Should I buy It? I Tried Gua Sha For 3 Months
Overrated or underrated? Here's what happened to my face after 3 months of Gua Sha
Wherever you look for skincare and self-care, you can’t escape the Gua Sha, the wonder-tool that’s supposed to make you look and feel energized, glowy, and, most importantly, healthy. I used Gua Sha for three months to see if it actually lives up to the hype or if it’s just over-marketed.
Short history lesson
To see if Gua Sha is actually effective, we first need to understand what it is and how it’s supposed to work. At its root, Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese healing practice that is supposed to detoxify the entire body by ‘scraping’ it while applying pressure to previously oiled skin in order to prevent damage. It’s meant to 'heal' the body and mind, alleviating pains and preventing inflammation, but it is also supposed to be used along other practices such as acupuncture, massage, and, maybe most importantly, mental exercise.
Nowadays, the concept of Gua Sha has morphed into something else: a small tool to use on your face in order to promote lymphatic drainage, improve blood flow, and more notably, chisel your face and give you that inside-out glow.
My experience
I have purchased this quartz Gua Sha and jade roller set for $15—I figured I should get one that’s somewhere in the middle price-wise. I had previous experience with face massage since my dermatologist recommended me a great clinic where I was taught how to use certain techniques in my own routine, so I was confident to use the Gua Sha as often as around 4 times a week. However, if you’re just starting to get into face massage, you might want to try it once or twice a week and then slowly increase frequency so you don’t put too much stress on your skin. After about a month, I was using it almost daily.
I used the Gua Sha alongside a serum so it could glide easily and not pull at the skin and I tried to use light-to medium pressure. After each session, my skin was extremely red (but that’s my own personal issue, I just have very sensitive skin), but the results were visible—my neck appeared longer, my skin did seem to have a certain glow, and I also noticed more definition in the jawline and cheekbones. The short-term effects were indeed amazing! After about half an hour, the redness would disappear; and so would my dewy skin and chiselled features.
After three months, I was looking exactly the same as before. But that’s to be expected. It’s not a long-term treatment, anyway. It’s not supposed to permanently alter your appearance, so don’t expect it to leave you looking like a sculpture of a Greek goddess!
I have to admit, though, despite the lack of long-term effects, it was definitely a relaxing process and I felt very fancy doing it. It feels amazing on your skin, especially if you let the tool sit in the fridge beforehand—not only does this feel wonderful, but it’s also great for depuffing your face.
After three months, I can say that this process was enjoyable and it did leave me feeling quite energized after each use. The thing is, there’s nothing innovative or special about it. Everything the ‘modern’ Gua Sha did, I had been able to do for years using just my fingers. The only difference is that my fingers are not as pretty as my rose quartz tool.
So what’s the verdict?
Gua Sha, in the form that it is being marketed nowadays, and not the traditional healing method done by an actual trained professional, doesn’t really do much. It sure feels nice to use, and it won’t do any harm, but if you’re not doing it just for fun, but using it specifically to sculpt your face, boost blood circulation and promote lymphatic drainage, you might as well save your money and do the motions with a cold spoon or even your own fingers. Here is a list of a few techniques you can use to get the same results as Gua Sha without having to spend a single cent!
That being said, if using beautiful tools and feeling fancy when you’re doing your skincare routine is important to you and makes you enjoy yourself more, gives you more confidence or leaves you feeling empowered, I say definitely go for it! After all, anything that helps you feel better in your own skin is worth the investment!
In case you missed it, Find Your Fragrance: This Week We Smell Like Money
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