By:  Michelle Gellis, AP., M.Ac., DiplAc

Facial Gua Sha is a technique in which specially crafted hand held pieces of smooth jade are used to invigorate the skin, smooth out wrinkles and increase blood supply. Facial Gua Sha can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions such as Acne, Rosacea, Melasma and dark circles.

Facial Gua Sha is used as part of a comprehensive acupuncture facial rejuvenation program for wrinkles, sagging and puffiness.  Facial Gua Sha benefits areas such as the neck and jowls, which are prone to sagginess, the puffiness under the eyes, and the deep wrinkles on the forehead. The increased blood circulation which occurs during Gua Sha, helps to detoxify the face and move stagnant blood and inflammation, which can occur under the eyes.  By providing increased blood flow to the face, the skin is better nourished and healthier.

Part of the benefit of the treatment is that acupuncture points on the face are massaged with the Gua Sha tool, which in turn benefits the Fu organs.  Conditions such as TMJ, Bell’s Palsy, Rosacea, melasma and other inflammatory conditions can be effectively treated with facial Gua Sha.

Facial Gua Sha is typically done as the last step of a facial acupuncture treatment. When done properly, there should be no residual redness on the patients face. When I teach Facial Acupuncture Classes, I tell my students that the goal is to get the “gua” without the “sha”.

Specially designed facial Gua Sha tools are used during treatment. Jade is unique in that a static electromagnetic field originates during the contact of jade with the human body

Regular use of jade therapy:

• Strengthens internal organs and systems (liver, stomach, heart, bonds the entire circulatory system, vision, hearing) and spirit
• Softens blood vessels
• Smoothes out wrinkles
• Improves quality of blood
• Purifies and normalizes the nervous stream
• The vibration of the jade stimulates and helps the circulation in the brain and removes tiredness

Facial Gua Sha should be preformed by a trained, licensed acupuncturist in order to avoid complications. For more information on facial gua sha or facial gua sha training visit www.facialacupunctureclasses.com or http://www.gellisacupuncture.com