are “healthy, safe” and not “effective.”

And if procedures and books aren’t enough for you, you can blow $375 on a workshop:

An internationally known instructor, Dr. Lucas leads seminars for TCM practitioners about both Cosmetic Acupuncture and Pulse Diagnosis theory. For more information visit: http://www.cosmeticacupunctureseminars.com or http://www.pulseseminars.com

Seems to me that the only wrinkles you’ll fix are the ones on your buttocks where your wallet used to sit.

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Comments

  1. #1 Orac
    June 25, 2009

    Dude, you’re behind the times. Cosmetic acupuncture is all the rage. they even do “acupuncture facelifts”:

    http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/08/rats_my_academic_woo_aggregator_is_hopel.php
    :-)

  2. #2 Richard Eis
    June 25, 2009

    I fail to see how having needles stuck into your face by a guy with a wacked understanding of disease and germ theory can be considered healthy and safe.

  3. #3 Lobster
    June 25, 2009

    Now I don’t know, I think having some needles sticking out the back of your neck could be kind of a fashion statement.

    Just be careful not to lean back against anything.

  4. #4 Roland Branconnier
    June 25, 2009

    A duck by any other name is still a quack!
    Ergo: Woo-Woo = Woo^2

  5. #5 Funky Fresh
    June 26, 2009

    I have been itching for a particular brand of cosmetic acupuncture. It’s manufactured under the brand name “Botox.”

  6. #6 The Atom is Real
    July 8, 2009

    Hey PharmD,
    If you actually wanted to make an intelligent analysis, why don’t you contact the instructor and see for yourself the effectiveness of the treatments of her and other professional? You are academically equals, in case you didn’t notice, “doc.”