The gentlest technique in Chinese medicine, for fresh, glowing skin.
This self-care ritual was recommended to me by my Acupuncturist. I had already been dealing with thinning hair for a few years but noticed a major difference after a hysterectomy in January 2026. My hair was thinning at an alarming rate and I needed to do something to slow it down. I have noticed a significant difference in my hair texture and thickness since using the Plum Blossom Needle. I will continue with the ritual as it is certainly making a difference so far.
Plum blossom needling, known in Chinese as meihua zhen, is one of the oldest and softest techniques in the Chinese medicine tradition. Seven fine points sit clustered together like the petals of a plum blossom. Used lightly, they work only at the very surface of the skin, where Chinese medicine places our protective qi.
At home, this is a ritual of quick, even taps across the face. Nothing is pushed deep, and there's no blood and no pain, only a soft pink warmth that leaves tired, dull-looking skin looking brighter and more awake. It's a lovely way to prepare the skin before your favourite serum, and a few unhurried minutes that feel like real care.
Each set comes with an illustrated guide that includes a full face tapping map, step-by-step instructions and aftercare advice.
What's in the box
- 1 seven-star hammer (155 mm)
- 12 sterile replacement heads, each individually packed
- Illustrated ritual guide
Refill packs of heads are available separately.
How to use
Start with clean, bare skin and freshly washed hands, and click a new sealed sterile head onto the handle. Holding the handle near its end, let your wrist do the work. Tap lightly and evenly, about two taps a second, so the head lands flat and lifts straight off. Work from the front of the scalp backwards and in a curve around each ear along the lines in your guide. Then tap very lightly along each brow from the inner end to the tail, staying on the brow hairs and never below onto the eyelid. along the lines in your guide. The skin should turn a soft, even pink. Any stinging, marks or pinpricks of blood mean you're tapping too hard. Finish with a gentle, fragrance-free serum. Use once a week to begin with, and never more than twice a week.
Hygiene and care
- Use a fresh, sealed sterile head for every session and throw it away afterwards.
- Replace a head straight away if it's dropped or any point looks bent or blunt.
- Wipe the handle with 70% alcohol before and after use, and store it dry.
- Never share your tool, not even the handle.
- Put used heads in a rigid, lidded container, never loose in the bin.
- Keep out of reach of children.
Using it safely
- Use on the brows and scalp only.
- Never tap the eyes or eyelids, the lips, inside the nostrils, or anywhere on the neck, including over the carotid artery.
- Patch test on your inner forearm first.
- Keep the tapping light and even. Never tilt or drag the head across the skin.
- Stop if you feel pain or see any bleeding.
Please don't use if your skin is broken, sunburnt, inflamed or infected, or you have active spots, cold sores, warts, eczema or psoriasis, rosacea, or broken capillaries. Avoid moles and raised skin marks, and don't use it if you tend to form raised or keloid scars. Wait 3 days after using retinol or acids, 2 weeks after injectables, and 6 months after prescription acne medication. After a peel, laser or micro-needling, wait until you're fully healed. If you take blood-thinning medication, bruise easily, have diabetes or an immune condition, or are pregnant, please check with your GP first. Not for use by under-18s.
Wait 48 hours after brow tinting, lamination, waxing or threading, and don't use over healing microblading.
After your ritual
For the next 24 hours, leave makeup off, and avoid the sun, saunas, swimming pools and sweaty workouts. Use only gentle hydration, and hold off on retinol, acids, vitamin C and scrubs, brow makeup and tints for 48 hours. Sleep on a fresh pillowcase, and keep your face out of the cold wind while your skin settles. Keep your head covered in cold wind. In Chinese medicine, freshly worked skin isconsidered “open” and is best kept warm.
Plum blossom tapping as described here is a cosmetic self-care practice, not acupuncture treatment, and is not a substitute for medical advice.