Care rooted in wisdom, delivered with heart.
Meet the practitioners who bring deep clinical training, careful listening, and a whole-person perspective to every treatment.
Dr. Lydia Au
DACM, L.Ac.
Dr. Lydia has spent nearly twenty years practicing at the intersection of medicine and beauty. As a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and the founder of The Beauty Within in Orange County, she specializes in facial rejuvenation and holistic dermatology, and she loves nothing more than watching a patient catch her reflection and light up.
Her work begins with a simple belief: the face is the body's most honest map. Lines, hollows, sagging, and dullness aren't flaws to erase. They're messages, quietly pointing to where energy is depleted, circulation has slowed, or the spirit needs a little tending. Dr. Lydia created the Meridian Lift Method™ to honor that conversation, pairing the diagnostic depth of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the precision and visible results modern aesthetic patients expect. Today she also teaches her method to licensed acupuncturists across the country.
Her path here was a thorough one. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Purdue University, then studied at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (now Sonoran University of Health Sciences) before receiving her Doctorate in Chinese Medicine from Pacific College of Health Sciences. Never one to stop learning, she went on to advanced dermatology training in functional and naturopathic skin health with Dr. Julie Greenberg of Root Cause Dermatology, and earned a Diploma in TCM Dermatology with Dr. Mazin Al-Khafaji of Avicenna Dermatology in the United Kingdom.
When she's not in the clinic, Dr. Lydia is a proud mom of two teenage boys, which means she's usually behind the wheel shuttling them to practices, or in the stands cheering the loudest at their games and competitions.
Professional Training & Certifications
International TCM Dermatology Association — Registered Practitioner
Root Cause Dermatology — Certified Practitioner
Face Reality Acne Professional Certification
Sculptural Face Lifting for Professionals — Yakov Gershkovich
AcuRegen Cosmetic Facial Acupuncture & Advanced Collagen Induction Techniques — Amanda Shayle
Disappearing Lines: Cosmetic Korean Acupuncture Certificate — Parts I, II & III
Mei Zen Face, Neck & Abdominal Protocols Certification — Dr. Martha Lucas, PhD
Cosmetic Acupuncture Certificate — Dr. Suji Lee, Kyunghee University
Ageless: Ancient & Modern Day Secrets to Facial Rejuvenation — Dr. East Haradin, DAOM
Cosmetic Facial Acupuncture — Dr. Shellie Goldstein
Facial Rejuvenation Cupping, Facial Gua Sha & Microneedling — Michelle Gellis
SkinPen Microneedling Certification
Chelsea Wan
L.Ac.
Meet Chelsea Wan, L.Ac., a California-licensed acupuncturist, summa cum laude graduate of Emperor's College, and someone who has quite literally traveled the world to learn this work. During her clinical training she treated hundreds of patients alongside doctors from China, Japan, Sweden, and Iran, building a broad, grounded foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Chelsea has loved skincare for as long as she can remember. For years, friends, family, and her colleagues kept telling her, "You should be doing faces!" She kept smiling and nodding… until a serendipitous meeting with Dr. Lydia made it click. In Dr. Lydia's work she saw everything she'd been drawn to all along: the belief that true radiance starts from within. Now she's training in the Meridian Lift Method™, Dr. Lydia's signature facial acupuncture protocol, and she couldn't be more excited to share it with you.
Fun fact: Chelsea once flew all the way to Bali for a five-day intensive devoted entirely to the meridians. Some people go to Bali for the beaches. Chelsea went for the energy channels (though we hear she squeezed in a little sunshine too).
Before acupuncture, Chelsea spent a decade in client-centered roles, and it shows. She's the kind of practitioner who remembers what you told her last visit, asks how your sleep has been, and makes you feel genuinely heard. Her care starts with your history, lifestyle, and goals. From there she builds a plan rooted in classical TCM theory, drawing on acupuncture, gua sha, cupping, electro-acupuncture, and herbal medicine. She has a special soft spot for women's health, digestion, and emotional well-being, because it all shows up on the face eventually.
On her table, expect calm, warmth, and zero rush, plus a few simple, doable tips to keep your glow going between visits.
Maria
Licensed Esthetician · Medical Assistant
Meet Maria, our resident skin whisperer with a secret superpower: she's both a licensed esthetician and a medical assistant. After years working in a range of medical settings, she brings a rare mix of spa-level pampering and clinical know-how to every treatment. You get the relaxation of a beautiful facial with the reassurance that she truly understands what's happening beneath the surface.
Maria is a lifelong learner who can't resist a good skincare deep-dive. She's always exploring the latest advancements in skincare and aesthetics, so you can count on her to bring you treatments that are thoughtful, current, and genuinely effective, not just trendy.
Whether you're coming in for a rejuvenating gua sha and cupping facial, a skincare consultation, or simply want someone who understands both esthetics and medicine, you're in wonderful hands. Maria is warm, attentive, and deeply committed to helping you look and feel your best.
When she's not in the treatment room, Maria is a proud mom to a son and a daughter, and she treasures every moment with them. Rounding out the family is her French bulldog, who (we're pretty sure) has the best-moisturized wrinkles in all of Orange County.