Among the many Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, gua sha has predominantly been considered a beauty tool these days but what most people overlook is that this TCM works wonders in improving one’s health and managing stress.

Gua sha, which has been practised for more than thousands of years, has become super popular for being convenient to practice while offering so many benefits when done in the proper way. In this article, we have covered everything you should know before buying or using your first gua sha.

Also Read: Why the world is waking up to the goodness of Traditional Chinese Medicine?

What is Gua Sha?

Gua sha which also means scrapping is a technique in which a small and flat stone with smooth edges is used to scrape the skin as it helps to improve the energy flow called Qi in our body which in turn helps the body to release tension, reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune system.

That is why, back in the past, Gua sha was used to treat different health-related issues such as body pain, indigestion, breathing issues and certain skin conditions.

But what made this age-old practice be adapted to the beauty industry is its ability to give you glowing skin as the stone improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. It also has anti-ageing properties and reduces puffiness.

Also Read: Are Jade Rollers a cosmetic con or a skincare secret?

How to pick the right Gua Sha?

The main thing to consider when picking a gua sha is the material. There are so many options, with the most common ones being jade, rose quartz, green aventurine, bian stone and amethyst. Though all these materials help the skin in many ways, each gemstone also has its own unique properties that make them better than the others for certain functions as mentioned below briefly.

Jade: Most suitable for improving skin tone
Rose Quartz: Ideal for sensitive skin
Green Aventurine: Best for reducing wrinkles
Bian Stone: Excellent for stress relief
Amethyst: Perfect to reduce inflammation

How to use Gua Sha?

Before starting with the gua sha facial, you need to apply oil or moisturiser on your skin so that the tool can be used smoothly, or the frictional force can surely hurt the skin and do more damage than good. Then using the edges of the stone, make long strokes along different parts of the face and/or the body while applying some pressure.

Each stroke should be repeated a couple of times and experts will advise you to pay special attention to certain acupressure points. Moreover, you can always refer to videos by professionals to do gua sha at home.

What are the other crucial things to consider before practising Gua Sha?

If you have the time, you can always include gua sha in your daily skincare routine or even thrice a week is enough to eventually see results.

However, it is important to avoid or seek a healthcare personnel’s advice before doing gua sha if you have any medical concerns. These include but are not limited to, having an injury; suffering from certain skin conditions; and having recently undergone surgery.

Also, as with any skincare practice, hygiene is very important so it is vital to thoroughly wash your hands and the gua sha tool before using it.