You may or may not have hear of gua sha, a massage technique that involves scraping your skin with a massage tool. It is named as such as the process involves the skin being lightly scraped (刮 “gua”) using a scraping tool. This action results in blood spots that look like sand (痧 “sha”) across the skin. Don’t flinch yet — the process is less painful than it sounds.
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What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha originated in China, originally a practice done to redirect excess heat. It is derived from the meridian system of traditional Chinese medicine, where excess heat is responsible for bodily complications. As such, it is used to redirect this excess heat along the meridian points. In more modern terms, it detoxifies the body.
Benefits of Gua Sha
Reduces Puffiness
Lymph fluid is vital to removing waste products and destroyed blood cells, keeping your body healthy. However, sometimes too much lymph fluid accumulates under the skin — resulting in puffy skin. Gua sha counteracts this by helping with lymphatic drainage, which will result a fresher and tighter complexion.
Increases Blood Circulation
The act of scrapping the gua sha tool against the skin creates friction, encouraging blood circulation. By increasing the blood flow to that area, there is also more oxygen, which is a key player in collagen production. In the long run, this could delay signs of ageing such a wrinkles and fine lines, as well as improve your overall skin elasticity.
Boosts Absorption of Products
In theory, through increasing blood circulation, your skin would also be able to better absorb skincare products. That means you’ll be able to use less product for more benefit. Who wouldn’t want that?
Releases Tension
Do you suffer from a stiff muscles, feeling especially tight around the neck and head? A gua sha massage may just be the cure to it. The scrapping action helps to break up stubborn knots and connective tissue responsible for causing you all that tension, and you’ll feel an instantaneous release right after!
Improves Skin’s Appearance
Through the drainage of lymphatic fluid and improving blood circulation, gua sha helps improves your skin’s appearance by giving it a healthy glow. Breakouts will also be less frequent as it helps purge out all the nasty stuff stuck inside your skin.
While it can be done at home, proper technique is a must so as not to damage your capillaries and cause broken blood vessels — which does no favours for your skin. Interested to try this traditional Chinese treatment but not sure where to go? We’ve rounded up some of the best of gua sha on Vaniday for all your beauty needs.
Where to get Gua Sha
Renaza – Marina Bay Link Mall
Are you a victim of puffy eyes and dark eye circles? If no eye cream out there seems to be doing it for you, try Renaza’s Eye Gua Sha for a change. Using a gentle TCM healing technique, this relaxing treatment will treat dark eye circles, soothe puffiness and fine lines around your eyes with instantly.
Book Renaza on Vaniday.
21st Century Beauty Spa – Beauty World Plaza
Looking for a natural facelift? 21st Century Beauty Spa offers a TCM Facial With Gua Sha customised TCM mask, alongside gua sha therapy for restructuring your skin condition. With services ranging from skincare, healthcare and body care, to manicures and even wedding makeup, you’ll find the inner peace you’ve been searching for here at 21st Century Beauty Spa.
Book 21st Century Beauty Spa on Vaniday.
Shou Slimming Centre – Novena Square
Shou revolutionises body slimming using a safe, effective, and personalised natural treatment that painlessly reduces inches and removes stubborn body fat. Suffering from chronic pain? Their Gua Sha treatment promises to alleviate you from it, using a combination of long and short strokes to improve circulation.
Book Shou Slimming Centre on Vaniday.
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