What Is Gua Sha?

Gua Sha is a technique derived from the principles of ancient Chinese medicine. The practice uses a blunt tool, usually made of jade or bian stone, to apply pressure and scrape the skin. It may sound scary, but the process (when performed correctly) is not painful but therapeutic and relaxing. It helps alleviate pain and tension in the muscles. The treatment leaves light bruising on the skin in the form of red or purple marks, but these fade away in a few days. The skin scraping technique of Gua Sha is meant to balance your ‘qi’ or ‘chi’ – the energy that flows in your body. When this qi is blocked, it causes pain and stiffness in the muscles. Gua Sha is practiced with the intent to help the energy flow freely for good health and well-being.

Benefits Of Gua Sha

Gua Sha massage therapy is based on a 2000-year-old tradition, which assures us that there must be a host of time-tested and proven benefits for the practice to be in trend today. Let’s find out what benefits you can enjoy from a Gua Sha massage.

1. Boosts Immunity

Gua Sha positively impacts immunity, and this is among the most promising benefits of this therapy. It activates the immune system and encourages the body towards a faster recovery by speeding up the natural healing process (1). Gua Sha is sometimes used to treat a cold, fever, or lung issues.

2. Reduces Pain

The most well-known benefit of a Gua Sha massage is that it helps relieve muscle and joint pain. It aids the healing of musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and tendon strain (2), (3). The anti-inflammatory benefits of Gua Sha are also helpful for treating chronic pain, as it significantly reduces myalgia (4). Other inflammatory conditions, such as active chronic hepatitis, may also find therapeutic benefits from a Gua Sha treatment.

3. Needle-free

While Gua Sha may not look pretty, it is certainly far less invasive than a procedure like acupuncture. It is a slightly intense treatment, but certainly not too painful.

4. Anti-aging

As an addition to your beauty and skincare regimen, Gua Sha can work wonders. A Gua Sha facial is excellent for treating fine lines and wrinkles and tightening sagging skin. It also adds a youthful glow to your complexion with regular use. Read on to discover the best Gua Sha massage tools that you must try for a relaxing treatment at home.

Top 10 Gua Sha Massage Tools Of 2022

1. Best For Fat Sculpting: Cinlinso Gua Sha Cupping Massage Tool

The Cinlinso Gua Sha Cupping Massage Tool is a scraping device that uses heat to stimulate collagen while helping the body relax and release stress. The massage device provides advanced heat scraping that enables you to achieve a perfectly sculpted body. Regular massage with this tool reduces fat in the arms, waist, and legs. The Gua Sha massager is also useful as part of your facial skin care routine. It cleanses and refreshes tired skin and removes dirt from deep within the pores, going beyond regular cleansing and exfoliation. The stimulation of cell activity promotes collagen production, giving your skin a firm lift. Pros

Can be used on small and large muscle groups Relieves muscle tension Purifies skin pores Lightens skin tone Boosts collagen production Sculpts fat-prone areas Wireless Portable Long-lasting charge Rechargeable

Cons None

2. Best For Home Use: Newkey Gua Sha and Cupping Massager

The Newkey Gua Sha and Cupping Massager offer a 2-in-1 design where you can enjoy a traditional Gua Sha scraping massage and vacuum cupping therapy with the same device. It gives you rejuvenated skin and relaxed muscles right in the comfort of your home. The Newkey massager borrows from traditional Chinese medicine principles to soothe muscle pains, relieve aches, and activate acupoints. This, in turn, boosts blood circulation and improves the lymphatic system function by balancing the yin and yang elements in your body. If you notice any redness and blue marks after use, don’t worry. They will fade away within a week. Pros

Suitable for home use Gua Sha and cupping therapy in 1 device Improves skin tone Relieves muscle tension Stimulates blood circulation Easy to reach function buttons Can be used anywhere on the body Ergonomic design Lightweight Rechargeable

Cons

Expensive

3. Best Heat Massage: Scienlodic Electric Gua Sha and Cupping Massager

The Scienlodic Electric Gua Sha and Cupping Massager offer a 3-in-1 design to enjoy handheld cupping therapy massage, heat massage, and gua sha scraping massage. It provides relaxation and eliminates fatigue, improving body flexibility in the comfort of your home. The ergonomic design has a smooth curvature that provides a comfortable grip, making it easily controllable with one hand. It has six levels of suction to give you the best massage experience based on your needs. The cupping set heats upto 30-55 °C to suit different parts of your body. The scraping machine is portable for other parts of the body. It is suitable to treat poor physical conditions like long-term lack of exercise, mental stress, and physical dysfunction. Pros

Can be used for gua sha scraping, cupping therapy, and heat massage Suitable for home use Rechargeable Ergonomic design Easy to use Adjustable temperature upto 55°C Offers 6 levels of suction

Cons

The suction might feel too strong for some people.

4. Best Travel-Friendly: Ms.W Electric Gua Sha Face Massager

The Ms.W Electric Gua Sha Face Massager is the perfect example of all good things in small packages. Don’t be fooled by the delicate appearance – this massager packs an impressive host of skin care benefits. It provides microcurrent therapy that boosts blood circulation, lifts sagging skin, improves elasticity, and helps skincare products to be absorbed better. The ergonomic design features 3 round corners that can be used to trigger acupuncture points in varying intensity. You can use the device in different angles to target each area of the face and neck separately. The memory function works to remember the last-used mode – the device automatically enters that mode upon restart. Pros

2-minute auto shut-off feature 2 massage modes Wireless Promotes cream and serum absorption 3 massage points Rechargeable Waterproof Travel-friendly design

Cons

Expensive Not suitable for massaging large muscle groups.

5. Best For Senstive Skin: GuaSha Vacuum Scraping Massager

The GuaSha Vacuum Scraping Massager improves your complexion, accelerates blood circulation, and keeps your skin and muscles healthy. The device comes with three replaceable heads, each of which is designed for a different purpose. The suction feature helps detoxify the body by aiding lymphatic drainage. The massager is also useful for massaging the neck, shoulders, and back to relax these muscles and provide stress relief. Regular use boosts immunity, aids metabolism, and offers slimming benefits. It also helps your skin absorb creams and serums better, helping improve your overall skin health. The massager uses Chinese traditional acupoint massage for a variety of benefits. Pros

Made with eco-friendly material Gentle on sensitive skin Control panel for ease of use 3 replaceable massage heads Affordable Rechargeable Portable

Cons

Quality control issues Not convenient for large muscle groups.

6. Best Durable: Mikako Guasha Massage Tool

The Mikako Guasha Massage Tool is made of medical-grade stainless steel with smooth surfaces and edges. The ergonomic design and wavy handles provide a firm grip. This tool helps in lymphatic drainage and reconstructs toxins and fats. It eliminates muscle pain, inflammation, and fatigue from the neck, shoulder, and back while improving mobility. This massage tool increases blood flow and soft tissue microcirculation and helps make the skin healthy. Pros

Easy to clean Durable Easy to hold Lightweight

Cons None That was our list of electric Gua Sha massagers. But there are other tools and devices that you can get your hands on if you want a more traditional Gua Sha experience. Read on to discover Gua Sha tools that you can use on your face for a firm and sculpted skin.

7. Best Easy To Use: Roselyn Boutique Jade Roller And Gua Sha Set

This Jade Roller and Gua Sha Set is just what you need to add an extra zing to your skin care routine. It is a facial skin massager in the shape of a roller that you can use on your eyes, face, and neck to cool, tighten, and relax the skin in these areas. It is handcrafted with real natural jade – a genuine stone with an extremely smooth surface. If you combine the jade roller with your favorite face cream, it will help your skin absorb the cream better. The package also includes a Gua Sha scraper, which uses a simple but efficient healing technique for your skin. This video will give you a better understanding about the product. Pros

Made of natural jade Easy to use Low maintenance Stimulates collagen production Boosts elastin for firmer skin Helps minimize enlarged pores

Cons None

8. Best For Reducing Puffiness: Heart Can Feel Jade Gua Sha Scraping Massage Tool

The Heart Can Feel Jade Gua Sha Scraping Massage Tool is based on the 2000-year old Chinese technique of Gua Sha. It is made of high-quality jade and is extremely useful in treating acne and wrinkles on the face. The smooth surface helps the tool to slide smoothly over your skin, especially when used in conjunction with a skin care product, such as cream or lotion. With regular use, you will notice an improvement in your complexion, as your skin gets revitalized and regains its natural acne-free shine. The design of the Gua Sha scraping tool borrows from ancient Chinese healing techniques and has proven benefits of skin tightening, reducing puffiness, and treating fine lines. Pros

Suitable for use in face and body Easy to use Helps treat acne and wrinkles Static-free 100% natural Made of real, high-quality jade Complimentary ebook included

Cons

Quality control issues.

9. Best Affordable: Rosejoice Pink Rose Quartz Gua Sha Board

The Rosejoice Pink Rose Quartz Gua Sha Board is a 3-piece set for those who are really invested in Gua Sha therapy and are looking for something a little more professional. Consider this Gua Sha set an upgrade to your regular scraping and massage tools. It enhances your wellbeing by providing relief from stress, tension, and anxiety. You will also notice a marked improvement in your skin tone and under-eye puffiness. The tools promote better blood circulation, which also helps with smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. There are three tools of different shapes in this set, each of which is designed to target different areas on your face. Click here to check out a detailed personal review of this product. Pros

Complimentary instructional ebook Made of natural pink rose quartz Helps in lymphatic drainage Easy to use Affordable Travel-friendly design

Cons

Fragile May have different coloring.

10. Usmack Electric Gua Sha Scrapping Massager

The Usmack Electric Gua Sha Scrapping Massager is crafted with a 2-in-1 design, and you can use it for cupping therapy and scrapping. It relieves muscle pain and makes your body feel relaxed. This device works effectively on your back, shoulders, legs, abdomen, and other body parts for the treatment. The massager uses constant heat action and negative pressure to relieve the pain, promote blood flow, and relax the tight muscles. In addition, massaging also helps minimize inflammation and enhance the immune system. This device comes with a heat and pressure adjustment feature. The compact handheld device also offers a charging hole to charge the device when not in use. Pros

Rechargable Heat-adjustable Display function Convenient to carry

Cons

May feel intense for some user

As with any other treatment, it helps to be informed about any associated risks and points of caution for your health and well-being. Please note these points before you start a Gua Sha treatment.

Side Effects/Risks Of Gua Sha Therapy

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author, Sakshi Bahal, has a keen interest in skin care and health devices. She is familiar with an ancient therapy known as Gua Sha that uses various stone-based tools and has therefore found a solution for the benefit of her readers. After reviewing multiple product reviews, she compiled a thorough list of the best Gua Sha massage tools. These products are therapeutic and relaxing and can help alleviate pain and tension in the muscles. Is Gua Sha painful? As stated earlier, Gua Sha is not meant to be painful. The massage may feel a little intense for some people, and this varies depending on the individual’s pain tolerance. Can you do Gua Sha on yourself? Areas like the middle and lower back, and back of the arms are slightly hard to reach by oneself. You may need assistance using your massage tool for those areas. How often should Gua Sha be done? That totally depends on your tolerance and requirement. Once a week is perfect, and you need to give your body and muscles time to recover after each session. As for jade rollers and Gua Sha stones on the face, you can use them more frequently. Can Gua Sha cause breakouts? When you first start Gua Sha on your face, you may notice that the skin is aggravated and breaking out. It is normal; this is just the skin detoxifying itself before moving to recovery. What are gua sha tools good for? Gua sha tools relieve muscle tensions, reduce inflammation and puffiness, and eliminate chronic body pains. Also, these tools help reduce sinus pressure by clearing congestion. Do gua sha massagers work? Yes. Gua Sha massagers regulate blood circulation and distribute energy throughout the body. They break down connective tissues and regulate muscle movements. Can gua sha reduce double chin? Yes. Gua sha tools release lymphatic tension from the facial muscles and help reduce double chin. Is jade roller or gua sha better? Although jade roller and gua sha help achieve almost similar results, gua sha offers a deep facial massage. Also, gua sha relieves muscle tension, promotes lymphatic drainage, and enhances your skin tone. In contrast, jade rollers offer skin-enhancing benefits immediately. Therefore, gua sha is better if you want long-lasting benefits. How long till you see gua sha results? Gua sha takes around two months to show skin improvements. Are the results permanent? No. Gua sha results are not permanent, but they are long-lasting.

Sources

Best Gua Sha Tools To Firm And Lifted Skin In Just A Few Swipes Best Jade Rollers Help Increase The Bood Circulation Best Vibrating Massage Guns For Sore Muscle Recovery