Soo-Mi Hwang, L.Ac. Dipl. Acu.

Insurance

2021-09-21T10:24:00.002-04:00

Do you accept insurance?

Yes, we do depending on your insurance coverage.

Please let us front and back picture of your insurance card, your date of birth and current address to verify your eligibility for insurance coverage.

Caring for your skin at the end of summer

2021-09-19T13:51:00.004-04:00

It's regretting that the cold air announces the end of bright sun shinning summer already. However, I can look forward to breathe better; less humidity, less heat, and definitely less discomfort. Have you had your fun this summer? Did you get plenty of sun light on your skin? Is your skin looking dark, sexy and healthy? Looks can be deceiving though. Your skin may look healthy. But the sun has damaged the face leaving it with leathery, dry, wrinkles with dark sun spots. Before brutal Canadian wind ruin leaving the sun damage permanent on the face, join me to replenish and correct the defect to prevent making permanent ruin.

1. Water the skin.
There are two ways to replenish your skin: inside and outside.
Inside - drink plenty of water. I know you have heard or read repeatedly the emphasis of drinking water to stay hydrated. Drinking water not only hydrates your body but also helps rehydrating the face as well. I used to hate drinking water. The taste of water didn't appeal to me. It tasted bland. Blah! Also I simply didn't feel thirsty enough to drink water. My body didn't require too much water, I thought. However, as I get older, I see the difference when I drink water and don't. The solution if you don't have taste for water; is adding a little bit of flavor to overcome difficulty of swallowing tasteless fluid; lemon and/or green tea. They are both full of antioxidant and vitamin C. Green tea's phytonutrients have so many good effects on skin. The content of caffeine is so minimal, it's as if you are drinking water!
Outside - Moisturizing the skin is very important. There are many different ways to hydrate your skin. I like applying ampple amount of serum, also called essence. There are different types of serums, pore control, whitening, collagen, etc. Due to extreme summer heat, the pores tend to let open always and stay open. Aging makes it harder to tighten up the stretched pores again. Pore control serum, my favorite is Clique pore control serum, is a good option to minimize your pores that were loosened by summer heat without leaving your skin too dry.

2. Proper rest on your skin. Sleep eight hours a day. The quality and time of sleep are very important. Even if you are sleeping eight hours a day, if you are not sleeping between 11pm and 5am, it really is not beneficial to your skin and whole body. The reason? In Oriental Medicine 11pm is the liver and gall bladder time till 3am. It is the time when the liver takes all the blood and cleanse. The gall bladder is the liver assistant. They work very closely together. From 3am to 5am is the time of the lungs. The lungs strength flowers into the skin. Hence if you have healthy and restful lungs, lustrous and healthy skin. Proper rest doesn't only mean 8 hours of sleep. It also means minimizing use of computer when you are not working. Seating front of the computer really makes your eyes strenuous. Eyes are closely related the liver. Tired and over worked eyes will over work your liver. Also the seating and idling front of the computer for more than 30minutes will block the circulation of qi and blood due to the stiff neck and shoulder.

3. Acupuncture Facial
The above two methods are a must for the skin's anti-aging. However, if the damages have been done on the skin, it needs to be repaired more aggressively. The best way to repair is acupuncture facial. It will unblock the blockages and bring more circulation of qi and blood to the face which can help to promote production of collagen to tighten the skin from musculature layer. The increased blood circulation will bring and distribute more nutrients to the skin cells preventing premature aging. My acupuncture facial contains a herbal poultice mask with green tea. Green tea whitens dark and dry spots and mildly exfoliates dead skin cells which prevents breathing of new skin layer. There are about ten different herbs in the poultice which help to regenerate skin and bring the luster back to the face.

P1: regrettable
P1: canadian wind ruin [missing words] leaving sun damage, ideas out of order.

How cupping helps to reduce your pain and detox your body

2016-08-10T14:06:00.002-04:00

We’ve seen so many pictures of many Olympians including Michael Phelps with purple circular red marks of cupping and is making sensation in worldwide. Even though people are discovering what cupping is through these Olympians, cupping has been practiced in Asia, mainly in Korea, China and Japan for thousands years.

Benefits of Cupping:

1. Cupping helps to reduce pain in the body.

It is used for back pain, neck and shoulder pain, knee pain, joint pain, headaches including migraine, and stomachache.

2. Cupping helps treat respiratory issues and colds.

It is considered valuable for the lungs. It can clear congestion from common cold or control asthma. (http://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2014/09/20/many-benefits-chinese-cupping)

3. Cupping helps promote skin health.

When cupping is applied on the dimpled areas on the body, it can smooth the dimples by creating heat on the area applied on.

The following is the some of the list of the symptoms that can be treated by cupping supported by The British Cupping Society.

 Respiratory infections

 Blood disorders, such as anemia and hemophilia

 Joint pain caused by arthritis and fibromyalgia

 Migraine and tension headaches

 Muscle aches and stiffness

 Fertility and gynecological disorders

 Skin problems such as herpes, eczema and acne

 High blood pressure (hypertension)

 Mental disorders, anxiety and depression

 Food allergies and asthma

 Varicose veins and cellulite

Please contact me if you are interested via email drofom@gmail.com or call 212-629-7025

Soo-Mi Hwang L.Ac. featured in Vogue

2015-05-05T11:00:00.001-04:00

"As promised, I emerged from her studio with a radiant complexion—as well as feeling more relaxed, and with much more energy than when I arrived. In the days that followed, my sleep was sounder, and I was surprised by how loose and lucid my body felt. If that’s not the ultimate pre-party appointment, I don’t know what is. And one thing is for certain: I’ll be booking another for the morning of the Met Gala."

VOGUE.COM

Is the Acufacial the Ultimate Pre-Party Beauty Trick?

APRIL 25, 2015 8:00 AM
by MACKENZIE WAGONER

How acupuncture reduces pain from gout

2015-01-27T14:22:00.004-05:00

How I encountered gout recently:

A few weeks ago, one of my friends called and asked me if acupuncture could help to treat gout. She told me that her younger brother was diagnosed with the early stages of gout and was suffering from the pain. The short answer that I gave her was that acupuncture could help to ease the pain. But, more than anything, he needed to change his life style. Life style and diet are the two most important tools to achieve healthier living, not to mention, reduce the pain due to inflammation in the body. Her brother, who lives overseas, exhibits the common life style and diet of people who are suffering from gout: Even though he’s young, in his late 30’s, he is over weight and consumes a lot of meat, sugar, processed foods and alcoholic beverages.

What it is:

Gout is a form of arthritis, a type of inflammation, caused by accumulation of urate crystals in or around the joint. The high level of uric acid in the blood leads to the formation of urate crystals. Uric acid is produced in your body when it breaks down purine, a substance that naturally occurs in the human body and in certain food such as meat, organ meat, seafood, alcoholic beverages, especially beer and beverages sweetened with fructose.

When sharp, needle like urate crystals accumulate in the joints and surrounding area, they cause inflammation leading to redness, swelling and pain on the joints. Depending the severity of inflammation, the pain can be very debilitating. However, the pain is not constant. It is only painful when it flares up, due to too much build up of urate crystals or when your immune system declines and becomes susceptible to inflammation.

Can acupuncture help with gout:

Acupuncture can help to reduce the inflammation, not only in the case of gout, but any type of inflammation. Reducing the inflammation will help reduce the pain and swelling around the joints. Acupuncture promotes blood and qi circulation to and from the joints, while strengthening the joint, which will lead to cleaning the build up of the urate crystals in the joints and their surroundings. It can also strengthen the kidney function, facilitating the elimination of uric acid by balancing and strengthening our innate immune system. Acupuncture points that are helpful: ST 36, SP 3, ST 40, and SP 6 and some other local points can be used. Please ask your practitioner what other methods can promote addressing the symptoms.

Testimonial - "My joint pain suffering is gone!"

2013-08-20T08:40:00.004-04:00

I have been a patient of Soo-Mi's for a year now. Having suffered from joint pain for most of my life, I began feeling very discouraged that my last resort would have to be surgery. I met Soo and felt instantly drawn and comforted by her healing energy. Soo-Mi has such a strong intuition with others' well-being, and my pain has dramatically decreased in this time. Surgery does not even enter my mind! I can, without a doubt, state that Soo-Mi has changed my life and my view about a holistic approach to health.
-Erin D.

Testimonial - "Soo-Mi is there to help me physically and emotionally"

2012-12-14T11:04:00.001-05:00

Soo-Mi has been consistently treating me for about 5 months. Initially, I met her when my life had gone through a dramatic change. My body ached consistently, I had severe lower back and leg pains, and I suffered from headaches that felt like migraines. I had no posture; my energy was on the floor, and my life, as I knew it was a mess. Soo-Mi, with her sensitivity and generosity, helped me work through all of these underlying issues step by step until today. She takes time and effort to listen me every session and lets me exhale all of my concerns and worries. She carefully treats my body where needed and creates a trustworthy and comfortable environment. She pays close attention to pressured points and handles my body gently. I am now a completely different person than when I first met her. I have much energy and feel great! Of course I have moments when I am down, however, that is when Soo-Mi is there to help me physically and emotionally. Without a doubt, Soo-Mi has such a deep connection with each and every client which makes every treatment that much more significant.

-Karen G

How acupuncture works to rejuvenate your skin

2012-10-19T16:34:00.001-04:00

Did you have your summer share of fun? Did the sunlight leave your skin looking dark, sexy and healthy? You may have healthy looking skin now, but looks can be deceiving. Beyond leaving your skin tanned, sunlight can leave your skin leathery, dry, wrinkled and marked with visible and invisible damage you might wish would never show. Autumn’s arrival may feel like a relief from the humidity, heat, and discomfort of the balmy summer, but the cool dry air can rob your skin of the moisture that is so vital to it’s healthy appearance. So before the dry winter weather exacerbates the signs of sun damage permanent, I personally use and recommend the following measures to replenish and repair the skin.

1. Hydrate Your Skin!

• Inside: Drink plenty of water. Drinking water not only hydrates your body, but also helps rehydrate your skin.

I used to hate drinking water. The taste of water didn't appeal to me. It tasted bland. Blah! Also, I simply didn't feel thirsty enough to drink water. I thought my body didn't require that much water.The appearance of skin, suppleness and luster, depends on its moisture. As I get older, I see a difference when I drink enough water and when I don't. If you are like me and don't have a taste for water, adding lemon or green tea is anexcellent way to overcome the difficulty of swallowing the tasteless fluid. Both are full of antioxidants and vitamin C.

Green tea has so many good effects on skin. I use it both internally as a tea and externally as an ingredient in my revitalizing herbal mask (more on that later). Green tea containsantioxidants that impede the damaging effects of free-radical toxins. It also contains anti-inflammatory chemicals which can counter-act signs of sun damage.

• Outside: Moisturizing the skin is also very important. There are many different options for externally hydrating your skin.

I like applying ample amounts of serum, which is also called essence. There are different types of cosmetic serums that help with such things as pore control, whitening, collagen supplementing, etc. During the extreme summer heat, pores tend to open and stay open. Aging makes it harder to tighten up the stretched pores again. I use a pore refining serum, which really helps tominimize pores loosened by summer heat without drying out your skin

2. Proper rest is essential for a good complexion. Try to sleep eight hours a day.

The quality and time of sleep are also very important. If possible, you should sleep between 11pm and 5am. The reason? In OrientalMedicine, the hours from 11pm to 3am are believed to be the time that the liver and gallbladder cleanse all the body’s blood. And from 3am to 5am is the lung time. The lungs are closely related to the skin. Healthy lungs flowers into the skin making it look lustrous and taught.Deep restful and unbroken sleep is also important. Proper rest doesn't only mean 8 hours of restful sleep. It also means minimizing use of computer when you are not working. Seating front of the computer really makes your eyes strain. Eyes are closely related to the liver.Tired and over worked eyes will over work your liver. Sitting idle in front of the computer for more than 30minutes will block the circulation of qi and blood.

3. Acupuncture Facial
The above two methods are a must for the skin's anti-aging. However, if the damages have been done on the skin, it needs to be repaired moreproactively. The best way to repair is acupuncture facial. It will unblock the blockages and bring more circulation of qi and blood to the face. This promotes the production of collagen,which tightens and fills in wrinkles. The increased blood circulation will bring more nutrients to the skin cells preventing premature aging caused by sun damage. My acupuncture facial contains herbal poultice mask with green tea. It contains herbs that nourish, regenerateand tighten the skin. Green tea whitens dark and dry spots and mildly exfoliates dead skin cells that choke budding skin layer beneath.

Testimonial - "Soo-Mi is wonderful!"

2012-03-05T09:47:00.003-05:00

Soo-Mi is WONDERFUL! I feel so blessed to have met Soo-Mi. She has helped me in so many ways that I cannot begin to list them all! I had suffered from many physical pains and had been to many different types of medical doctors. It wasn't until I saw Soo that everything just made sense. Since I have seen her, I have seen improvements in my overall energy levels, digestion, and joint pains. Soo-Mi is my favorite thing about New York City!

How acupuncture can alleviate allergies

2011-12-31T15:49:00.001-05:00

"Can acupuncture help with allergies?"

Absolutely!
If you look at the list of the symptoms approved by WHO, allergies is one them.
Ten people may have allergies, but they may have ten different roots based on the symptoms they presents. Therefore I need to know your symptoms and few other things to answer your questions specifically. Thank you for asking and I hope you can make an appointment for the consultation.

Why we should limit our intake of antibiotics

2011-11-01T11:47:00.001-04:00

Please read the following article from The New York Times dated October 31, 2011. It explains the reason we should limit the intake of antibiotics. Are you overweight? It may not be you to blame but antibiotics you took all those years when you got cold. I was never a fan of reaching for medication automatically when I got sick. This gives me more concrete scientific reasons to be more advocate for not popping too much pills in our systems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/health/scientist-examines-possible-link-between-antibiotics-and-obesity.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=health

Growing Up I never had to go to hospital

2011-03-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I never had to go to the hospital, take antibiotics or use cold medicine. My father always treated me with acupuncture and herbs whenever I had health issues. For that reason, I never needed Western medicine. As a little girl when I got sick, acupuncture was the first thing I got from my father.

My father helped so many people for as long as I can remember. He had acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinics in Seoul, Buenos Aires, and New York. From the time I was fifteen, I was apprenticing to him. I have watched him treat countless people, from six month old babies to people with facial paralysis and stroke. But his specialty was helping people with back pain.

Through watching him treat all these people, I have gained knowledge and experience that I could not have learned from any classroom. Now my specialty is also facial acupuncture and pain management, just like my father. Of course, I also have my master's degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and I am qualified to treat a wide variety of health issues.

It 's my life long passion to use acupuncture and Chinese medicine to help you improve the quality of your life.

Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture - World Health Organization

2011-01-13T22:35:00.012-05:00

Originally Published on the World Health Organization's website (www.who.int)

"Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture"

From: "Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials" (2003; 87 pages)

View the PDF document

3. Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture

The diseases or disorders for which acupuncture therapy has been tested in controlled clinical trials reported in the recent literature can be classified into four categories as shown below.

1. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow

2. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed:

Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)
Acne vulgaris
Alcohol dependence and detoxification
Bell’s palsy
Bronchial asthma
Cancer pain
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Competition stress syndrome
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent
Earache
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever
Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local disease)
Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection
Female infertility
Facial spasm
Female urethral syndrome
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Gastrokinetic disturbance
Gouty arthritis
Hepatitis B virus carrier status
Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)
Hyperlipaemia
Hypo-ovarianism
Insomnia
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic
Ménière disease
Neuralgia, post-herpetic
Neurodermatitis
Obesity
Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence
Osteoarthritis
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans
Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)
Postextubation in children
Postoperative convalescence
Premenstrual syndrome
Prostatitis, chronic
Pruritus
Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome
Raynaud syndrome, primary
Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Retention of urine, traumatic
Schizophrenia
Sialism, drug-induced
Sjögren syndrome
Sore throat (including tonsillitis)
Spine pain, acute
Stiff neck
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
Tietze syndrome
Tobacco dependence
Tourette syndrome
Ulcerative colitis, chronic
Urolithiasis
Vascular dementia
Whooping cough (pertussis)

3. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficult:

Chloasma
Choroidopathy, central serous
Colour blindness
Deafness
Hypophrenia
Irritable colon syndrome
Neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury
Pulmonary heart disease, chronic
Small airway obstruction

4. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture may be tried provided the practitioner has special modern medical knowledge and adequate monitoring equipment:

Breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Coma
Convulsions in infants
Coronary heart disease (angina pectoris)
Diarrhoea in infants and young children
Encephalitis, viral, in children, late stage
Paralysis, progressive bulbar and pseudobulbar

Acupuncture is a part of healthy lifestyle

2011-01-13T11:14:00.008-05:00

There are so many things that we can do to achieve healthy life. The following are few of the many that Soo-Mi thinks most basic to your health.

Sleep seven to eight hours everyday.
Eat whole foods; no artificially and chemically enhanced food.
Sip water (good old plain water; no flavored or vitamin enhanced) through out the day, including green tea.
Try to get all the nutrients from the foods not through the supplements
Eat kimchi. Kimchi is traditional Korean side dish that packed with so many nutrients and good bacterias for your intestines
Work enough, not too less that you get bored or not too much that you consume all your energy.
Get stressed out but have tools to let it out of your system sooner than later.
Meet people you love regularly rather than texting or emailing.
Get enough sun light.
Chose your favorite acupuncturist and receive treatment regularly.

Coming Soon! Let's talk about the each rule in detail. Love, Soo-Mi

How does acupuncture work and help me feel better?

2011-01-12T22:32:00.004-05:00

Acupuncture works on the qi and blood in our body through needles inserted on acupuncture points on channels and meridians throughout the body. Channels and meridians are like grids all connected to each other. Through these lines, qi, the source of life, and blood should flow freely. When there are problems, our body manifests the symptoms, hence getting sick.

Acupuncture needles get access to our qi and blood through the acupuncture points and help them to heal themselves by promoting the body’s innate self healing power. For this reason, acupuncture is very safe, with minimal side effects from the treatment.