Please do not fret if you read the title of today’s post and felt your eyebrows creep into your hairline as a result of your surprise. I wouldn’t think that the term Gua Sha is one with a universal understanding, but, because it has and continues to gain tremendous popularity within the beauty community, I thought I would dedicate a post to the notion and everything it encompasses.
The following information comes from goodrx.com.
“Gua sha is one of many practices used in traditional Chinese medicine. In the past, it was a technique used all over the body to remedy health problems. It involves scraping a smooth-edged tool across lubricated skin. Historically, that tool has been a spoon, bull’s horn, or gemstone.
“Today, a common way to practice gua sha is to apply a rose quartz or jade tool to the face to promote healthy skin. The goal is to increase circulation and improve health. In fact, gua sha means ‘to scrape away illness.’ There’s a need for more research on traditional techniques like gua sha. But it’s important to understand that these practices have cultural significance, and many people trust them. For example, some gua sha practitioners believe it removes stagnant qi, or the body’s life-force energy. And the technique is still commonly practiced today.
“Traditionally, gua sha practitioners scraped the skin repeatedly in one direction to cause mild petechiae. Petechiae are round, red spots on the skin caused by bleeding under the surface. And they usually fade within hours or a few days. The scraping is designed to help relieve pain, remove toxins, and heal ailments,” the web page states.
I’ve seen videos of a few people making use of a gua sha, and because I wasn’t entirely sure how the process works, or what the practice achieves, for that matter, I wanted to educate myself, and, hopefully, you as well.
Check back tomorrow for some more information pertaining to using a gua sha.
Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash
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