Gua Sha is an ancient beauty practice that originated in China. When you use your Gua Sha tool correctly, it helps to promote cell repair and regeneration.
The human body has an incredible capacity to heal and restore itself when it has the help of the right tools, practices and products.
One technique that has been used for centuries is the Chinese practice of Gua Sha. This practice sees pressure and a ‘scraping’ motion applied to the skin.
Find out more about Gua Sha and how you can now apply it at home.
The origin of Gua Sha
This traditional Chinese medicine practice is said to have its origins as far back as the Paleolithic era, which was many thousands of years ago.
Practitioners believe that Gua Sha releases unhealthy bodily matter from blood stasis within sore, tired, stiff, or injured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery.
How it works
Gua Sha involves repeated pressed strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth-edged, blunt instrument. In the past, skin was lubricated and a ceramic spoon, a blunt, well-worn coin or even a stone was used for a Gua Sha treatment.
These days, there are special instruments for Gua Sha which resemble flat rocks and are often referred to as a ‘scraper’. Some kind of oil or serum is still applied to the skin before the device is pressed down firmly and then moved along the skin’s surface in a gliding motion.
The skin can become flushed during the Gua Sha process but this is caused by blood flow to the area. The idea is that increasing the blood flow is a way of relaxing tension, eliminating waste and detoxifying the skin. The practice can also help skin serums to be absorbed more effectively (so long as they are good quality).
Benefits of Gua Sha
Fans of this practice say it assists with lymphatic drainage, reduces puffiness and improves the skin’s appearance.
Other reported benefits include:
- A brighter complexion thanks to stimulated collagen production
- Less under-eye puffiness (Gua Sha frees some of the fluid that is trapped under your skin)
- Firmer, more toned skin
- Smoother fine lines and wrinkles
- Less tension in the face and reduced jaw clenching
- Increased circulation and lymphatic drainage
Using your Gua Sha tool
The good news is you can give yourself a Gua Sha treatment at home. Experts recommend three uses per week because it can feel quite intense at times.
While some people use a jade or quartz tool, a stainless steel Gua Sha scraper is highly recommended because it is cool to the touch, will not break and is non-porous, meaning it can’t collect bacteria or absorb other pathogens. Stainless steel is also a recyclable material.
When you use your Gua Sha tool, follow the instructions carefully and don’t press so hard that the experience is painful. Do not try to break the skin and reduce pressure if you do.
As one reviewer shared after using their Gua Sha tool for two weeks, the practice can help skin to look “more sculpted, lifted, and buoyant. The reviewer spoke about her skin having, “a bounce that sticks around all day long, and that awake, pulled-back look I didn’t realise I could give to myself.”
Gua Sha is touted by many as ‘botox without the botox’. If you make regular treatments a habit, you can notice remarkable results.
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