How a Simple Self-Care Treatment Can Erase the Years
Feeling beautiful is not simply about having all the best products and keeping up with facials and treatments. These things help of course, but we really feel the most beautiful when we honor and care for ourselves regularly.
That is why we encourage all our Beauty Within patients to adopt some form of dedicated self-care ritual as part of their skincare routine. One of our favorite rituals to recommend is gua sha.
Gua sha may sound foreign, but this simple self-care practice is slowly becoming a household name. Let’s learn more about how gua sha can help you look and feel more beautiful – inside and out!
Gua sha is an ancient healing technique that was developed in China. Gua sha was first used on areas like the neck, back, and other areas to release pent-up pain and tension in the muscles. As time went on, we discovered that gua sha can also be used to help improve the muscle tone and skin texture of the face, neck, and décolletage. Now, facial gua sha is used as an integral part of a cosmetic acupuncture treatment, or right at home with the proper techniques.
Gua sha is an effective way to stimulate blood flow, detoxification, and healing in a particular area. When gua sha is used for pain relief on the body, the tool is used to dredge the muscles and release knots and tension.
Depending on the condition of the underlying muscles, sometimes “sha” reveals on the surface of the skin. This looks like purple/red dots or bruising (similar to cupping marks) but is not painful or damaging. In fact, this is a sign that the stagnated blood in the area is moving out and the tissue is healing.
When gua sha is used on the face as a beauty treatment, however, no marks are left. Facial gua sha techniques are incredibly gentle and soothing. The gua sha tool glides over the musculature of the face to smooth lines, cool inflammation, and increase healthy blood circulation.
At The Beauty Within, we only share beauty products and treatments with you that we would (and do!) use ourselves. When it comes to gua sha, we couldn’t be bigger fans! We see the amazing results of regular gua sha treatments on our patients’ faces and in right in the mirror.
Gua sha is not only an easy and simple way to boost your skin health at home, it has a laundry list of amazing benefits. Let’s dig into some of the main reasons we love gua sha and why you might too!
One of the main reasons our clients love gua sha is because it helps their skin look and feel younger. As the gua sha tool glides over the face, it helps to smooth wrinkles and tone the facial muscles, leading to an instant natural lift. When done regularly, gua sha can prevent signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin.
A natural side effect of a gua sha treatment is a rosy, healthy glow. After a few minutes of facial gua sha, your skin will be plump with fresh and healthy blood flow and you’ll look completely refreshed. But, the glow doesn’t stop there! Practicing gua sha daily also encourages better detoxification and consistently better blood flow to the face and through the body. Over time, your skin will not just look healthier, but be healthier.
Many of us wear our tension on our faces. Past stressors, frustrations, and even pain can reveal themselves in our lines, wrinkles, and pursed lips. Gua sha helps to melt this tension and iron out our tension before it settles into our face. It can also unwind the muscles of the face and neck to improve issues like TMJ, neck pain, and headaches.
A major aspect of natural beauty care is self-care and self-love. When we invest our time, energy, and care into ourselves, we automatically feel more beautiful. Gua sha is an incredibly effective way to use self-care time to boost your skin health. If you’ve ever had a gua sha treatment, you know just how relaxing and soothing it can be. If you’re still new to gua sha, imagine getting a silky smooth, refreshing facial massage – every single day.
The benefits of gua sha are more than skin deep. This routine can help to fight stress, improve your mood, and boost circulation head to toe. Plus, gua sha stimulates several acupuncture channels and points along the face and neck which helps to keep your body in a healthy balance.
Gua sha tools have come a long way from their early origins. While the doctors of ancient China likely used rudimentary bones and stones for their gua sha tools, today we are spoiled for choice with a range of beautiful styles, colors, and shapes.
But, not all gua sha tools are created equal. While many gua sha tools look beautiful, many lack the ergonomic support, quality material, or proper shape to deliver the best results for facial gua sha.
To give you the best gua sha experience possible, we recommend using our trusted gua sha tool. This is the same gua sha tool that we love to use in the clinic during cosmetic acupuncture treatments. The shape is perfect for smoothing over large areas like the foreheard, as well as smaller areas. We also love that it is made from rose quartz, a powerful store that is not only beautiful, but is known to improve the skin’s quality and encourage feelings of self-love.
● Always use gua sha on hydrated, moisturized skin (right after your evening skincare routine is perfect!)
● Start on the midline of the chest and work gently outwards towards the armpits. From there, move up to the neck and face.
● Sweep up along the face and avoid pushing or dragging the skin.
● Press hard enough to feel slight pressure, but not so hard that it hurts.
● Repeat each glide along the face 5-8 times.
Gua sha is a relaxing treatment to enjoy in the clinic and a simple technique to learn for at-home care. Are you ready to unlock the power of unconditional love and let your best self shine through with a gua sha ritual? Book your appointment at The Beauty Within for a gua sha treatment, self-care gua sha lesson, and a holistic beauty plan made just for you!
