This Gemstone Acupuncture Facial Made Me So Relaxed I Felt Like I Was Floating

From Oprah Magazine

Weird or Wellness is an OprahMag.com series where staffers answer the question: Do we really need the "woo-woo" fads we keep seeing on social media in our self-care routines? We put buzzy treatments from halotherapy to facial yoga to the test so you don't have to-all in the name of living your best life. Up first? Aura-chakra cleansing.

The truth is I drove to Elizbeth Trattner’s sun-kissed Miami home in December with one goal in mind: Get the Instagram shot.

Trattner, a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese and integrative medicine, caught my attention on social media months before because of the otherworldly, perfectly-lit photographs she posts of patients drenched in colorful crystals and, uh, teeny-tiny needles poking their face.

Since we kicked off Weird or Wellness on OprahMag.com in October, team O has explored the world of chakra-cleansing, crystal sex toys, salt therapy, sound baths, facial cupping, ancient roman baths, and facial yoga-but a treatment that combines the woo-wooiest practices out there? I needed to know more-and post it to my 'gram.

Her signature, non-surgical procedure seen above is called the gemstone acupuncture facial, and costs $240 for the initial one, $200 for a follow-up. To put that in layman’s terms, it’s basically designed to make you feel really good, both inside and out. “After one session, we’re going to get rid of all that puffiness. We’re going to remove the lymph, and we’re going to increase the circulation. There’s a very pulled-back effect that people have from getting this done,” she tells me.

More specifically, the facial-which incorporates acupuncture, facial cupping, and Gua Sha, three distinct processes that generally stem from ancient Chinese medicine-also helps improve acne, alleviate rosacea, prevent wrinkles, and (you guessed it), achieve that mythical, maybe-she-or-he-is-born-with-it glow. Let me tell you: I walked out of Trattner’s home that day looking like a fresh-faced teenager ready for his close-up.

But before we get into the nitty-gritty of the procedure, know that Trattner-who once appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss her battle with a chronic illness that left her in a short-lived coma-knows her stuff. In addition to being a licensed acupuncturist, she’s contributed to several books about dermatology and Chinese medicine, and holds a chef’s training certificate from the Natural Gourmet Institute. Plus, she worked closely under Andrew Weil, a Harvard MD and leader in all things holistic health.

If you’re a skeptic on whether or not alternative forms of medicine are legit, she points to these verified studies that back them up. Curious? Review them here, here, here, here, and here.

All this is to say that when I met Trattner, she dutifully gave me a wide-ranging, 45-minute diagnosis of things I should do to be begin living my best life, ASAP. “I’m going to go through your intake and talk to you about what you can do to feel better,” she told me. We reviewed my family’s history of high-blood pressure, alcoholism, and diabetes, and I spilled on what I typically consume (too much sugar, too few green foods), and what effect that has on my state of zen.

Trattner also called me out on one thing she says is common among working millennials (and journalists in particular): our posture at the office. “You’re collapsing down into your chest by leaning into your laptop. This means you’re shortening the muscles from the neck to your chest, and putting pressure on the jaw,” she tells me. “You guys are overthinking, you have deadlines, there’s a lot of anxiety going on.”

Uh, you got that right, Elizabeth.

I’ll spare you, but she and I had a fascinating discussion about the power of crystals and something called zeolites (minerals that ground you), medicinal mushrooms, and whether or nod fads like juicing, sipping apple cider vinegar, participating in the keto diet, or taking microbiotics are effective. The answer? It depends-and everyone’s different.

After the mini consultation-one matched with her soothing voice, fresh matcha, and the abundance of relaxing crystals peppered throughout her home-it was time to begin the actual gemstone acupuncture facial.

The process lasts about 90 minutes, and after finishing-this was in the midst of family obligations for the holidays and upcoming work deadlines-I can say I hadn’t felt more relaxed or cleansed in weeks.

To begin, I laid on top of a 26-pound heated amethyst mat that blasts infrared heat, which can penetrate up to eight inches into the body, causing lymphatic drainage that therefore reduces stress and pain, improves circulation, and makes your skin stronger and more supple. Then, she placed what’s called a “crystal grid” around my body, particularly at points (“the four gates”) that trigger movement in areas like your digestive system.

The crystals we used included amethyst, clear quartz, citrine, yellow topaz, blue topaz, green quartz, and light amethyst-all of which contain varying healing properties and can help an overly anxious millennial like me simply chill. “They’re grounding,” Trattner says.

Next came the cupping procedure-something I’ve tried before. She describes it as a reverse massage that lifts and sculpts the face. Trattner moved on to perform Gua Sha-“the next big thing in wellness"­-a process where you gently scrape your skin with a slab of crystal and oil or serum to move lymph around. Similarly, this reduces puffiness, breaks up fascia, and sculpts your neck, face, and under-eyes.

Before starting acupuncture (a.k.a. inserting needles all over me), she applied an organic face mask that had botanical elements for softer and brighter skin. This followed a quick session with a rose quartz roller, to help the mask’s juices penetrate.

So what’d the tiny needles actually feel like? Imagine a soft, extremely harmless pinch sensation. She applied the needles from my forehead down to my chin and along my arms and even feet. This is designed to “stimulate collagen and elastin in the face,” two things that prevent wrinkles and can help soothe you “dramatically from the inside out.”

The final step was quite glamorous-and she inserted mini Swarovski crystals into my ears, at points she calls “spirit gates,” which are supposed to keep you centered, particularly at the start of a new season-or, if like me, you’re traveling between climates as different as New York vs. Miami in December.

Following my session, I felt an unbelievable sense of calm-and the benefits lasted for about three days after. Three days of floating-like serenity, by the way, is a big deal in my anxious-prone playbook. Before leaving, she sat me down to outline a laundry list of suggestions she has for improving my overall wellbeing, just like a traditional doctor would. They read as follows:

• See an eye specialist to understand why I always get bad headaches and try gas permeable contact lenses.

• Be sure my work monitor is at eye level. And take a break from my desk every hour to massage my brows and jaw.

• Reduce my sugar intake and do not consume cold or raw items in the winter, particularly because of my family history.

• At work, cover my neck when its hit with cold air. Not doing so can cause stress and soreness.

• Consider working on a physioball to align my posture.

• If drinking, swap wine (high in sugar and yeast) for Aperol, white tequila, gin, and or potato-based vodka.

• Consider drinking matcha instead of coffee-the L-theanine and antioxidants in it can make you feel calm.

• Switch to sea or Himalayan salt, both loaded with minerals.

• Eat more in the morning to avoid snacking at night.

• And take a probiotic before bedtime.

I tend to be a little, uh, lazy, when it comes to implementing sweeping changes that aren’t already in my typically routine (wake up, workout, go to work, grab a drink, go home, grab little sleep).

So sorry, Dr. Trattner, but I haven’t taken up most of your suggestions. Still, since the feel-good acupuncture facial, I’ve indeed taken a nightly probiotic consistently-it regulates all those funky stomach movements-and I’ve cut back my wine intake.

Plus, I do get up every hour on the hour at work and try to be mindful of my posture. The rest? It’s on my to-do list. Relaxation aside, the gemstone acupuncture facial perhaps isn’t for everyone. Needles in the face of someone with tryanophobia? Good luck with that.

But other than getting to post my beloved Instagram, the greatest takeaway I learned is that taking baby steps for self-care is the key to coming a bit closer to inner peace. If you have the opportunity to try a similar facial-or any form of cupping and Gua Sha-please do yourself a favor and do so, because you may get hooked. Trust me-it doesn’t have to be expensive.

For more ways to live your best life plus all things Oprah, sign up for our newsletter!