the hype is real: gua sha massage

If you’re reading this, you probably have a gua sha tool or you’re thinking about purchasing one. Gua sha is all the rave right now and everyone loves a good transformation photo showing the amazing results the technique can give. Let’s get into some important facts about gua sha before diving into how it works.

Gua sha is an ancient technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Gua” means to scrape and “Sha” refers to the rash or red marks from the result of the scarping (mostly seen in body gua sha), where the blood is stagnant in the skin’s tissue. Body gua sha and facial gua sha techniques are a little different, so we are going to talk about facial gua sha!

Facial gua sha involves moving a gua sha tool (a smooth, blunt stone), over the skin to relieve tension while lifting and sculpting the face. The visible results from the gua sha technique are the de-puffing of the jawline, cheeks and under eyes, and the reduction in the appearance of fine lines around the mouth, eyes, forehead and between the eyebrows. It may seem like these surface-level changes are the result of the stone scraping the top of your skin’s surface, but the technique is working under your skin by stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. This movement releases toxins and stagnant lymph to promote healthy circulation, fluid, and energy (or qi) flow.

When the technique is done right and consistently, gua sha can treat many skin concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, rosacea, acne, pigmentation, dark circles and puffiness.

You may be wondering, what is the correct technique for practicing gua sha at home? It can be pretty straightforward once you understand the movements.

You can book the age-proof facial or add gua sha massage onto any other service to experience the magic yourself. You’ll get an in-person tutorial of the technique so you can practice at home to maintain the results.

Let us leave you with one very important tip­­– always start and finish your gua sha session with the neck. If you’re not releasing tension from the neck first, there is no space for flow to drain the lymph and the toxins from your face.