TCM Lab · Health reading
Is Acupoint Embedding Painful? What Is Acupoint Embedding for Weight Loss and What Are Thread Embedding Side Effects?
Published Updated
Acupoint embedding is an invasive Chinese medicine procedure in which an absorbable thread is placed at selected acupoints. It is understandable to ask whether it hurts before deciding on it for weight management. A brief prick, soreness, heaviness, numbness or pressure may be felt during or after placement, but the experience differs from person to person. It is not a proven shortcut to weight loss. A consultation should cover your health history, medicines, skin condition, the material proposed and the practical plan for aftercare before you decide whether to proceed.
Appointments are confirmed through WhatsApp. If you have language requirements, please mention them in your enquiry.

The short answer
Acupoint embedding may feel like a brief prick, soreness, numbness or pressure, and some people later notice local redness, bruising or tenderness. It uses an absorbable thread at selected acupoints, but this traditional-theory approach is not proof of an individual weight-loss result. Ask about the actual material, sterile procedure, your medicines and clear follow-up instructions. Worsening pain, spreading redness, discharge or fever needs prompt medical assessment.
Transparent pricing
See the fees.
Choose your care.
Explore our complete official price list, including first-trial prices, regular prices, packages and branch-specific options.
Opening WhatsApp prepares an enquiry; it does not send a message, take payment or confirm an appointment. Suitability and individual arrangements are confirmed during consultation.
Weight management
All prices in HKDFull-body acupoint embedding for weight management
Includes full-body acupoint embedding. Packages include complimentary Chinese herbal medicine for weight management, with the number of included days scaled to the package. Embedding material and the individual treatment arrangement are confirmed during consultation; this is not a cosmetic thread lift.
HK$980 (single session)
No trial session
- 10 sessions: HK$7,800 (HK$780 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$14,600 (HK$730 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$20,400 (HK$680 per session)
Hair and scalp
All prices in HKDScalp health and hair-loss management
Includes AI scalp analysis, deep scalp and follicle cleansing, and scalp oil-control care.
HK$380 (first trial)
Regular price: HK$680
- 6 sessions: HK$3,480 (HK$580 per session)
- 12 sessions: HK$5,760 (HK$480 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$8,600 (HK$430 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$11,400 (HK$380 per session)
Hair acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine package
Includes scalp acupuncture and 3 days of Chinese herbal medicine that does not require decoction.
HK$580 (single session)
Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner consultation
- 6 sessions: HK$3,180 (HK$530 per session)
- 12 sessions: HK$5,760 (HK$480 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$8,600 (HK$430 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$11,400 (HK$380 per session)
Combined hair and scalp treatment
Combines acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine with salon-level scalp and follicle care. Packages include complimentary hair-care shampoo and serum.
HK$1,260 (single session)
Combined treatment
- 8 sessions: HK$8,640 (HK$1,080 per session)
- 16 sessions: HK$15,680 (HK$980 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$18,600 (HK$930 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$26,400 (HK$880 per session)
Facial acupuncture
All prices in HKDFacial acupuncture (basic)
Includes facial acupuncture and meridian-based facial care, including care for facial puffiness.
HK$480 (first trial)
Regular price: HK$680
- 10 sessions: HK$5,200 (HK$520 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$9,600 (HK$480 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$13,500 (HK$450 per session)
Facial acupuncture (advanced)
Includes enhanced facial acupuncture with a specially formulated moisturising mask and serum.
HK$780 (first trial)
Regular price: HK$1,180
- 10 sessions: HK$9,000 (HK$900 per session)
- 20 sessions: HK$16,600 (HK$830 per session)
- 30 sessions: HK$23,400 (HK$780 per session)
Pain care
All prices in HKDExtracorporeal shockwave treatment
Shockwave treatment for deep-tissue and fascial care. The Kwun Tong clinic offers the multi-area options shown below.
Priced by branch
Branch-specific pricing
Prince Edward: HK$250 per area
Kwun Tong: HK$250 for 1 area / HK$450 for 2 areas / HK$600 for 3 areas
Pain care (manual therapy)
Includes Chinese medicine musculoskeletal assessment, manual joint techniques and tui na.
HK$580 (single session)
Chinese medicine musculoskeletal assessment
Pain care (acupuncture and manual therapy)
Combines acupuncture and manual therapy.
HK$680 (single session)
Combined care
Chinese medicine
All prices in HKDAcupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine package
Includes a Chinese medicine consultation with pulse assessment, body acupuncture and 3 days of Chinese herbal granules that do not require decoction.
HK$580 (single session)
Chinese medicine consultation with pulse assessment
Care and health guide
Weight-management information
This directory brings together services, reading, and visit information related to weight management, to help you prepare questions for a consultation.
When considering weight management, noting the goals, daily habits, and approaches you have already tried can help prepare a consultation; acupoint embedding Hong Kong is a relevant service or reading entry point.
People may have different priorities, and acupuncture Hong Kong offers related information to help you understand options and prepare questions.
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Is acupoint embedding painful?
It can cause a brief prick, soreness, numbness, pressure or aching, and the experience varies. Tell the practitioner during placement if pain is sharp or more severe than expected. Afterward, worsening pain rather than gradual settling should be discussed with the clinic and assessed medically when appropriate.
What is acupoint embedding for weight loss?
It is the placement of an absorbable thread at selected acupoints, described through traditional acupuncture theory as providing continuing stimulation. It is not a proven personal weight-loss mechanism and should not replace balanced eating, physical activity, or medical assessment and treatment that may be relevant to your weight.
What are thread embedding side effects?
Possible local effects include pain, redness, swelling, bruising and slight bleeding. Infection, inflammation or a reaction around the material may also occur. Spreading redness, increasing warmth or swelling, discharge, escalating pain, fever or feeling unwell needs prompt medical assessment rather than self-treatment.
Does the embedded thread need to be removed?
The thread may be intended to absorb, but the actual material and expected arrangement should be explained before treatment. Do not try to remove it yourself. If there is a concerning local reaction or other complication, a health professional needs to assess what care is appropriate.
Can I exercise or shower after thread embedding?
Follow the individual instructions given for the site and procedure. Your practitioner should explain how to keep the area clean, whether a dressing is needed and when usual exercise or bathing is appropriate. If the area becomes more painful, red, swollen or produces discharge, seek advice instead of relying on a standard online timetable.
Sources and further information
- [1] NCCIH: Acupuncture—Effectiveness and Safety
Referenced for: Safety context for skin-penetrating acupuncture, including infection risk from improper delivery and the principle not to delay assessment of a health concern. It does not specify acupoint-embedding protocols.
- [2] NHS: Overweight and obesity in adults
Referenced for: General adult weight-management context, including lifestyle change, structured programmes and when additional support may be needed; not evidence for acupoint embedding.
- [3] Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Obesity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Referenced for: Terminology and the review's stated limitations of included studies, including sample size and trial quality; not a basis for promising individual weight-loss outcomes.
- [4] Hong Kong Department of Health: Chinese Medicine
Referenced for: Hong Kong regulatory context for the practice of Chinese medicine practitioners; it does not confirm the safety or effectiveness of a specific treatment.








