Of all the viral beauty hacks, Gua Sha is a centuries-old and legitimate practice. Gua sha not only helps lift and tone the face, but also helps with lymphatic drainage and reduces inflammation. Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), facial scraping has been seen everywhere on TikTok and social media due to its transformative power. Its viral spread has also led to the smooth stones used for scraping becoming a real beauty tool
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice that dates back centuries. The practice involves using a scraping tool to stroke or 'scrape' areas of the body that are tight, tense or diseased in order to break down and eliminate blood stagnation in those areas. This, in turn, improves circulation of blood, fluid and chi (energy). It was used to treat pain and even serious diseases like cholera. Today, guasha is still an important modality used by herbalists to treat pain and enhance immune function.
"guasha is great for lymphatic drainage, addressing stagnant energy issues, promoting blood flow, soothing headaches, reducing inflammation, shortening the duration of acute illnesses like colds and flu, and releasing tension from head to toe,"
There is a difference between medical gua sha and facial gua sha; medical gua sha for the treatment of pain, disease or medical conditions should only be performed by a trained and licensed professional." However, facial gua sha uses a "slower pace and softer touch" and is safe for people to practice at home.
While research has been done to support the benefits of medical gua sha, facial gua sha remains to be studied. "There is a wealth of modern research and evidence that [medical] gua sha therapy has anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects. It has been shown to be effective in treating painful conditions as well as acute and chronic internal organ disorders, including liver inflammation due to hepatitis." For facial gua sha, experts point to a lack of research in the West; however, Chinese universities of traditional Chinese medicine have conducted studies that "demonstrate the efficacy of facial gua sha therapy in treating conditions such as melasma and anti-aging.
Perform five minutes of facial gua sha twice a day or at least once a day for best results. Incorporating gua sha into your morning and/or evening skincare routine is an easy way to make it a consistent practice. According to Chen, facial gua sha in the morning helps "reduce puffiness in the cheeks and eyes," while evening gua sha "promotes relaxation and improves sleep.
Start with a clean face. You can incorporate Gua Sha into your skin care routine by doing it in the morning or immediately after cleansing your face at night.
Prepare your skin. Before you do a gua sha, make sure you prepare your skin with an emollient such as facial oil or balm, which is best for providing "slip". You want your skin to be smooth so the shaving tool can glide easily without pulling.
Keep the tool flat. Using the thin edge of the tool as if it were perpendicular to the face is a common mistake when scraping. Instead, keep the stone as flat and as close to your skin as possible, [at] a 15-degree angle, so you don't create unnecessary friction or pulling on your skin.
Start with the neck. You can start using the tool by gently scraping down each side of the neck. On the neck, you can use downward strokes and upward strokes. However, you should do all upward strokes at once and all downward strokes at once (do not stroke up and down and up and down like you are painting a wall).
Use light pressure and go slowly. Pressure varies by face or neck area, but I recommend light to medium pressure, always as light as a feather around the eyes. This face really echoes the 'less is more' approach." You don't want to rush through the routine, either. Taking your time will yield better results and reduce the risk of bruising or straining your skin.
Work outward. On the face, the general rule is to use the flat body of the tool (not its thin edges) to stroke outward and upward from the middle of the face.
Don't practice on pimples. If you have an active breakout, Chen says you can skip the face and do shaving only on the neck and chest. This will help increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
A little redness is normal. During gua sha, your skin may become a little pink or red, which indicates blood rushing to the skin's surface. The red dots are "stasis points" and represent the release of toxic energy.
