“Leeches were used in cosmetology, or more precisely in hirudotherapy for face lifting. No, this is not a bad dream or horror, this is a description of the use of leeches in cosmetology, or more precisely, face lifting using hirudotherapy.
THE EASTERN SECRET OF YOUTH
“Leeches, on the face, on wrinkles, ugh, what an abomination!” - you might think. However, the fact remains: hirudotherapy has found a second wind and has found its application in the cosmetic industry. Brave women, despite their shame, resorted to facial rejuvenation treatment with leeches, because it works!
The principle of action of leeches against wrinkles on the face
Beneficial worms produce substances used to create cosmetics. The mixtures have a positive effect on blood circulation in the problem area, the structure of the skin, its elasticity and oxygen saturation. Thanks to collagenase elastase and hyaluronidase, which are present in leech saliva, tension is reduced and penetration of other useful elements into the tissue is enhanced. The components dilate blood vessels, increasing blood flow at the treatment site.
The principle of action of leeches against wrinkles on the face
To improve the condition of the dermis, various cosmetic preparations based on leech extract and masks from autologous blood are used, but they cannot replace hirudin, which is an enzyme that penetrates the body during hirudotherapy. Saliva contains anticoagulants, proteins, lipids, and a large number of phosphatidic and free fatty acids. When lipase and phospholipase are released, phospholipid membranes in cells are restored. Enzymes act as a defense in the healing of wounds after worm bites.
Leeches affect the body in 3 directions:
- biological is based on a rejuvenating and therapeutic effect, when a secretion containing biologically active substances is released;
- reflex is ensured by the correct placement of the hiruda at active points, according to the projection of the internal organs;
- mechanical allows you to relieve blood flow and stimulate the formation of new cells.
How to feel like 20 at 35: simple recommendations
You have just begun to enjoy the way your life is going, when suddenly you experience difficulties where there were no problems before. Fatigue sets in more and more often, and the brain refuses to work at full capacity. Rest does not help completely, and the first thoughts about age come. “But this is funny: I’m only 35 years old!”
If you have not paid attention to your health since your youth, then after thirty you will notice the first signs of aging in your body. Shortness of breath, fatigue, decreased memory and attention, low resistance to stress. This is the age of the onset of chronic diseases and the first disappointments in one’s abilities.
With a measured pace of life, all these changes can be almost unnoticeable. But few people enjoy a carefree life in the prime of life: this is a time of active work and overload, overtime and business trips, and searches for a better job. Just six months or a year of such life, and the compensatory capabilities of the body drop sharply. This significantly affects your appearance and well-being.
Overtime and night shifts also fall heavily on women on maternity leave, who, in the opinion of many, are simply relaxing at home with their children. But it is in the first two to three years after the birth of a child that a woman is exposed to perhaps the most severe stress of her entire life. Sometimes the stress of a new mother is increased by the need to work with a child in her arms. Therefore, even if a woman has always looked younger than her age, after two years of maternity leave she suddenly reaches her passport age.
Everyone wants to stay young as long as possible, but few are able to sacrifice peace of mind for this. In fact, it doesn't require a lot of work: you just need to know where to put your energy.
- Spend time on physical training twice a week. There is no fundamental difference whether you do yoga or fitness. The main thing is to teach your body new movements and loads. For example, dancing helps you stay young. This is good for physical health and prevents age-related changes in joints. The impulses that travel from the muscles to the brain improve cognitive function.
- Don't skip a night's sleep. Lack of sleep at night will definitely affect both your appearance and your health. You simply deprive the body of the ability to restore its resources. Inattention and irritability are only a small part of the damage. First of all, you risk your heart health. Daytime naps do not replace sleep at night.
- Find time to meet with friends and do your favorite things. These are the main two components that determine the enjoyment of life. And a happy person is always young in soul and body.
- Take amino acids to rejuvenate your body. Tissue energy production can be improved with amino acids and their metabolites. Even if you fail to follow the previous points, you can significantly prolong your youth with the help of amino acids.
- The amino acid threonine in combination with vitamins B6 will help you regain your intellectual capabilities and help your brain work at full strength. These substances are part of the drug Biotredin® .
- Glutamic acid, cystine and glycine will help improve the nutrition of the heart muscle and slow down the aging of the heart. Eltacin® in an optimal form for absorption . Eltacin® regularly when playing sports.
- The amino acid glycine is indispensable if you have small children, as well as with chronic stress at work. It is a natural component that the nervous system needs in large quantities during intense stress. The drug Glycine contains the amino acid exactly in the form in which it will perform its protective function as well as possible.
Indications for the use of hirudotherapy in cosmetology
When treating skin defects, which include the first signs of aging, age is not taken into account. Patients of any gender can benefit from hirudotherapy for acne and wrinkles.
The use of leeches promotes:
- improving the appearance of the epidermis;
- elimination of spider veins;
- removal of early small wrinkles near the upper lip and around the eyes;
- normalization of facial oval.
Leeches are used in plastic surgery to improve blood circulation. They are often used to get rid of age spots and acne. At the same time, you can partially or completely eliminate post-acne marks, acne scars, pigmentation, some skin diseases, purulent and acne rashes.
Indications for the use of hirudotherapy in cosmetology
Efficiency
As a result of visiting hirudotherapy, small wrinkles disappear from the face, and large ones become less noticeable. In addition, the use of leeches in cosmetology can improve complexion, make it healthy and radiant. Hirudotherapy is invaluable in treating pigmentation and swelling, treating acne, scars and scars.
The complex effect of hirudotherapy allows you to achieve an effect similar to massage, mesotherapy and hardware techniques. Under the influence of leeches, blood flow and lymph flow of the face are normalized. Improving blood circulation helps to better saturate the skin with beneficial substances.
The advantage of hirudotherapy for rejuvenation over other procedures is the preservation of natural facial expressions, naturalness and safety, results up to six months, no side effects.
How does the procedure work?
Rejuvenation using hiruda is an effective technique. It is natural and less traumatic than other methods of cosmetology.
Preparatory stage
First you need to visit a doctor to assess the condition of the skin and determine the areas where the worms are present. At the preparation stage, they are tested for blood clotting and allergic reactions to substances that are present in the saliva of leeches. If the results are good, a day for the session is scheduled. You should not consume alcoholic beverages or products that have a strong odor for a day or more.
You should not smoke 6 hours before the procedure. Before applying worms, do not use cosmetics with a pronounced aroma and do not use perfumes. Leeches sense all odors; if you do not follow all the rules, you will not be able to install them on problem areas.
What points are leeches placed on?
The installation location is determined by a specialist. 10-15 worms are placed in one procedure. After planting, they bite through the dermis by no more than 2 mm. This may cause a burning sensation that goes away in a short period of time. When using a standard circular arrangement, blood-sucking worms are placed in the following areas:
- outer corners of the eyes;
- hairline; behind the ears;
- jaw cavity;
- a point on the cheek formed by drawing lines through the center of the pupil and from the corner of the mouth;
- between the eyebrows.
Main stage
The patient must take a comfortable position, after which the specialist will begin installing the worms. The process is complex, because the identified individual does not bite at the intended point, but chooses an area located nearby. The standard arrangement is suitable for most people, but sometimes the points are chosen individually. They should not be planted in an area where blood vessels are visible. Leeches should be placed symmetrically on both sides of the face.
Final stage
During the session, the worms are not removed from the dermis. They fall off on their own 40 minutes after installation. If this does not happen, then the doctor removes the leeches. To remove it, you need to touch the leech with a cotton swab, which is moistened in alcohol or an alcohol solution of iodine. After such an impact, it disappears.
The bite sites will bleed. You need to lie down for 30 minutes to avoid dizziness. It is not recommended to look for methods to stop bleeding. If it lasts less than a day, then this is normal. After removing the hiruda, cover the area with a gauze napkin without pressing it. When 15 minutes have passed, it is replaced with a cotton swab, which is fixed with a band-aid.
Description of leeches
Leeches of the Hirudo medicinalis species are used in cosmetology, including for application to the skin of the face. Their bodies are equipped with special suction cups for fixation on the surface of the skin. At the front end there is a mouth, with the help of which it absorbs blood. On average, one leech sucks up to 15 ml of blood. Once saturated, it leaves the surface of the skin on its own without damaging the surface of the soft tissues. Blood loss during a hirudotherapy session is insignificant and does not pose a health hazard.
Leech saliva contains a number of substances that provide the following effects:
- antihistamines, decongestants;
- normalizing vascular functions;
- improving blood flow;
- painkillers;
- stimulating healing and reducing inflammation.
Hirudin, as the main anticoagulant, is necessary so that the leech can feed unhindered. The substance prevents blood clotting and increases its fluidity. This function of saliva allows the patient to obtain the desired effects: the anticoagulant continues to act for several hours after the leech has been removed. Natural anesthetics “work” to prevent a person from feeling discomfort when blood is sucked out. A small wound heals very quickly, leaving no scars or defects on the skin.
Using leeches at home
The installation of leeches for facial rejuvenation should be done by a professional hirudotherapist who knows all the intricacies of the procedure. The session can be carried out independently at home. Before this, you need to consult a doctor to exclude contraindications. Worms for home use are purchased at a pharmacy so as not to encounter negative consequences.
Before this, it is recommended to study the classic scheme of placing leeches on the face. Self-placement is an inconvenient method, so hirudotherapists advise not to plant them near the eyes yourself. In this case, you need to avoid places with large arteries or veins. The procedure will require patience and skill development. For this reason, they start with 1-2 individuals and increase their number to 5-7.
What kind of creature?
Previously, leeches were very widespread; they were found everywhere, living in most bodies of water. Now their number has decreased significantly, so many people have never seen these creatures “live.”
Of course, today no one catches leeches in reservoirs to use them in cosmetology. These creatures from the genus of annelids are bred specifically in sterile conditions.
The leech has a rounded, slightly flattened body. On both sides the body ends with a sucker; the front sucker has a mouth opening. The creature is extremely gluttonous. If a hungry leech weighs only 2 grams, then after the individual sucks blood, its weight increases tenfold!
Contraindications and possible consequences of leech bites
Hirudotherapy should be avoided if:
- pregnancy;
- oncological diseases;
- iron deficiency anemia;
- hypotension;
- allergies;
- bleeding disorders.
It is prohibited to conduct sessions with non-medical worms and without knowledge of the technique.
Contraindications include fear of using creatures on the body or face. With increased disgust, severe psychological problems can arise, so this situation must be avoided by choosing a different method of rejuvenation.
During the procedure, negative reactions may occur, manifested in the form of:
- itching;
- slight swelling and redness;
- enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and head;
- local increase in body temperature.
Symptoms are a natural reaction of the body that disappears in a short period of time. In some cases, complications develop, which include mild muscle pain, dizziness, weakness, general fever, allergies, infection due to improper care of the skin after a bite, and bleeding that lasts more than 2 days.
Recommendations after the procedure
At the end of the hirudotherapy session, the patient should be provided with peace; in order to avoid dizziness, one should not get up immediately.
In the first days, to prevent the development of infectious processes and edema, the patient should not:
- comb the wound;
- rub it with a washcloth;
- take a shower;
- visit the pool, sauna;
- exercise and go to the gym.
Eating iron-rich foods that stimulate hemoglobin synthesis will help the body recover after bloodletting. The diet should include buckwheat, beets, liver, apples, pomegranate juice, and halva.
Advantages and disadvantages of hirudotherapy over other types of rejuvenation
The advantages of the procedure are:
- natural substances;
- long lasting effect;
- healing effect;
- minimal risks and contraindications;
- availability of lifting.
Despite the many advantages, there are also disadvantages. Among them:
- bleeding from the wound for 1-2 days;
- allergy to a protein contained in the saliva of leeches;
- temporary pigment spot at the site of the bite.
When hirudotherapy is carried out by specialists, the risk of negative consequences is reduced to a minimum.
Preparation and execution
The procedure requires preliminary preparation. For 3-5 hours you need to give up smoking, alcohol, and foods with a strong smell. Onions and garlic are prohibited. It is worth taking a shower without using gels, and also not applying perfumes and deodorants to your skin. Before hirudotherapy you need to drink tea with sugar or sweets.
During the procedure, the skin is disinfected with alcohol, washing off its remnants with hot water. Leeches are attached to areas of the patient's face, which suck out a small amount of blood, in exchange leaving saliva containing useful substances. For best results, the skin is first rubbed to ensure blood flow to the place where the leech should attach.
Leeches are placed on certain points on the face. The choice of points depends on the problem to be solved. Typically, leeches are placed at the base of the skull, the inner base of the eyebrow, the corners of the lips, in the depression at the angle of the lower jaw and behind the ear.
Skin healing after rejuvenation with leeches lasts for a week, which should be attributed to the disadvantages of the procedure. After hirudotherapy, slight bleeding may occur, which is eliminated by bandaging. After a few days, the marks disappear completely.
Some patients report itching and allergic reactions. You can do a test first to check the skin's susceptibility to leech bites.
The procedure is absolutely painless. The natural anesthetic contained in the secretion of leeches minimizes the impact of the bite. During the session, the patient feels a slight tingling and burning sensation.
For better results, experts recommend taking a course of facial rejuvenation consisting of several procedures. Repeating hirudotherapy should begin no earlier than six months later.
We hope that this article was useful to you!
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Reviews
Ekaterina, 47 years old, Kemerovo: “The leeches were installed by a doctor. The procedure is not very pleasant, but the effect is worth it. The duration of the course was 8 sessions. The fine wrinkles were smoothed out, but for some time there were small spots in the bite areas. I would like to install leeches myself, but I’m afraid of the consequences.”
Maria, 35 years old, Novorossiysk: “These blood-sucking creatures have unpleasant memories associated with them. To improve the condition of the skin, I decided to apply leeches for tightening. There were no allergies, but fear and nightmares continued for a long time.”
How many procedures do you need to do to achieve the effect?
The number of procedures is selected by a specialist and depends on many factors: skin condition, indications, age characteristics, desired result, etc.
Usually, on average, this is at least 10 procedures. Moreover, after several exposures to leeches, the result is already visible. But this does not mean that once the result is achieved, you can not continue the procedure.
The peculiarity of hirudotherapy is that the effect is cumulative, so even if signs of improvement appear, the procedures must be completed to the end.
What is the laser eye resurfacing procedure?
Laser eyelid resurfacing is a modern, non-invasive, effective rejuvenation procedure, the mechanism of action of which is to use the therapeutic properties of the laser. Heat rays, penetrating to a given depth, burn the upper layer of the epidermis, stimulating the processes of regeneration and synthesis of collagen and elastin structures. As a result, the skin of the eyelids is tightened, the microrelief is leveled, facial wrinkles are smoothed out, and the look becomes rested and open.
After the procedure, rehabilitation is required, as laser beams evaporate microscopic areas on the skin, creating microdamages. The first results of the technique can be assessed after 1.5 - 2 weeks, and the final effect will be noticeable after 2 - 3 months. Laser eye resurfacing is also called laser eyelid surgery or non-surgical laser blepharoplasty, because the results of the technique are comparable to plastic surgery.
Results of the procedure
The use of medicinal leeches for the purpose of rejuvenation does not require special intervention and does not have harmful consequences for the body. The most notable results are:
- disappearance of wrinkles, spider veins, spots and scars;
- smoothing the nasolabial fold;
- the skin becomes fresh, soft and elastic;
- the upper eyelid and corners of the lips are noticeably tightened;
- facial muscles have increased tone.
In addition to facial skin rejuvenation, the general condition of the body improves. Inflammatory processes are effectively stopped, the functioning of the cardiovascular system improves, fatigue and depression go away.
Effect duration
Hirudotherapy, when properly carried out in full course, can maintain the effect obtained for at least six months, although in some situations, based on the original condition of the skin and age, it can be extended for a whole year. After this, the procedure will have to be repeated again.
Possible complications and side effects
Minor side effects such as redness of the skin, itching, enlarged lymph nodes and increased temperature are normal reactions of the body to the use of leeches. There is no need to be afraid, since everything is quite easy and does not require additional medical intervention.
However, in some situations the body may react inappropriately. Severe fever, muscle pain, weakness and dizziness require immediate use of antihistamines, although the body's reaction is not allergic.
The most dangerous complications appear as:
- Development of a purulent process due to infection of wounds from leech suction due to insufficient care or neglect of hygiene. You should consult a doctor for treatment.
- The leech secretion thins the blood and removes blood clots. However, after the procedure, prolonged bleeding should not be allowed. If they last longer than 2 days, the wounds are sutured or tampons are used.
- An allergic reaction is the most dangerous, as it can even manifest itself in the form of anaphylactic shock. At the first sign, you should immediately abandon the procedure.
Required number of sessions
The full course of hirudotherapy is designed for 10 sessions. You cannot do them every day; you should leave a gap of at least a day so that the body has time to fully recover.
It is not recommended to stop the course, even if the result becomes noticeable immediately - half the required course does not allow achieving lasting rejuvenation and the effect quickly disappears.
Complications
If the specialist performing the procedure is insufficiently qualified, the leech placement technique is violated, as well as if contraindications and precautions are neglected, the following complications may develop:
- infection in the wound;
- development of a purulent process;
- prolonged bleeding for more than two days;
- allergic reactions from urticaria to angioedema and anaphylactic shock.
If these complications occur, you should immediately contact your doctor, who will clean the wound and, if necessary, apply stitches and a pressure bandage. Severe allergic reactions may require resuscitation, but such cases are usually very rare.
