The Beginner’s Guide to Facial Gua Sha

If you are even remotely interested in skincare or have been on TikTok in the past few months, then you have definitely heard of gua sha – the skin scraping technique derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has a range of aesthetic and health uses. Skincare gurus have sworn by these facial massages left and right, heralding their anti-aging, inflammation reducing, and facial sculpting properties. But what is gua sha, how can you practice this technique at home, and where can you get a tool of your own? Keep reading to find out.

The History of Gua Sha

While you might have just heard about gua sha from your favorite skincare influencer, the technique actually has its roots in ancient times and, thus, has a pretty long and impressive history.

In TCM, traditional gua sha involves the fast and intensive scraping of skin on the body with a flat handheld object for pain reduction and illness treatment purposes. However, facial gua sha involve much slower and gentler stroking motions to better suit the delicate skin on our faces.

Benefits of Facial Gua Sha

The cited benefits of facial gua sha are bountiful and differ based on the exact tool and technique utilized. Here is a list of just a few:

Increased lymphatic drainage
Stimulation of blood circulation
Relief of tension
Decreased puffiness + inflammation
A brightened, more radient complexion
Softening of fine lines + wrinkles
Sculpted facial muscles

How to Use Gua Sha at Home

Since the skin on our faces is so delicate, it is absolutely imperative that at-home gua sha facials are done in a correct and gentle manner to avoid causing damage to the skin. Therefore, I would strongly recommend referring to the experts for all your how-to questions. I particularly have learned a lot from watching tutorials from Lanshin, a holisitic healing studio, and from watching informative TikToks from Laurel Liu (@laurel_acupuncture), a TCM Licensed Acupuncturist.