At TanmuCare, we believe in the power of traditional Chinese medicine and the natural benefits of green sandalwood. Our sandalwood Gua Sha tools are a perfect combination of these two elements. If you're considering trying Gua Sha, especially facial or neck Gua Sha, it's important to know some essential precautions, who can and can't practice Gua Sha, and when it's best to do it.
Gua Sha involves scraping the skin with a massage tool, such as our Energy Flow Massage Tool or Almighty Massage Tool, to relieve pain, improve circulation, and promote healing. However, it's important to keep in mind that certain precautions must be taken to ensure a safe and effective experience.
Precautions
To maximize the benefits of Gua Sha and avoid discomfort, keep in mind the following precautions:
- Avoid cold wind during your Gua Sha routine, as it can directly invade the body through the pores and affect the efficacy of Gua Sha. Cover the scraped area with warm cloth before going outside in winter.
- Each Gua Sha should not exceed 30 minutes. Don't pursue excessive Sha or redness/bruising during Gua Sha, as it can damage your skin and consume Qi.
- Drink a cup of hot water after Gua Sha to rehydrate and promote the elimination of metabolic waste.
- Wait for around 3 hours before taking a shower after Gua Sha, as the skin pores need to return to their original state first.
- If you have severe diabetes or arteriosclerosis, reduce pressure appropriately during Gua Sha.
- If you have varicose veins, leg swelling, or prolapse of internal organs, perform Gua Sha from the bottom to the top.
When Can You Perform Gua Sha in Your Daily Life?
Gua Sha can help relieve various discomforts, including:
- Colds, fever, heatstroke, headache, cough, acute and chronic bronchitis, asthma, toothache, rhinitis, sore throat, decreased vision, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, hemorrhoids, etc.
- Neuralgia, neck, shoulder, back, and leg pain caused by wind, cold, and dampness or fatigue; palpitations, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, gout, dizziness, stroke sequelae, diabetes, insomnia, and dreaminess, as well as metabolic diseases such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, menstrual disorders, breast hyperplasia, etc.
- Facial beauty and Body Shaping, including dark circles, eye bags, wrinkles, dry skin, enlarged pores, skin laxity, acne, melasma, and facial beauty, weight loss, body shaping, and body beauty.
- Daily health care, including improving intelligence and brain health, strengthening the body, improving sub-health, post-illness recovery, and delaying aging.
When or Who Should Avoid Gua Sha?
While Gua Sha is generally safe, some individuals should avoid it, including:
- Menstruation and Pregnancy: During menstruation and pregnancy, it is not recommended to perform Gua Sha on the lower abdomen and sacrum.
- Bleeding tendencies: If you have bleeding tendencies such as thrombocytopenia, leukemia, severe anemia, allergic purpura, etc., you should not perform Gua Sha.
- Severe medical conditions: If you suffer from severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the acute phase, liver and kidney dysfunction, and generalized edema, it is recommended to avoid Gua Sha.
- Acute injuries: Newly occurred fractures, ligament and tendon acute injuries should not be scraped.
- Unidentified lumps and malignant tumors: Areas with unidentified lumps and malignant tumors, as well as scars after malignant tumor surgery, are also prohibited from Gua Sha.
- Infectious skin diseases: Skin ulcers, exudation, and severe varicose veins in the lower limbs are prohibited from scraping.
- Avoid Gua Sha under certain conditions: It is also recommended to avoid Gua Sha or scraping after being too hungry, too full, excessively fatigued, or sweating profusely.
