The scraping (pronounced gwah-shah) tool - a smooth, half-moon shaped stone that massages your face - has seemed to be everywhere in the past two years. But the practice is nothing new. It actually predates modern medicine, originating in China, where stones were used to treat various ailments by scraping (shaving) the skin. Like acupuncture, it is based on the concept of promoting qi (pronounced chee), the balance and flow of energy in our bodies.
Facial scraping claims to give you clearer skin, fewer wrinkles and a more defined appearance, and many skincare brands now produce facial scraping tools to go with their products. But does it really work? Is it worth the money? We spoke with experts on two sides of this question: a gua sha practitioner and an aesthetician.
Here's what the scrapist had to say
First up is Chinese medicine expert and founder of the Hayo'u Method, UK-based Katie Brindle, who has been researching the subject since 2002 and has written a book about it.Brindle is a qualified Five Element Chinese Medicine practitioner and graduate of a comprehensive Chinese medical school in the UK.
"We believe that beauty is an outward expression of inner health," Brindle told The Huffington Post. "There's good reason for that, because you never look your best when you're feeling unwell. The idea is that focusing on your health and beauty will follow. Shiny hair, a healthy weight, glowing skin - in Chinese medicine, these are all signs that your organs are happy."
Brindle defines facial gua sha as a simple and gentle technique that increases circulation and lymphatic flow to the face. Better quality scraping tools will be made of jade or rose quartz stone and molded without the use of unnecessary resin. Shaped like a half moon, it will hold up the shape of your face during the massage.
Brindle says that if you ever feel tension in your face, around your chin or between your eyebrows, scraping may be the tool you're missing.
"Using a gua sha tool works the muscles and fascia more deeply than using your fingers alone, so you can consciously relax the tight areas," Brindle says. "Facial gua sha activates acupuncture points on the 12 major meridian lines of the face."
Brindle also says that East Asian medicine values the energy carried by certain objects, and materials such as jade and rose quartz are known to have healing energy.
