GUA SHA direct translation comes from the Chinese words, “scratch” and “sand”. According to an article from Kala Herh for the NBC news the word Sha is referred to the bacteria or virus toxins, which break the capillaries and form hyperemia areas, or spots in the skin or mucus, and form sand-like scattered or condensed areas. Shaobi Wang, a chinese medicine expert shared with NBC discussed how “the sand analogy stemmed from the act of performing Gua Sha, where technicians gently scrape the skin and see tiny dots under the skin emerge; these little granules resemble pieces of sand, which led to their name.”
Gua Sha tools can range from jade plates, metal plates and even spoons! This method of massaging the face includes face oil, vaseline or water to stimulate a specific area of the body, and different from what we see on TikTok, Gua Sha is not limited to just the face.
While it is a massage sculpting technique, Traditional Chinese Medicine practices Gua Sha for energy flow, increasing body circulation and even lymphatic drainage! Turns out, our body accumulates the excess of toxins in our blood that were not able to circulate properly, producing fluid build-up that causes puffiness and swelling.
Learning about the benefits of Gua-Sha has been a game changer for me. I keep learning about the benefits of draining my body toxins top to bottom. I tend to enjoy seasoning every single meal that I eat, and as a good foodie, I tend to try everything. I am sure all that sodium tends to accumulate in my body, so Gua Sha has not led me to feel better, but to look better, I certainly won’t be cutting my diet to clean yet, so having that peace of mind that Gua Sha is helping me draining these toxins whenever I have an appointment at Skin High.
You can learn more about Gua Sha and it’s benefits for your body concerns by booking your appointment at Skin High Facial + Wellness Bar and feel instant results in your body.