Gua Sha Sculpting Facial
“FLOW CREATES GLOW!”
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is a rejuvenating facial therapy that is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is an ancient modality that involves sweeping the skin with a smooth massage tool to increase circulation. Its application activates microcirculation of the soft tissues, causing an increase in blood flow. Healthy blood flow = healthy tissue, which will keep the skin looking youthful and radiant.
When used on the face it can decrease puffy appearances by stimulating lymphatic drainage and softening tight muscles to achieve a more sculpted look and strengthen the overall health of the lymphatic system.
What is the lymphatic system?
It is basically the garbage disposal system of the body. It supports the venous and immune systems by collecting toxins, debris, and bacteria, and filters out what is not healthy or useful for the body. One important thing to note is that the lymph does not move on its own, it must be manually stimulated to keep the flow going.
Why do we care about lymph?
Youthful skin and cell health are dependent on the lymph and how effectively it moves.
The puffy cheeks, under-eyes and jowls we see are a result of lymph that has gotten stuck and has stagnated. Acne is also a form of this, especially in the jaw area. Tight, taut muscles leave no room for the lymph to flow in or out.
Gua Sha, Stress & The Aging Face
When it comes to aesthetics and our face: our face is a storehouse for our emotions and it’s a repository for our happies, our joys, and our sad’s. We have 43 muscles in the face that get locked up with old stories. Muscle contractions, collagen and elastin are depleted. Speaking of the face in relation to the nervous system – we see a decrease in fibroblastic activity. Fibroblasts are a fiber that are responsible for building collagen. Collagen is what gives skin its plumping factor. Scientifically speaking, fibroblasts don’t function in the sympathetic dominant state. Collagen cannot be created in acute times of stress.
Gua Sha is fantastic for working through adhesions (tight muscle bands), just like you would foam roll the legs or glutes, our face has 43 muscles that gets knotted just the same.
Benefits of Gua Sha Include:
- Softening of fine lines and wrinkles
- Loosening of tight muscles in the face, sinuses & jaw
- Glowing and radiant skin
- Reduction in dark cycles / puffiness around eyes
- Assists with clearing congested skin that can lead to breakouts
- Increases circulation and lymphatic drainage for a more sculpted look
How Is Facial Gua Sha different than Body Gua Sha?
GUA = to scrape or rub SHA = reddish tint/rash. The objectives of working on the body with Gua Sha vs the face is similar in that in both instances we are looking to increase the blood circulation to muscles & create lasting changes in the tissue. In the face, we want to release the tension from the muscles to smooth/relax wrinkles and provide relief from sinuses, headaches & TMJ (jaw pain). We also want to increase the blood flow, because flow creates glow (skin luster). However, we are not leaving marks on the face as we do on the body. When we work on the body we are trying to elicit the marks to bring the toxins & stagnant blood to the surface to cleared so pain can be resolved.
What is the difference between a Gua Sha Sculpting Facial & the Gua Sha Sculpting with LED Facial?
The Gua Sha Sculpting Facial softens tight/taut muscles in the neck, jaw and face, and de-puffs these areas through lymphatic drainage massage, providing a healthy afterglow that comes with increased circulation and blood flow. Excellent for neck tension, TMJ, sinus congestion/allergies, under eye circles.
With the addition of the LED light therapy, we target wrinkles with red light or acne/rosacea with blue light.
How many sessions will I need?
Each treatment builds on the next. It truly depends on what your goals and schedule are. I often see patients 3-5 times for treatment of jaw pain. Some people come weekly as this is their Botox alternative. Others come once a month. I do, however, recommend the use of Gua Sha at home/in-between sessions to enhance the results. I typically teach patients how to do their own at-home care routine at the end of treatment.
Is Gua Sha pregnancy safe?
Yes! Gua Sha is pregnancy safe. A wonderful Botox alternative for Mama’s-to-be who still want to work on their wrinkles and keep themselves feeling youthful/radiant. This treatment is also a fast way to access the “rest and digest” mechanisms of the body to de-stress and heal while creating new life.
What can I expect?
View the before and after gallery to get a glimpse of pre & post treatment results.