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If youre familiar with the beauty world, chances are youre familiar with bodygua sha.
But the latest trend sweeping thewellnessworld is to incorporate the whole body.
It has been used in Asia for centuries as a therapeutic to help treat illness.
In recent years the spotlight has been on gua sha for its skin benefits, including lifting and sculpting.
All the gua sha products I tried
Wondering what exactly gua sha means?
The red marks usually resemble the look of freshly raked sand.
The benefits of gua sha are usually immediate, says Dr. Chiu.
Many people feel a reduction in pain and increased mobility after the session.
(More on the similarities of lymphatic drainage and body gua sha to come.)
What are the benefits of body gua sha?
As Dr. Chiu mentioned, the list of benefits from body gua sha is a long one.
She adds that it can even help with cellulite, releasing fascia, and relaxing your muscles.
And dont forget to use some key in of lubricant, urges Dr. Chiu.
This will allow the gua sha tool to glide without snagging or breaking the skin.
Wiggy adds, Oils with ingredients like caffeine, ginger, or arnica can enhance the benefits.
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If youvedry brushedbefore, the strokes are pretty similar to whats recommended for body gua sha.
The strokes should follow the direction of the muscle fibers, says Dr. Chiu.
If you are working on your trapezius muscle, your strokes should follow the contour of the muscle.
In general, she says that youll be stroking downward with the exception of a few areas.
But if you were to gua sha the belly it would be in a circular motion, she says.
(I found a great tool for doing just that!
More to come on how to choose a gua sha tool.)
Another sign its time to stop?
When you start seeing sha, the rake marks, you could stop.
You also should stop if it is painful as some areas of the body may be sensitive.
It is not the same for everyone.
Sha can appear immediately on some people and may take more strokes on others.
Its supposed to aid in lymphatic stimulation along with soothing inflammation.
I personally liked the weight of theHeatHealer Gua Sha Lymphatic Drainage Tool.
Using it with a bit of heat has been a game changer when my muscles have felt super tight.
It also contains guarana caffeine complex that helps support a healthy lymph system and firmer skin.
While they are technically different methods, they do work well together, says Martinez.
Gua sha is a great tool to help facilitate lymphatic drainage.
The muscle-relaxing benefits are just a super nice bonus.
I also found that my skin looks healthier overall.
Im also someone who doesnt use body lotion, so my dry winter skin is thanking me.
Another subtle by-product of body gua sha?
A temporary softening of cellulite, at least for me.
Is it going to make it disappear?
