What is a Gua Sha?
A gua sha is a flat massage tool for skin and facial treatments. This tool is made of semi-precious stones like jade or rose quartz. Gua Sha is pronounced as “Gwah Shah,” with a soft “a” sound in both words.
Gua sha has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine methods but now gained popularity worldwide. The term “Gua Sha” combines two words i.e., “Gua,” which means scraping or scrubbing, and “Sha,” which denotes the redness that emerges on the skin after surgery.
Traditionally, this redness was believed to promote healing by increasing blood flow and letting the body recover itself. The modern method is quite different- it offers benefits like sculpting the face and improving skin health.
Though this tool is now quite common, still some have not that clarity about its effectiveness, usage, and type. Our blog is to answer them all!
Types of Gua Sha
Gua Sha tools come in various shapes, types, and sizes. But all are not for the same purposes – each is designed for specific purposes and made from different materials. Here are some types of gua sha:
Jade Gua Sha
This one is the most popular type of gua sha. People love to use this jade gua sha for its cooling properties. Jade is often used for reducing puffiness and relaxing the skin.
Rose Quartz Gua Sha
Another common type of gua sha is the rose quartz one. It is believed to have calming properties and is often used to soothe the skin and promote self-love.
Bian Stone Gua Sha
Bian stone gua sha is made from a rare stone, which is called Bian stone. This has been long used in traditional Chinese medicines. Bian stone gua sha is believed to have healing properties and is used for deeper tissue massage.
Amethyst Gua Sha
This tool is made from amethyst. It is a stone thought to have stress-relieving properties. It’s often used for calming the mind and skin.
Stainless Steel Gua Sha
This one is the most affordable gua sha. You can consider stainless steel gua sha as a more modern version of the traditional one. This tool is durable, easy to clean, and often used by professionals for its precision and strength.
Gua Sha Stone
Gua sha stones are typically made from polished stones like rose quartz or jade. They can also be shaped like hearts or moons. Although each Gua Sha stone has a different design on one side (e.g., one with a long handle and another with a double notch), they all share the same overall structure and benefits. Because it accentuates your face’s natural contours, this design facilitates facial massages and amplifies the health benefits of a Gua Sha regimen.
Gua sha stones can be used in areas of body such as:
- Eybrows
- Cheeks
- Forehead
- Jaw
Gua Sha Benefits
When applied correctly and regularly, gua sha can reliably provide some benefits for the skin. Here are those potential benefits:
Improves lymph flow
The Gua Sha tool is crucial for maintaining healthy, radiant skin. This is highly effective in promoting lymphatic drainage. We know that the lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins and waste from the body. When the lymphatic system becomes sluggish, it can result in puffiness, swelling, fatigue, and various skin problems like acne and. This is where a gua sha can help you! By gently massaging your skin with a Gua Sha, you can stimulate lymph flow and lessen the effects of edema, puffiness, exhaustion, and skin conditions like acne.
Reduces acne scarring
Gua sha’s capacity to stimulate skin cell renewal by bringing fresh blood to the skin’s surface is one of its many amazing benefits. People with skin acne marks can get huge benefits from using it. Gua sha promotes faster skin rejuvenation and progressively lessens the visibility of scars by increasing circulation. Frequent use will progressively smooth out and level up the tone of the skin, covering up previous imperfections.
Reduces cystic acne
Gua sha is very effective against cystic acne when used correctly. Gua Sha improves blood circulation and helps clear congestion from trouble spots, which reduces inflammation, redness, and the size of acne lesions. Regular use of gua sha can result in clearer, less acne-prone skin. It’s important to keep the device away from cuts or other skin injuries to prevent irritation.
Reduces facial puffiness
Gua sha is well renowned for its ability to reduce puffiness on the face. This tool uses gentle scraping to remove excess fluid and lymph from the face, tightening the skin and decreasing puffiness. This can give the face a more chiseled, defined appearance, particularly around the jaw and cheekbones.
Works against dark circles and dull skin
Gua sha may be quite helpful if you have dull skin or black circles under your eyes. The enhanced blood flow provided by gua sha reduces puffiness and the visibility of dark circles beneath the eyes. Gua sha can make you look younger by making your skin look brighter and less fatigued by improving the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your skin.
How to Use Gua Sha
Using a gua sha at home is very simple and effective. After cleansing your face, apply a facial oil or moisturizer to provide a snug fit for the device. Hold the Gua Sha at a 15-degree angle against your skin. Starting in the middle, carefully scrape the tool outward, following the natural curves of your face. From your chin, go up and outward toward your cheekbones, forehead, and jawline. To avoid undue effort, all you need to do is lightly (three or five times) repeat each stroke. This method lessens puffiness and enhances blood circulation while giving your skin a refreshed sculpted appearance.
Gua Sha Massage
In gua sha massage, light face or body scraping is done to enhance circulation and general skin health. As you know, during a Gua Sha message, a flat, smooth tool made of jade or rose quartz is used to gently massage the skin. It helps to reduce puffiness, increase blood flow, and relax the muscles are the results of the massage. Frequent Gua Sha treatments brighten the complexion and minimize the look of wrinkles. It is essential to use face oil before a massage to reduce discomfort and make it easier for the massage tool to glide over the skin.
