By Katie Ladner, LE
Gua Sha is an ancient Chinese technique to help chi stagnation. The traditional method has
been used on the body for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. This involves using a little jade or
quartz tool scraping or pulling across the body. In fact the translation of gua sha is “scrape
wind”. It is used on the body to help release toxins and chi stagnation, which in turn relieves pain, and helps tired and sore muscles. This technique helps improve blood flow and simulates cell repair for healing.
The Chinese believe for a healthy body and wellbeing your chi should be free flowing through
the body. If you have blockages and stagnation you may feel pain and tension in different parts
of your body and that’s where gua sha steps in to help in the removal of chi blockages.
So why should you Gua Sha your face?
Our beautiful faces have 43 muscles and those muscles need blood flow too stay healthy. Our skin needs adequate blood and lymph flow and collagen production for rejuvenation. Using this method to help relieve stagnation in the face requires a particular technique to help move the lymph and blood and our staff is trained in gua sha at L Aesthetics.
Gua sha helps fascia which is a fibroelastic membrane that covers the muscles and is
composed of connective tissues rich in collagen. Using a tool on the face 9usually jade or quartz) helps blood
circulation and volume which helps speed up collagen production. This also helps give a more
sculpted look over time.
My own experience with Gua Sha…
I started using gua sha out of desperation for my TMJ. I was literally hell bent on trying to find a
solution for why the right side of my face was so swollen. So I took a chance on ordering the
Wildling stone and OMG did it work. Recently I have had so many of my Instagram
followers asking me what I have done to my face or cheeks and my response was nothing. I
didn’t realize until weeks later that it’s from my daily routine.
So not only has it been working magic on my TMJ but it also has been sculpting my cheekbones unbeknownst to me.
After my realization, I had the AH HA moment of incorporating this into my facials at work as
well. Getting a good deep cleaning with the Diamond Glow and having gua sha to help
collagen production and increase chi; what could be better??? So next time you call up
for a facial appointment make sure to ask for gua sha!
Interested in learning more about therapies derived from Chinese medicine?
Click here Facial Cupping – What is it and what does it achieve?
or here Turmeric- The Awesome Ancient Herb Most of us Need Today!