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You’ve probably seen the videos: Influencers use facial gua sha to shrink double chins or chisel cheekbones.
Channing Smith /Allure
But long beforegua shawas Instagram fodder, it was a traditional East and Southeast Asian healing technique.
The light pressure applied during gua sha is supposed to release muscular tension and help withlymphatic drainageto depuff.
At Lanshin, owned bySandra Chiu, a facial gua sha treatment lasts 75 glorious minutes at minimum.
A treatment room at the Lanshin wellness center
“I am working hard to put the TCM back in gua sha,” she says.
Here, learn more about my experience.
Meet the Experts:
In This Story:
What Is Gua Sha?
Treatment by Lanshin
Gua sha’s roots aren’t just in lymphatic drainage and lymphatic circulation.
Its origins are also in “improving blood andqi (energy)circulation,” says Chiu.
Facial gua sha is an extension of that practice, Chiu explains.
Jesa Marie Calaor
I told her that I hoped to depuff and define the contours of my face.
“Are you feeling any pain?”
The needles pierce the skin, in very specific places, up to one inch deep.
It sounds painful, but it wasn’t.
Chiu used the bulk of our appointment to apply gua sha along my face and neck.
She used stones of various shapes, which she placed on a tray next to my bed.
The different stone shapes enabled her to better fit the varied surfaces and contours on my face.
(I would have completely dozed off had I not been chatting with Chiu.)
I found this to be true to an extent, but my visible results were subtle.
But he adds that it’s important to set realistic expectations.
“Know that this effect isn’t permanent.”
You may also notice that my double chin did not disappear.
A reminder: Double chins are totally normal.
The point: Gua sha is not enough to get rid of your double chin.
The day after my gua sha treatment, I put on makeup.
While taking a selfie in the car, I noticed my jawline did look more defined.
My face was depuffed, ever-so-slightly lifted, and glowing.
My skin looked great.
A lot of wellness and beauty practices, like gua sha, are rooted in culture and heritage.
Below are some of the common gua sha myths the experts I spoke with want to debunk.
Support These Gua Sha Brands
Want to try gua sha for yourself?
Consider supporting these gua sha brands that were founded and built on TCM roots and traditions.
