A Beginners Guide to Gua Sha

Do you have a Gua Sha sitting in a drawer at home that you never use? I frequently have clients telling me that they have a Gua Sha and would like to use it but just don’t know where to start. Gua Sha is a lovely self care ritual that you can easily incorporate in to your life for your skin health and well being.

What is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is a massage device made from a semi precious stone that is shaped to fit the contours of the face. It is an ancient healing technique that has been used in Traditional Chinesse Medicine for thousands of years on the body and in more recent years, gained popularity in the West as a Facial technique.

Essentially Gua Sha is about increasing movement and eliminating stagnation. Gua Sha increases flow and movement to restore health and this flow embraces all of the bodies vital fluids and energies.

TCM gives us the concept of energy channels called meridians that run from the feet all the way throught the body, through each of the major organs up to the face and scalp. Qi, our life force, flows through these channels but sometimes they can become sluggish or stagnant due to blockages. This can lead to imbalances which can effect us both physically and energetically.

Facial Gua Sha is used to perform a massage over these meridians that stimulates key acupressure points on the face, neck and scalp. This helps to restore the correct flow of qi helping to optimise vitality in the skin.

Gua means to scrape and Sha means to make red as stagnation is released but for Facial Gua Sha we tend to keep the pressure light so we do not stimulate to the point of redness.

What are the benefits of Gua Sha

The benefits of Gua Sha are numerous and profound as it is a treatment that goes more than skin deep to effect the deeper tissues and structures of the skin while working both physically and energetically.

Working at a physical level it can be used to:

• create more space for both the circulation and the lymph to move which in turn creates healthier skin

• release adhesions in the fasica which might otherwise pull the contours of the face in a downward direction

• increase oxgenation, improving nourishment to the skin cells

• reduce puffiness by stimulating lymph which is a by product of Gua Sha

• stimulate the circulation and collagen producing fibroblast cells over areas prone to fine lines and wrinkles

• lift and sculpt the facial contours such as the brows and cheeks

Working energetically there is a general overall improvement in the appearance of the person and their skin as a result of activating qi and restoring vitality to the eyes and the face. Imbalances in the meridians can manifest in the texture, colour and contours of the face. These are all improved as Gua Sha invigorates and awakens and restores flow.

How to choose a Gua Sha

If you don’t already have a Gua Sha and are thinking of purchasing one, the three main decisions are where to buy, what stone to choose and what shape to select.

How stone should my Gua Sha be made of?

A Gua Sha was traditionally made from materials such as green jade, bian stone or buffalo horn. These days they are made from an even wider range of semi precious stones which all have their own therapeutic properties. Jade is a good choice as it is a firm stone and good for all the movements that can be done with Gua Sha. Rose Quartz is softer and I don’t find it so effective for sculpting moves. Bian Stone feels harder than Jade which isn’t always desirable on the face. Having said that, I do use all these stones but one of my favourite Gua Shas is made from Black Obsidian simply for the feel of it against the skin.

Where can I buy a Gua Sha?

Gua Shas are easy to find on line. For good quality, well crafted Gua Sha I would recommend Cecily Braden, Dwell Skin, Zone Face Lift, Katie The Skin Whisperer, Hayou Method and Philosophia Botanica as ones I am aware of. However, although these Gua Shas are beautiful to look at and hold, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on your Gua Sha. Once you know what you are doing you could pick a stone or shell up from the beach and work with it. In China where Gua Sha is a form of medicine practiced by people in their homes Gua Sha is often performed with a spoon. The advantage of the specifically crafted Gua Shas is that they are shaped to beautifully fit the contours of your face.

What shape should my Gua Sha be?

A Gua Sha can be anything from a simple heart shape to having numerous sides with some curved and some serrated. I would recommend not getting too simple a shape so that you have more choice of edges. Ideally, make sure you have at least one serrated edge for scraping and more than one curved edge as different sizes will fit different areas of the face.

You will find yourself using the angles of your Gua Sha that best fit the part of the face you are working on. The serrated edge is used to work in a zig zag movement in areas such as the nasal labial folds, number 11 lines, crows feet and lines on the forehead. Curves can fit beautifully either side of the jaw line or under the cheek bones. Pointed edges can be used to circle over acupressure points. Rounded edges to work under the brow bone to create a lift. Longer edges to sweep up and over the cheeks.

I have my Gua Sha. Now what do I do?

If you’ve never done Gua Sha on yourself the easiest way to start is to find an on line tutorial and follow along with it, having a mirror next to your screen so you can see what you’re doing. Searching for Gua Sha for Beginners or Gua Sha Facial Massage Tutorial should yield some results but try and find one posted by a professional. Dwell Skin and Katie The Skin Whiperers offer on line tutorials. Clive Witham at Ecology in Motion teaches Facial Gua Sha for self care. Contact me if you would like to book in for a Gua Sha Facial and I can give you some direction and demonstrate some moves.

Preparing the skin for Gua Sha

Always work on clean skin as you don’t want to be rubbing make up or microscopic debris in to the pores

Always apply an oil as you will need this to provide slip so that your Gua Sha can glide and not tug at your skin.

Use an oil that is nourishing to the skin such as kiwi seed, very high in skin loving omega 3, avocado, rosehip, argan or prickly pear seed oil. These are some of my favourte and I tend to make a blend of a few but there are many to choose from.

When is it best to do Gua Sha

The best time is whenever works for you and fits with your life style. Morning can be a good time as it will wake the face up, make you look and feel less tired and you can rinse the oil off in the shower. Evening may be a time when you can be a bit less rushed and can use it as a self care ritual to release the stresses of the day.

Being consistent and regular will yield the best results. Set yourself a routine that you think is achievable. This could be 3-5 times a week for 5-10 minutes with the occasional longer session when you have time.

Tips for Gua Sha Technique

Hold your Gua Sha at a 15-45 degree angle so it’s almost flat against the skin. This avoids damaging the skin.

When working on your left side hold the Gua Sha in your left hand and transfer it to the right hand when working on your right. This isn’t an absolute rule but it helps with flow when you are just starting.

Use the hand that isn’t holding the Gua Sha to follow through with massage moves or to anchor the skin while the Gua Sha glides away.

Generally, longer movements are slow and light but shorter movements tend to be faster and deeper

Always start at the base of your neck and work up the face.

Work from the centre of the face out to the sides as well as up the face

Do plenty of sweeping movements down the side of the neck from under the ear to the base of the neck. This encourages lymph drainage in to the left and right lymphatic ducts.

At the beginning of each movement turn your Gua Sha to match the side of the Gua Sha that best fits that particular part of your face.

Caring for your Gua Sha

After use simply wash in warm water with soap. Occasionally clean the serrated edge with a soft tooth brush. Dry with a towel or soft cloth and store in a soft bag to protect from scratches.