Meet Dr. Sinéad - Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Cosmetic Acupuncture & Microneedling, Specialist

Dr. Sinéad Corrigan

Hello everyone! My name is Sinéad (pronounced Sha-nade, like lemonade). I am excited to join The Center: Natural Health Specialists as a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, specializing in natural beauty & skincare.

I want to share with you a bit of my journey into this work, why it is so meaningful to me, and how I’ve seen it impact my patients over the years.

I first learned cosmetic acupuncture in San Francisco, California, during my doctoral studies. Cosmetic Acupuncture is a specific style of Acupuncture focused on rejuvenating the skin and the appearance of the face by working on total body health. Like most women in our culture, I was originally attracted to it because I love feeling beautiful - who doesn’t?!

However, the more I learned, the more I realized our physical appearance is only the tip of the iceberg and the result of an internal balance.  I learned that the face tells a story. I learned that the lines and colors on specific parts of the face can reveal details about the health of our internal organs, our hidden emotions, our fertility, and can even provide clues as to what environment or path of life would serve us best. Perhaps this sounds a bit esoteric, however, keep in mind - eastern culture developed diagnostic methods prior to modern technology (and modern distractions). The Chinese medicine physician uses their own five senses like a detective to observe the patient and notice patterns in the face, and elsewhere. Over thousands of years, specific facial features were mapped to specific illnesses, emotional disharmonies, and psychological tendencies. 

Rewind about 10 years before learning about facial acupuncture- I was at the start of a very long healing journey around perfectionism. This came in many forms, including my academic performance, athletic performance, and my appearance. During my undergraduate studies, I was extremely burnt out and at times felt very hopeless about how I could possibly have energy to achieve all that I envisioned. Prior to my sophomore year, I completed my first yoga teacher training. it changed the course of my undergraduate studies, ultimately leading me to attend Chinese Medical School. Before making this leap, I started the practice of qigong. (For those who are unfamiliar, qigong is a form of meditation that can include movement, breathwork, and visualization.)  I learned from both Yoga and qigong that our body can “store” emotion. And specifically, we can store these past emotions and experiences in the muscles of our face. 

The face holds emotional patterns so strongly that simply by relaxing tension in the face, the entire body can release the intensity of these emotional patterns. I practiced both qigong and yoga diligently throughout my undergraduate studies, and I truly believe they were the reason I overcame my intense self-criticism that was previously slowly destroying me. The emotional release I experienced and the way it changed my path was profound.

Fast forward again to my doctoral studies- This is when I began integrating these powerful practices into my daily life that help reprogram emotional and physical patterns with a deeper understanding of the science behind healing. I also integrated hands-on techniques like acupuncture, self-massage, facial cupping, and gua sha—creating a holistic approach that supports natural release, radiance, and whole-body balance.

As a woman in Western society, there is no doubt that I feel the pressure to maintain my youth. However, after learning so much about how our emotions and stress cause and accelerate aging and illness, the broken food system that leaves our bodies and our skin under nourish, as well as the unhealthy work-life balance many of us are faced with, I realized that the glow I crave will not come by fixing the outer appearance of my skin, nor forcing my body to abide by a strict regimen that bypasses my intuition and true self care. 

Beauty to me has become a deep ritual of intentionality - honoring my intuition, respecting my body, leading a sustainable lifestyle, and taking an earnest look at my emotional health and how it is connected to my overall well-being.

According to the ancient art of Chinese face reading- that which makes us most beautiful is the “spirit” (a feeling of “ALIVENESS!”) fully coming into the body. What does this mean? It means living the life that most “lights us up” and deeply fulfills us. When we are joyful and fulfilled, we are naturally radiant.

If we want to look beautiful, we need to feel beautiful. If we want to feel beautiful, we need to feel healthy. If we want to feel healthy, we need to learn how to embrace a willingness to listen to, rather than demand, our physical body. 

I had to learn to listen to what my body was asking for in order to feel healthy. I have learned that what makes me feel safe, nourished, joyful, grateful, excited, and connected to others…is what makes me feel radiant.  I now know no beauty product or skincare regimen alone can ever accomplish this. 

If this resonates, I would love to meet you. I would love to share with you all I can to support you in feeling internally balanced and externally radiant!

I am available for 45-minute consultations on Mondays & Thursdays. During your appointment, we will review your health and beauty goals, dive into your current state of health, and most importantly, we will discuss the steps we can take to create a plan for lasting physical change and transformation of your body, skin, and spirit.

I look forward to meeting you and helping you shine your brightest,

Dr. Sinéad Corrigan, Lac, DACM

The Center: Natural Health Specialists, 8404 Six Forks Road, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615. (919) 848-0200. www.TheCenterNHS.com