Gua sha: a new fad or a unique beauty tool?

From eye-catching serums to magical masks, there are a ton of skincare products and techniques out there today. But one recent trend—gua sha—isn’t really a “trend.” It’s a skincare technique that has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. If you’ve seen videos of people delicately and methodically massaging their faces with flat pieces of jade and rose quartz, you’ve seen what’s called facial gua sha.

What is Gua Sha?

Gua sha is a boomerang-shaped or rounded-edged tool usually made of jade or rose quartz, and is a skin massage technique used in traditional Chinese medicine. The massage is designed to relieve muscle tension, increase blood circulation, and promote lymph drainage. People use Gua sha to treat chronic pain throughout the body and other health conditions.

Facial massage

Although Gua sha is a simple, non-invasive facial treatment, it can help achieve impressive results. Gua sha stimulates blood circulation, helps produce collagen, softens fine lines and wrinkles, reduces puffiness, inflammation, dark circles, tightens the skin, and brightens the complexion.

How to use? There are many varieties and shapes of Gua sha tools, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to how to use it. When performing a facial massage, the best way is to gently press and evenly stretch the skin in the direction of lymph flow.

Who else is it useful for?

Gua sha is typically performed on a person's back, buttocks, neck, arms, and legs. A gentle version is used on the face as a facial massage technique.

What are the effects of Gua sha massage?

Gua sha has a wide range of effects. Gua sha can reduce inflammation, so it is often used to treat conditions that cause chronic pain, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, as well as those that cause muscle and joint pain.

This technique helps relieve the following symptoms:

1. Hepatitis BHepatitis B is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver, liver damage, and liver scarring. Studies show that Gua sha can reduce chronic liver inflammation.

2. Migraine headachesIf your migraine headaches don't respond to over-the-counter medications, Gua sha may help. 

3. Neck pain. The gua sha technique can also be effective in relieving chronic neck pain.

4. Gua sha is designed to stop stagnant energy in the body, called chi, which practitioners believe may be responsible for inflammation. Inflammation is a major cause of several conditions associated with chronic pain. Rubbing the skin's surface is thought to help break down this energy, reduce inflammation, and promote healing.

5. Reduce menopause symptoms – insomnia, irregular periods, anxiety, fatigue, hot flashes.

6. This ancient Chinese healing technique can offer a unique approach to better health by addressing issues such as chronic pain.

Does gua sha have side effects?

Gua sha, as a natural remedy, it is therefore safe.