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The Ancient Art of Gua Sha

Joelle Mentis, Staff Writer

4 months ago

Gua Sha recently gained mainstream popularity, with everyone from Kaia Gerber to fitness influencer Melissa Wood getting on board. However Gua Sha is not new at all. In fact, Gua Sha might just be one of the oldest wellness techniques in medical history. The practice dates back to the Paleolithic Era, and likely with roots in the Ming Dynasty.

The word in Chinese literally means “scraping”, but we would say that it’s more of a massage as you’re not breaking skin. This is a method that involves massaging the skin with a special tool to rid the body of toxins or illness. From an aesthetic perspective, it is like a face lift without surgery, and can even help you avoid needing Botox. Gua Sha also has a unique social history. Different materials symbolize socio-economic status, with jade symbolizing the highest class.

The Method

Whether jade, metal, bone, or even your own hands, the technique involves the motion of “scraping” but really massaging, a curved tool along lubricated skin. Because it is an ancient practice, there are many techniques used including the Graston Technique used by many physical therapists. This practice is done for both the face and body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have identified meridians, or pathways through the body where blood and qi flow. Your massage to drains toxins in the blood and negative energy. These pathways connect internal organs to the body’s surface where the tool can influence any negative flow patterns. Many can identify an ailment by the color the skin turns after proper technique is used.

You hit your lymph nodes in this process so there are some lymphatic drainage benefits. Though most people use Gua Sha on their face, it can be done anywhere on the body. The technique often causes redness — petechiae — or bursted blood vessels and bruising potentially. However these temporary affects signify the benefits of increased energy flow, lymphatic drainage, decreased inflammation. You can also achieve a brightened complexion, and tightened face muscles.

Importantly, while the technique trends in health and wellness and anyone can do it, it is important to know how best to practice the technique. Without carefule knowledge, it is possible to damage the skin, so do your YouTube tutorials first.

The Benefits of Gua Sha

Look Your Best

Aesthetic benefits can include skin renewal, exfoliation, reduced inflammation and puffiness. Results when you make this part of your routine include smoothing of wrinkles, skin firming, boosting of collagen and elasticity. Gua Sha can also improve under eye circles and luminosity. Lastly but not least, this method can facilitate better skincare penetration, skin oxygenation and flushing of toxins.

Physical Benefits

Besides making you look younger, there are physical benefits to making Gua Sha part of your routine. Gua Sha can soothe sore muscles in the neck, back, and shoulders. Anyone can get these benefits by using a tool by themselves. However, experienced practitioners may also prevent cold and flus by using the technique on other more sensitive areas like the abdomen.

On the more serious ailments, experienced practitioners may also be able to achieve remediation of migraines, insomnia and menstrual disorders. Long-term issues that Gua Sha can make more bearable are shoulder and back pain, hypertension, vertigo, sciatica, arthritis and more.

Our Favorite Gua Sha Tools

Many jade or metal tools sit on the shelves of top skin care boutiques. You’ve probably seen the most popular tools, small, rounded stones in your local beauty stores, or in your friend’s bathroom. The great thing about Gua Sha is that it can be done with many different tools, even a cold spoon and as we mentioned, your own hands.

Purists believe that the material can have an impact on its attributes. Stainless steel gives a cooling and de-inflammation effect. The traditional though is jade. However there are other crystals like rose quartz that have different properties that could lead to physical and energetic benefits.

Mount Lai’s Jade Revitalizing Essentials Set

If Allure puts it on their Beauty of Beauty list, we know it’s a good starting point. Also this is the affordable gold standard option when you’re starting out. They have a kit that also provides the balm for your face to help the tool just glide effortlessly.

Cost: $44

Buy: Mount Lai

Face Gym’s Multi-Sculpt High Performing Contouring Tool

Face Gym knows a thing or two about sculpting, so we think of this as the athletic tool for Gua Sha.

Cost: $69

Buy: Face Gym

Jade Stone by Dana Omari

The Jade Stone by Dana Omari is for when you want the most luxurious of everything. Or in this case it’s at least one of the most expensive tools you can use. We would also say it’s one of the most beautiful of the best gua sha tools. This stone is handmade from grade A Nephrite Jade and is one of a kind, as no two stones will be identical.

Cost: $250

Buy: Noy Skincare

It’s Lit LED Gua Sha by Solaris

Think of this as the multi-tasking tool of the list of the best Gua Sha tools. It’s Lit LED Gua Sha Facial Massager is a 3-in-1 that vibrates, sculpts and has an LED light for inflammation. This one has a 3-minute timer and by the end your skin lifted, glowing and and refreshed.

Cost: $85

Buy: Revolve

Vitality Qi LED Gua Sha Device

It comes full circle, as this space ship looking Gua Sha tool is from Mount Lai, that gives you the starter kit. This is one of the best Gua Sha tools if you want to manage inflammation while sculpting your face. And it gives you a decadent massage on top of it all.