Is Gua Sha painful?
Like getting a tissue massage, you can expect to feel pressure during the treatment as your practitioner uses the tool on your skin; however, you should not be in pain during the treatment. A professionally trained Gua sha practitioner will be able to use the right pressure for your specific condition and treatment plan.
What should you do after gua sha treatment?
After having gua sha, your practitioner will likely recommend that you keep the treated area covered, Kim says. This can help with the healing effect of gua sha.
What is Gua Sha therapy and how does it work?
People use gua sha to treat chronic pain all over their body. They often do it alongside other complementary treatments like herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture, and heat therapy. To prepare you for treatment, your technician will put oil on your body.
How long do gua sha bruises last?
These bruises usually disappear within a few days of the treatment. Gua sha bruises are a form of microtrauma, which create a response in the body that assists in breaking down scar tissue and fibrosis, a condition in which there is a buildup of too much connective tissue formed around an injury. How Does Gua Sha Work in the Body?
How long after gua sha do you see results?
Over the course of about 2 months, we slowly but surely saw some really great results. Puffiness in his face went down, helping his nose appear smaller. His skin overall also looked smoother and felt firmer. For the past 15 months, I've been incorporating gua sha into my skincare routine about once a week.
How long does gua sha take to heal?
Up to the point where there's petechiae (bright red spots) is enough. With that in mind, the markings from Gua Sha typically subside in as quickly as 72 hours.
What should you do after gua sha?
After the gua sha treatment is completed, it is advised to take it easy for the rest of the day, including no alcohol. This recommendation to relax is based on the belief that the gua sha treatment has gotten the blood and energy flowing again, and too much activity too soon may reduce its benefits.
What should be avoided after gua sha?
I understand that cupping/gua sha modalities should not be combined with aggressive exfoliation, after getting a sunburn or when I'm hungry or thirsty. I understand that I should avoid exposure to cold/wet/windy weather conditions, hot showers, baths, saunas, hot tubs and aggressive exercise for 4-6 hours.
Does gua sha give permanent results?
"Practicing facial gua sha too hard or fast may result in some "sha" or red marks," Chiu explains. "Sha isn't permanent, but it's not what you're going for with facial gua sha." Use lateral and upward motions on your face.
Why does my face hurt after gua sha?
Is gua sha painful? Treatment is not supposed to be painful, but gua sha deliberately causes bruising, which may cause discomfort for some people. These bruises should heal within a few days.
Is bruising from gua sha good?
Bruising during body gua sha is totally normal, but it could also be an indicator that you're using too much pressure if you prefer not to have marks.
Does gua sha reduce double chin?
In short, yes. Gua sha can be effective in removing your double chin (via Inspire Uplift). Just make sure that you're practicing it on a regular basis for a number of weeks; it's not something that you can do just once for instant magical results. All you need is a gua sha tool.
Can gua sha change your face shape?
Celebrity dermatologist Dr Rashmi Shettyra explains everything about Gua Sha in a video shared on her Instagram story. No Gua Sha or face roller can give you a sharper jawline or slim your face, she says.
What happens if you gua sha too much?
In order to move the lymph efficiently, a gentle pressure is ideal for the stroke. Pull rather than push—if you go too hard, you risk bruising, the kind you see in gua sha bodywork, which isn't cute on your face.
Does gua sha actually do anything?
Gua sha has been proven to help relieve tension in the face, reduce puffiness and inflammation, and it can even help reduce sinus pressure. However, since the musculature of the face is much thinner, you'll want to avoid applying too much pressure as you're working on this area.
How often should you gua sha?
two to three times per week“As you start to familiarize yourself with it and get more comfortable with your techniques, you should aim to use gua sha at least two to three times per week,” recommends Tobia. “Once you get into a routine of performing gua sha on yourself… you'll achieve the best results doing it daily.”
What is gua sha?
Facial Gua Sha has become a popular social media and TikTok trend where people use flat jade or rose quartz stones on their faces to smooth their skin. While this may be a modern adaptation, Gua Sha is actually an ancient Chinese treatment approach to chronic pain.
The history of gua sha
The term “Gua Sha” originates from the Chinese word for “scraping.” This is the manner in which a technician will perform Gua Sha, through scraping, smoothing, and stroking motions. While the term Gua Sha may have developed more recently, the practice itself has been used for centuries.
What is qi (chi)?
Qi or chi (pronounced “chee”) in Traditional Chinese Medicine is considered the energy that flows through the body.
Are there risks associated with gua sha?
As with any treatment (natural or otherwise), everyone reacts differently. The motions can create rash-like redness or spots on your skin called petechia, and they should go away. Of course, there is always the risk of causing damage to your skin especially if it’s sensitive.
What are the benefits of Gua Sha?
Studies have shown that Gua Sha can be extremely beneficial, especially when paired with other forms of alternative treatment such as acupuncture, massage, and other naturopathy. One of the most well-known benefits of Gua Sha is chronic pain relief.
Why did I try Gua Sha?
Well, there are all the beneficial reasons listed above, like anti-aging, and less puffiness–but I’m specifically starting this routine target tightness and to (hopefully) help shape my jawline . I’m in my 30s, and as we age and lose collagen our skin starts to sag and droop.
What tools did I use?
To get started with Gua Sha you need to choose a tool for shaping. I used this tool from Amazon-it was only 9 bucks, so pretty cheap. I’ve read you can even use your hands, but this tool makes shaping pretty easy. You also need to choose a topical ointment to help the tool (or your hands) slide across your skin smoothly.
What is Gua Sha Exactly?
The word consists of two parts, namely ‘gua’, which means to scrape, and ‘sha’, which means sand or grains of sand. A Gua Sha treatment is then, metaphorically speaking, scraping away grains of sand. ‘Sha’ represents fixed or accumulated qi or chi, which means life energy.
How Does Gua Sha Work?
Massage with Gua Sha stones tries to promote a better flow of blood and energy in your body. The desired result is the relief or prevention of discomforts and ailments.
How to Use Gua Sha Massage
Doing a Gua Sha massage or Gua Sha self-treatment starts with oil. Distribute Chinese herbal massage oil on the skin where the complaint is felt. This could be on relevant muscles, organs, or energy channels (meridians). The tool will glide more easily over the oiled skin, making the massage more pleasant.
What You Can Tell from a Treatment
A Gua Sha therapist looks at the location and color of the ‘sha’ during a treatment. These are the marks that have arisen after scraping with the Gua Sha stone. According to Chinese medicine, trained masseuses can tell if it is a recent or chronic blockage. The darker the stain is, the more chronic the underlying complaint.
Possible Result of a Gua Sha Massage
The purpose of the massage is to bring movement back into your energy system. A massage can therefore have different effects on different levels of your being. From person to person, the experience and effects are also very different! One feels physical relief or relaxation, yet in another turbulent emotions may arise.
Gua Sha Stones
A Gua Sha Stone is a polished, ergonomically shaped, gemstone. There are different shapes such as jagged, round, hearts, clouds, and as a comb. Some shapes work well on the contours of the face and others are better for the limbs.
Jade Gua Sha Stones
Originally, because people often practice Gua Sha at home as a self-remedy for muscle pain and colds, scrapers were mainly made of simple materials. Wood, bamboo, horn, stone, or metal coins were most common. Nowadays, Gua Sha massage is often done with polished gemstones. The most popular variant is the Jade Gua Sha Stone, also called Bao Yü.
How to use gua sha?
What are the Benefits of Gua Sha Treatments? 1 Promote healing through microtrauma bruising, sometimes called sha, as well as improved circulation and lymph drainage throughout the body. 2 Reduce inflammation through drainage of lymph into the lymphatic system. Gua sha is used by many practitioners to improve immune system function and treat colds, fevers, and problems in the lungs. 3 Break down scar tissue both on the surface of the skin and internal scar tissue. Patients recovering from surgery usually have both internal and external scarring. Surgical patients can also develop adhesions, internal scar tissue which connects tissues that are not normally connected. 4 Relax muscles that are inflamed, overstimulated, or sore. Gua sha is an effective treatment for musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, and joints. 5 Improve movement in the joints by increasing blood circulation and relieving aches and stiffness. 6 Treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, tendon strain, carpal tunnel, and other conditions.
What is a Gua Sha bruise?
Gua sha bruises are a form of microtrauma, which create a response in the body that assists in breaking down scar tissue and fibrosis, a condition in which there is a buildup of too much connective tissue formed around an injury.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha is an effective treatment for musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, and joints. Improve movement in the joints by increasing blood circulation and relieving aches and stiffness. Treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, tendon strain, carpal tunnel, and other conditions.
Can you take Gua Sha with a pacemaker?
Patients taking blood thinners or who have an implant, such as a pacemaker, should avoid these treatments. Gua sha is typically not appropriate for people with medical conditions including infections, tumors, open wounds, blood clotting disorders, deep vein thrombosis, or other conditions affecting the skin or veins.
Does Gua Sha have side effects?
There are no serious side effects for Gua sha treatments when provided by a medical professional that specializes in this treatment. The most common side effect is bruising, which tends to heal quickly and disappear within a few days after treatment.
Can you feel pressure during gua sha?
Like getting a tissue massage, you can expect to feel pressure during the treatment as your practitioner uses the tool on your skin; however, you should not be in pain during the treatment.
Is Gua Sha safe?
When used properly, Gua sha can provide an effective and safe alternative to other conventional treatments or can be used alongside conventional practices. Gua sha may provide healing and pain relief, especially for people who prefer to avoid medications, injections, or invasive surgeries.
What happens after Gua Sha?
After receiving gua sha, each physical body has the chance to react to the treatment. This might be instantaneous, or it might manifest in the days following the procedure. Most people undergoing their first round of gua sha will start to exhibit what are known as ‘petechiae’ in different parts of the skin.
Where is Gua Sha performed?
While gua sha is primarily being used in the West as a method of training the skin of the face, traditionally gua sha is performed on a person’s back, buttocks, arms, legs and neck. The facial gua sha technique was introduced much later.
What is gua sha?
Gua sha is an ancient form of massage that involves using some sort of tool to increase the circulation of fluids underneath the skin. The goal in gua sha is better health and relief from symptoms such as chronic pain, migraines, tension, and even viral infections such as hepatitis (amongst others).
Does Gua Sha work?
Gua sha facial training has allowed certain acupuncturists and estheticians to target wrinkles through the ancient practice. As mentioned, it was the acupuncturists using pressure points in the face who first began to notice a gradual easing of deep lines over time.
Does Gua Sha help cellulite?
As gua sha increases the natural blood flow of the individual , the body’s lymphatic drainage system is able to kick in, the stagnant fluid living around the cellulite is flushed out with the chi, and nutritious new blood is delivered to these areas.
Is Gua Sha safe?
As a practice, gua sha is completely safe and risk free. You could receive gua sha everyday for the rest of your life and there may only be good that could come from it. Receiving gua sha for face brings different physical results compared to receiving gua sha on the rest of the body.
Is Gua Sha a conductible procedure?
As we mentioned above, gua sha for face and gua sha for body are different in that the latter is largely not conductible using one’s own hands. Gua sha for body requires a third party with knowledge of the techniques to perform the procedure.
How to use gua sha?
They’ll then use the stone-like gua sha massage tool to scrape to your skin in long, downward strokes . This is when you’ll notice areas of petechiae on your skin. At first, they'll gently use the tool on your skin.
What is Gua Sha?
Potential Risks. Gua sha is a traditional Chinese healing method in which a trained professional uses a smooth-edged tool to stroke your skin while they press on it. This motion raises small, red, rash -like dots that show under your skin called petechiae. People use gua sha to treat chronic pain all over their body.
Can Gua Sha help with menopause?
Women nearing menopause can have things like abnormal periods, hot flashes, sleep issues, and mood changes. In one study, women who used gua sha once a week for 8 weeks saw those symptoms improve. Researchers are still trying to understand how it works. Breast fullness.
Does Gua Sha help with neck pain?
After a week, the people that had gua sha treatment saw their pain ease significantly for a short time. Experts are undecided about the long-term effects of gua sha on neck pain. Perimenopausal symptoms. Women nearing menopause can have things like abnormal periods, hot flashes, sleep issues, and mood changes.
Does Gua Sha work on face?
This process is believed to help blood flow and create a “lifting” effect on your skin, which some say may help lessen toxins in your body and promote healing. You might also have gua sha done on your face, but that process would be gentler.
Is Gua Sha safe for breast feeding?
Those women saw their pain ease and they were eventually able to breastfeed more easily. Typically, gua sha is considered safe. However, you may have some bruising or discoloration of your skin. You could also be sore and tender for a short while after you have your treatment.
What Happens During Gua Sha
A gua sha session takes about 5 to 15 minutes. During a gua sha session, you’ll sit up or lay down either face up or face down. Your practitioner, who should be a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine or an acupuncture physician, will most likely apply an oil or balm to the skin to help the tool glide more easily.
Side Effects and Risks of Gua Sha
Overall, gua sha doesn’t have serious side effects. With the right practitioner, you shouldn't feel pain. Still, it’s good to know in advance about some skin changes it may create. These include:
DIY Gua Sha vs. Seeing a Trained Practitioner
If you’re having gua sha for medical reasons, it’s best to work with a trained practitioner to do it. That’s because that person will know the right points on the body to stimulate and make the treatment most effective, Snyder says.
Tips to Find the Right Facial Gua Sha Tool
If you've done your research and you want to start facial gua sha at home, here are a few tips to help you find the right gua sha tool:
