Does Gua Sha Work? Similar Effect as Face Yoga
Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese medical technique that originated, in which the skin is massaged and scraped to promote blood circulation while eliminating stagnant "chi" from the body. However, Gua Sha has gained its popularity not only because of its health-enhancing effects but also because of its remarkable ability to improve the appearance of the face. According to a 2010 NIH study, patients with cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder, and herniated lumbar discs were compared to Gua Sha, acupuncture, herbal injections, and massage current therapy for pain relief. The results indicated that compared to acupuncture, Gua Sha had a more significant improvement in pain for fibromyalgia patients and a significant effect on the recovery of patients with frozen shoulders. Facial Gua Sha is a face yoga technique that can accelerate blood circulation in the face, and its consistent practice can tighten the skin and eliminate wrinkles and double chin.
What is Gua Sha? Origins of Gua Sha
Gua Sha originated in the Stone Age of ancient China. It is one of the oldest traditional Chinese medicine. The “sha” refers to the sandy punctuated appearance of tiny ruptured capillaries under the skin due to pressure or friction, which appears along with the release of stagnant chi in the body.
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Gua Sha Massage
A certificated massage therapist will apply oil to your body. Then your skin will be slowly scraped from top to bottom utilizing tools such as gua sha boards and gua sha stones.
Scraping destroys the capillaries under the skin therefore creating small red dots that are distributed on the skin being scraped.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, if the flow of chi in your body is stagnant and stagnant in a certain area, then the small red dots produced by scraping that area will turn dark red or purple, and once scraped out, the chi will flow again, and you will feel refreshed, and your body's aches and pains will be alleviated.
The massage therapist will slowly increase the force of the scraping during the treatment to make you feel comfortable.
Many parts of the body can be scraped, commonly including the neck, back, thighs, and face. Scraping in the face requires attention to gentle movements.
Daily Gua Sha at home has the benefit of relieving muscle tension, swelling, anxiety, stress, fatigue, etc. Gua Sha on the face can also be used as an alternative to face yoga to improve facial problems like double chin and under eye bags. However, Gua Sha should not be used as a treatment for serious illnesses. If you feel serious discomfort please seek medical attention.
Benefits of Gua Sha
According to WebMD, some studies have also looked at how Gua Sha can help treat the following health problems:
Migraine. A study suggests that gua sha, as part of a 14-day hospitalization, has a significant effect on relieving migraines, but experts are still proving this point with more clinical trials.
Tourette's syndrome. This disorder affects the nervous system and causes sudden convulsions. In a study, a man with Tourette's syndrome used acupuncture, herbs, lifestyle changes, and gua sha once a week for 35 weeks. His symptoms improved by 70%. However, researchers need more evidence to confirm these links.
Neck Pain. In a clinical trial, 48 people suffering from chronic neck pain were divided into two groups. After a week, those who received Gua Sha treatments found that their pain was significantly relieved in a short period. Experts are uncertain about the long-term effects of Gua Sha on neck pain.
Gua Sha Benefits of Reducing Double Chin
The chin and neck area exist with the detoxification function of the lymphatic system, appropriate Gua Sha is equivalent to facial exercises training, can stimulate the lymphatic system, promote the body toxin discharge, and also has the effect of reducing swelling.
Fat accumulation and skin sagging are the main causes of double chin, and gua sha is believed to promote blood circulation in the chin area, potentially helping fat burning. Additionally, uplifting gua sha exercises are also conducive to tightening the skin, contributing to double chin reduction.
Scraping the skin is not a unique exercise of gua sha, there a gentle massage exercises, that help relax the deep muscles of the chin, tightening the skin, and further eliminating the double chin.
While it is true that gua sha has multiple benefits in eliminating a double chin, it is also true that gua sha can rupture capillaries in the subcutaneous tissue, so please seek medical advice before engaging in long-term scraping therapy. Same as face yoga, it needs to be practiced consistently for at least a week before the results are visible to the naked eye.
Risks of Gua Sha, What You Should Focus on?
Scraping ruptures tiny blood vessels called capillaries on the surface of the skin, leading to a red or purple bruise that is sensitive to touch and typically takes a few days to heal. During the healing period, you need to avoid water and bumps to prevent infection and promote healing.
Not everyone is suitable for Gua Sha. Women during menstruation and pregnancy please avoid gua sha, and some other people who are not suitable for gua sha are:
Suffer from eczema, psoriasis, and other skin diseases or skin inflammation and sensitive skin people, gua sha will cause skin irritation and aggravate the disease;
Taking and blood-related drugs from the crowd, scraping Gua Sha's appeared bruises and wounds will affect the role of drugs, increase the risk of bleeding.
Deep vein thrombosis patients, tumor patients, or tumor wounds have not healed the crowd.
People with cuts, falls and other open wounds, gua sha will increase the chances of infection.
Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique and you need to follow the advice of a medical professional before adding it to your skincare routine, a softer alternative is to opt for face yoga, which has been proven to have a significant effect on improving sagging facial skin and eliminating double chins.
Face Yoga Exercises that Similar to Gua Sha
Face yoga differs from gua sha in that it does not cause red or purple bruises, and although it does not have the same Chinese medical significance as gua sha, it has a more significant effect than gua sha in activating the facial muscles and improving facial contours. Some specific facial exercises can also achieve anti-aging effects.
Lift the jaw: Scraping can eliminate double chin, the specific practice is to scrape the jaw contour, facial yoga in the lift jaw also has the same effect, with both hands palms against the jaw contour and upward lift.
Massage around the eyes: appropriate massage around the eyes can eliminate fatigue, and fade dark circles. This is similar to the wheel scraping eye sockets in Gua Sha.
Neck stretching: Stretching the neck can eliminate necklines, stimulate the lymphatic system of the neck, and promote detoxification.
People often ask "Does gua sha work? Does face yoga work?", studies have shown that they are more cost-effective, longer-lasting, and non-invasive exercises than some of the medical and aesthetic techniques and even surgical methods. Facial exercise avoids capillary rupture and is available to a wider range of people than gua sha.
Takeaways
Gua Sha is a simple and effective means of skincare, as is face yoga, and if you want to get rid of a double chin, you'll see significant changes when you follow face yoga consistently. It also needs to be combined with a healthy lifestyle, such as a regular exercise routine, a balanced diet, and avoiding late nights.
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