Last updated December 5, 2023
You’ve probably seen the Instagram tutorials of girls massaging their faces with rose quartz or come across this portable skincare tool at the store. While it’s nothing new, gua sha is indeed having a moment.
If you’re not familiar, gua sha is a safe and natural healing practice that dates back thousands of years to ancient Chinese culture.
Using a smooth-edged massage tool, your skin is scraped in short and long strokes to treat chronic pain by stretching connective tissue, softening adhesions under the skin while improving blood circulation.
The process is not supposed to be painful. However, because of the rubbing of the skin, tiny blood vessels can burst, leaving minor bruising.
While it’s best to leave it up to a gua sha expert to assist in this healing technique, you can always snag your own gua sha tool to address specific areas of the body, such as your face.
When researching for this piece, I decided to call on a good friend and expert, Lynn Symonette, an Acupuncture Physician, Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Lynn has done several helpful tutorials on gua sha. So, I, of course, had to ask her if gua sha is really worth all the hype.
Here’s what I found out.
Key Benefits of Gua Sha
Lynn says, “When used on the face, gua sha helps promote lymphatic drainage as well as reduces puffiness and swelling. It also helps give that glowing complexion we’re all chasing.”
She also mentioned it’s known for improving the contoured facial structure.
Yes, please!
Gua Sha is meant to address stagnant energy, or chi, that is responsible for inflammation. Inflammation is the cause of several chronic pain conditions.
The rubbing of the skin’s surface supports breaking up that energy, then helping to reduce inflammation to promote healing.
Just to recap, gua sha does the following:
- Removes toxins
- Reduces puffiness and swelling
- Gives natural glowing skin #JLoGlow
- More contoured face
- Eliminates inflammation
- Gets the chi moving to promote healing
Lynn also mentioned it’s not something you have to do daily, but by all means, can. If you are experiencing bruising, wait until the area has healed before treating that area again. Otherwise, feel free to use it as often as you’d like.
Pro Gua Sha Tip
Stay hydrated. Similar to a full-body massage, this process assists in flushing out toxins that we disrupted or moved around during the process—so water is key to removing all the harmful toxins from the body.
Lynn is a big fan, and now I am too! The best part is, this magical healing tool is simple to use and affordable to add to your routine.
Happy gua sha’ing!
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