SAN DIEGO -- The quest for youthful beauty takes women down many paths. Some go under the knife to erase the signs of time, but for 50-year-old Liz Edwards that wasn't an option.

"I'm not interested in surgical procedures, even though it's the norm in California, Southern California. I'm just not prepared to go that route yet," Edwards said.

Instead, she turned to an ancient beauty ritual -- cosmetic acupuncture.

"It's new in America, but it's been around for thousands of years. Earliest times are since the Sung Dynasty, where the empress and the emperor's concubines were using facial rejuvenation acupuncture to beautify themselves," Body Evolution Wellness Center acupuncturist Marc Sklar said.

Sklar started practicing what he calls facial rejuvenation acupuncture a year and a half ago. He is one of only a handful of people in San Diego County performing it.

"It's a painless, safe, non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that reduces the aging process and revitalizes the body and face," he said.

The process works by stimulating nodes and pathway vessels . Blood flow is increased, stress is reduced, muscles are stimulated and the body produces more collagen, according to Sklar.

"I usually start with needles in the body and ears to help prep the body . You like to ground it," he said.

Treatments take about an hour and Sklar said patients notice results, like a brighter complexion and reduced lines, by the 7th session.

"I'm threading it right underneath the line itself, by threading it under the line it's pushing it up, the needle is raising it up," Sklar said.

The process can be so relaxing that some people fall asleep on the table.

Although cosmetic acupuncture is common in places such as Japan, Hong Kong and Sweden, it's only taken hold locally over the last five years.

Edwards first heard about it in magazines.

"I actually had seen some articles that Madonna had done it. I think Demi Moore is another one that may have done it," Edwards said.

After 12 treatments, Edwards said she is happy with her results.

"It was like night and day. My face was brighter. I would walk into the gym or local areas and people would say, 'what have you done,'" Edwards said.

The results are not as drastic as surgery, but Edwards believes the acupuncture, combined with exercise and good nutrition, is toning down the ticks of the clock on her appearance.

Sklar charges $99 for one treatment.

For more information, visit www.bodyevolution.org or call (858) 571-0160.