Gua Sha Treatments
Not so long ago, facial acupuncture seemed completely fringe. But Eastern medicine-based skin care, including cupping on the face, has been gaining traction and acceptance as an all-natural approach with the added oomph of thousands of years of practice behind it (i.e. it really works) — and the latest practice on the verge of going mainstream in the U.S. is facial gua sha.
Pronounced gwa sha, the treatment involves scraping or pulling a flat jade or rose quartz stone along the skin to relieve pain and stiffness and flush out tissues. Like acupuncture and cupping, gua sha is another body treatment interpreted for your visage to help fix dryness, breakouts, and even aging. (Before you Google Image search, know that while body gua sha leaves bruise-like, often startling marks, facial gua sha is done using a light hand and therapeutic oils, leaving zero marks.)
"Muscle tension, inflexible fascia, and stagnant lymph are three primary causes for aging which clinical skin care products do not address.” Manhattan celebrity facialist Cecilia Wong, whose clients include Uma Thurman and Zac Posen, has used facial gua sha on her clients for years. “What I love most about gua sha is that results are immediate, and you can’t say that about everything."
This post was an excerpt from this article by Katie Becker for Refinery 29.