ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The use of a Gua Sha stone or jade scraper to sculpt the face and relieve inflammation is growing in popularity, but the traditional Chinese healing method is nothing new.
“The jade stone has been around for centuries. It was used in China centuries ago and it was really thought to get rid of the bad energy,” explains Dr. Priya Nayyar, a dermatologist and owner of Dermaclinique in St. Pete.
The smooth-edged stone is used for facial massage, to help drain the lymph nodes.
“The lymph system in the body gets rid of toxins and extra fluid, so by doing a firm massage and helping that fluid along, you can technically decrease some of the fluid or volume retention,” Dr. Nayyar explains.
She says, “If you’re doing it on your face, you want to massage upwards and outwards towards your lymphatic drainage. If you’re going under your eyes, you want to go around and up. The drainage is usually in the periphery of the face, so you want to get it in those lymphatic basins on the perimeter.”
While Dr. Nayyar says the massage can help with inflammation, there’s no need to spend a lot of money on a Gua Sha tool.
“It’s really the cold that can come from the jade stone and the action of the massage that’s really giving you the benefit that you see. I don’t think there’s anything special about the apparatus itself.”
To keep it easy, she suggests using a cold spoon, instead.
“If you have a cold device, you put a spoon in the refrigerator and then apply it under your eyes, that will cause vasoconstriction of the blood vessels and cause decreased puffiness.”
She says a low-salt diet and hydration will also help reduce facial swelling.