Today, most of us spend at least a few hours hunched over our laptops. Much of the chronic stress we endure in our daily lives is concentrated in our face, shoulders and neck area.
What is Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese scraping technique that promises to release tension and is an excellent pain relief method for people with severe muscle stiffness and pain. Sometimes called "skin spooning" or "skin scraping," this treatment for chronic or temporary pain can help relieve and relax basically anything from a frowning face to a clenched jaw.
In a gua sha treatment, a flat handheld tool made of jade or rose quartz is usually used to apply pressure while pulling and scraping the skin, thereby stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, relieving muscle tension and promoting healing.
By promoting microcirculation in the skin, scraping also provides color, oxygen and nutrients to the skin and helps to hydrate it on its own. Facials improve the health of the skin and tissues, lift, tone and help make the skin firmer, thicker and more even, thus helping to create a more youthful and healthy appearance.
So how do you use Gua Sha for the neck?
The neck is known to be an extremely sensitive and delicate area. It contains the trachea and carotid artery, as well as many other structures.
It is highly recommended to equip yourself with a Gua Sha massage tool with a concave and convex shape. The rounded edges and curvature allow for accurate application of pressure and optimal results.
What to prepare before scraping
Before beginning the actual treatment, use your palms to walk and soothe the neck and shoulder area. This light massage will help the muscles relax and prepare them for more powerful strokes.
An important step to begin our Gua Sha treatment is to moisturize the area you will be massaging to lubricate the surface of your skin. Best practice is to use a silicone brush to apply serum or lotion so that your hands do not slip.
How to shave your neck
1. Your neck should be bent forward. As we re-emphasize that our neck is an important and delicate area, remember that this massage will never occur around the throat, so the focus should be only on the neck and back area.
2. In traditional therapy, the skin and fascia should be warm enough before the massage tools are used, so make sure you warm the area with repeated hand strokes. Once this happens, use the massage tool on the neck first.
Interestingly, many of the videos showing how Gua Sha is used on the neck also show it being used downwards. Nonetheless, this goes against all traditional principles, as the traditional Asian view is that the strokes should always flow upward and outward, lifting and stretching across the skin.
3. Scraping The scraping tool is like a deep tissue massage , which breaks up fascial adhesions and reduces the time spent on problem areas.
The purpose of this massage is to separate the injured fibers and renew them with fresh blood.
So, after completing the neck area, you can gently stroke behind the ears, then place the tool on the trapeze area and begin working.
By traversing the entire area, you will manage to drain the lymphatic fluid from the back and reduce swelling and soreness.
