A Beginner's Guide to Gua Shas
Gua shas are an aesthetically pleasing skin beautifying tool that has been sweeping across social media for several years now. Although they certainly look pretty, the important question is do they do anything?
Many people claim they can lift, smooth, and even sculpt the face. They may have anti-aging skin benefits, and with the pervasive spread of perfectly filtered faces online, anything that can create a more youthful appearance is desperately desired by a huge audience.
Unfortunately, the ugly side of this extreme desire for "perfect skin" is that it can leave people grasping for any expensive, trendy, or sometimes even health-harming solution within reach. There's no shortage of anti-aging options nowadays, but there is a lack of affordable and health-enhancing ones. This is a gap that Gua Shas may be able to fill.
Where Did Gua Shas Come From?
To understand how Gua Shas work, it's helpful to first understand their context. They're an ancient tool from China that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) since its inception.
The underlying premise of TCM is that we all have a vital life force known as Qi which flows through the body. Illnesses and ailments occur when there's stagnation or an imbalance of Qi, and TCM tools and techniques seek to address this.
Gua shas are no exception. They were created to unblock Qi stagnation in the fascia and muscles underneath the skin to allow for a more glowing and nourished appearance from the inside out.
How Gua Shas Work
Although Gua Shas have their roots in Eastern understandings of health and wellness, they can also be viewed through a more medical perspective.
Western examination of Gua Sha and other similar techniques tend to refer to it as "skin scraping" or "scraping therapy". This makes perfect sense since the word Gua Sha itself comes from the Chinese word for scraping.
We can see anatomically how Gua Shas offer several benefits to the skin. The gentle "scraping" motion can help break up fascial adhesions in the face and surrounding areas which can otherwise contribute to facial tension and the development of lines.
This also opens up the tissues for better flow of both lymphatic fluid and blood. Stagnant lymph is notoriously known for creating a puffy and undefined appearance, so increasing lymph flow is the main way Gua Sha creates a more "sculpted" look.
Blood flow is also extremely important since blood is how our bodies deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This is necessary to continually create healthy new skin cells and give our faces that quintessential youthful glow.
From both an Eastern and Western view, it's pretty clear that Gua Shas do indeed deliver on the promise of promoting healthy beautiful skin. That being said, there are still a few important factors to consider.
How To Use a Gua Sha
When starting out with a Gua Sha, it's often easiest to follow along with a tutorial video the first few times. It's important to clean the tool with warm soapy water before use to avoid introducing bacteria to the skin, and also to work with a clean face free of makeup.
A high-quality face oil is always recommended to provide slip so the tool can easily glide across the face without pulling the skin, and it will have the added bonus of introducing other skin-boosting benefits. In a pinch, moisturizer can also work, but it will likely absorb into the skin more rapidly and not offer quite as smooth of an experience.
Gua Shas should be held as flat as possible to the skin and be used with a light touch. There should never be any bruising, and any redness from increased blood flow should resolve within a few moments after the session.
The recommended movements generally follow an outward motion from the center of the face, and it's best practice to start on the neck or lower face and continue upwards gradually section by section.
What to Expect
Gua Shas can have dramatic results for some people, and very subtle results for others. It seems to mainly depend on one's starting point, and the consistency of their Gua Sha use. Although their effectiveness is variable, they can be affordable, safe, and enjoyable to use for anyone.
Perhaps the best thing about Gua Shas is that they genuinely increase skin vitality from the inside out rather than covering up symptoms, and this makes them an incredible tool for holistic self-care.
When so much of the beauty industry is focused on changing or modifying our natural appearance, Gua Sha offers a refreshing way to simply just look like the best version of ourselves.
Whether the results are mild or life-changing, Gua Shas truly deserves a spot in everyone's beauty routine.