Many people are familiar with the practice of massage gua sha because it is related to the face. Or, at least, they are familiar with scraping tools—tools with geometric shapes with rounded edges, often made of semi-precious stones like jade or quartz. Scraping tools are used to massage along the skin of the face. Practitioners say it offers a long list of beautifying benefits, including but not limited to contouring the face, reducing puffiness, and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Many people may not know that the practice of scraping has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to heal and detoxify the body. In fact, the widespread use of Gua Sha for cosmetic purposes is relatively new—so new that you won’t even find it in Chinese medicine literature.
The History of Gua Sha
Gua Sha is an ancient health product born from traditional Chinese medicine more than 700 years ago. The term is often translated as scraping and indicates the possibility of petechiae after treatment. They are small red spots that appear on the skin after a deep, powerful short stroke on the body part being treated. Gua Sha has traditionally been used as a treatment to release stagnant and trapped energy while promoting the diffusion of blood and oxygen to the painful or injured area.
People in Chinese and other Asian cultures have been using Gua Sha for thousands of years to reduce fever, muscle tension, and inflammation; boost immunity; and increase circulation. Scraping is a relatively new thing for not only beauty, but also the body.
Although body scraping can improve the appearance of the skin, it is first and foremost a treatment. It’s a fast-moving health and beauty trend that just employs scraping tools. That being said, there are many anti-aging and health benefits of using scraping tools on the body, such as better skin elasticity, smooth skin texture, and reduced toxin buildup.
Different Types of Gua Sha Stone
There are three main materials for traditional scraping tools. They are jade, buffalo horn and bian stone. The former is said to help moisturise the skin, regenerate muscles, clear heat and detoxify, soothe the nerves, and remove turbidity. This is the most popular and familiar scraping material, and its comfortable touch is especially suitable for facial scraping.
On the other hand, buffalo horn is “pungent, salty and cold”. All three of these qualities give it unique benefits. Its pungent properties can disperse Qi, activate blood, and reduce swelling, its salty properties can soften and firm, and its cold properties can clear heat and detoxify, cool blood, and calm convulsions.
And finally the flat stones. This stone contains a variety of trace elements, and the infrared radiation spectrum is extremely wide. It can dredge the meridians, clear heat and detoxify, soften and dissipate knots, warm the local skin of the body,
How to Prepare for Massage Gua Sha on Body
The first thing to consider before giving yourself a Gua Sha massage is the environment. During treatment, care should be taken to keep the room warm, especially in winter. The cold (and cold air vents) should be avoided. Also, avoid blowing fans or air conditioners directly to the target area during summer practice. Do not take a cold bath or shower within half an hour of having a Gua Sha massage.
You also want to have the materials ready: tools and oil. The latter is important to reduce friction and help the tool slide over the skin. You can use body oils, household oils (like tea seed oil, grapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil), medicated oils (like safflower oil), or even just cold water.
How Often Should You Massage Gua Sha
Avoid scraping (called sha) on skin that still has redness or bruising after previous massages. The interval of practice should be three to six days, and it should recede according to the sha on the skin.
However, if you are only using light pressure and your purpose is to scrape for cosmetic effects (such as reducing puffiness), you can do this daily. Our bodies are constantly metabolizing and detoxifying, so regular exercise has cumulative benefits.
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