Gua sha, or kerokan (in Indonesia), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice in which a tool is used to scrape people's skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matter from blood stasis within sore, tired, stiff, or injured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flow to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery.
Benefits of Gua Sha
Improved Blood Circulation
Gua sha helps to promote microcirculation, facilitating the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the small blood vessels that may not normally have great blood flow. This increased circulation not only helps in healing but also promotes detoxification and overall vitality.
Muscle Relaxation & Recovery
If you suffer from tech neck or other aches and stiffness caused by poor posture and screen time, researchers in a 2014 study found gua s ha can be particularly beneficial for individuals suffering from chronic muscle pain and poor range of motion. The scraping motion glides over knots and helps to release tension in the muscles, alleviating pain and reducing stiffness.
Detoxification
Gua sha stimulates the lymphatic system, aiding in the removal of metabolic waste, toxins, and stagnant fluids from the body. This process supports a healthy immune system and can improve skin health.
Reduces Inflammation
By promoting blood flow and releasing stagnant energy, gua sha can help reduce inflammation in the body. This makes it useful for managing conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain, and even respiratory issues.
Stress Relief
Gua sha has a calming effect on the nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. It can be an excellent tool for combating anxiety, promoting better sleep, and improving overall emotional well-being.
Enhanced Energy Flow
Gua sha and acupuncture work together to remove blockages and promote the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. When energy is unobstructed, it can restore balance and facilitate the body's self-healing mechanisms.
Targeted Treatment
Acupuncturists can strategically use gua sha to complement their acupuncture treatments. They may apply gua sha to specific areas to enhance the effects of acupuncture or to address localized pain and inflammation more directly.
Deeper Muscle Relief
While acupuncture can provide broad pain relief, gua sha's scraping action can reach deeper layers of muscle tissue, providing additional relief and relaxation.
Accelerated Healing
The combination of gua sha and acupuncture promotes circulation, reduces inflammation, and supports the body's natural healing processes. This can result in faster recovery from injuries and a reduction in chronic pain.
Holistic Wellness
Gua sha and acupuncture share a common goal of promoting overall wellness. By integrating these practices, individuals can experience a comprehensive approach to health that addresses physical, emotional, and energetic imbalances.
Experience and expertise
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Upon entering our establishment, you'll immediately feel a warm and relaxing atmosphere. The spacious and bright lobby is elegantly designed, with comfortable sofas and soft lighting to help you unwind and forget about the hustle and bustle of life. Our carefully arranged private compartments provide a secluded massage environment, allowing you to enjoy professional massage services in complete relaxation.
Dedicated to Your Health and Comfort
At Taipei Massage Paradise, we deeply understand the importance of health and comfort to everyone. Therefore, we will wholeheartedly serve you, helping you find moments of peace and relaxation in your busy life. Whether it's work stress or physical discomfort, we will do our utmost to provide you with the highest quality massage services to regain vitality and set off anew.
7 Most Common Gua Sha Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the Prep Work
Imagine this: you've just finished a long day, and you're ready to unwind with a relaxing Gua Sha session. But wait, are you forgetting something? Yep, that's right – prep work! Not prepping your skin properly can lead to unnecessary friction and even micro-tears. Ouch! Always, and I mean always, start with a clean face, clean gua sha tool and apply a generous layer of your favourite serum or oil. This helps the tool glide smoothly without causing any harm to your precious skin.
Over-Pressuring the Skin
Let's talk about pressure – too much of it, to be exact. Applying excessive pressure while using your Gua Sha tool might feel like you're doing a deep tissue massage, but it's a big no-no. Overdoing the pressure can cause irritation, redness, and even broken capillaries. Remember, it's all about gentle, rhythmic strokes that promote circulation, not Hulk-like strength. Throughout your gua sha practice, try to keep in mind that you want to work on just below the surface of the skin - and that it's just 1 millimetre thick.
Incorrect Angles
Okay, confession time – we've all seen those Gua Sha diagrams that look like intricate dance steps. It's easy to get a bit lost in the process, but here's the deal: using your tool at incorrect angles can do more harm than good. Instead of sculpting like a pro, you might end up tugging and pulling at your skin. Always use an angle less than 90 degrees, aim for around 45 degrees to almost flat on your skin for the best results.
Skipping the Oil
Using a Gua Sha tool directly on dry skin is a big skincare sin. The lubrication provided by a high-quality facial oil is crucial as massaging dry skin can cause damage to the skin. Not only does an oil enhance the gliding motion, but it also nourishes your skin as you go. Gua sha will also help the oil penetrate the skin better.
Moving Too Quickly
Ah, the fast track – it's tempting, I know. But when it comes to Gua Sha, slow and steady wins the race. Moving too quickly not only reduces the effectiveness of the technique but can also lead to uneven pressure distribution.
Not Keeping Consistent
Consistency matters just as much. Gua Sha isn't a one-time wonder; it's a journey of self-care. Set a routine that works for you and stick to it, giving your skin the attention it deserves. Join our free 5-day gua sha challenge to help you get started with right techniques and to keep accountable.
Skipping the decollate and neck
When learning gua sha and face massage, understanding that treating your neck and decollate first is the most important part of your massage is crucial. The area contains lymph nodes that help drain the lymph from the face. Also releasing tension on the neck and decollate helps increase blood flow on the whole face.
How to Use Gua Sha
Clean your face
Gua Sha helps increase the absorption of skincare products into the skin. However, if your skin is dirty, there’ s a risk that impurities like dirt and excess oil could be pushed into the skin along with the beneficial products, which makes cleaning the face an essential first step. You should also ensure your hands and Gua Sha stone are also clean.
Prep your skin
Next, you must apply a generous amount of facial oil in your face, neck, and chest to help your preferred tool to glide more easily. If you have an acne-prone skin type or don’t prefer oil-based products, use a hydrating serum, lotion, cream, or sheet mask. Keep in mind to reapply the product as needed during the massage.
Hold your tool correctly
A common mistake people make when performing Gua Sha is holding the tool or stone at the wrong angle. For the best results, we recommend holding it at a 30 to 45-degree angle connected to the skin with light to medium pressure. Use lighter pressure to address puffiness, whereas you should apply firmer pressure to relax your muscles.
Perform Gua Sha
When performing Gua Sha, you should start gently scraping from your neck and work your way up. This way, you’ ll prevent fluids from getting trapped in your skin. Apply even strokes against your skin, with upward movements following the lymphatic flow. Make sure to repeat each movement three to five times before moving on to the next part. The whole process takes about three to five minutes.
Technically, no. This question goes back to the relationship with you and your skin. “Gua sha can be performed whenever the facial skin feels dull, lackluster, puffy, or tired,” explains Aguilar.
If your skin tends to lean more on the sensitive side, the experts recommend not doing it more than three to four times a week. On the other end of the spectrum, if your skin is like mine and doesn't tend to flare up easily, you're safe to do it twice a day or whenever you see fit.
If YOU have experienced a Gua Sha Body Massage, we hope you are feeling looser and lighter after your recent Remedial Massage treatment.
Gua sha is a therapeutic method of classical Chinese medicine that works to improve circulation and blood flow to reduce tension and chronic pain. The scraping of skin with a gua sha tool causes the appearance of purple or red spots known as petechiae or sha.
Although this may appear visually similar to mild bruising, it actually signifies the impeded circulation of qi, blood or fluids in the area of treatment. Gua sha is used to address stagnant energy, blood and fluids within the body and to move the body back into a state of homeostasis and promote overall well-being.
We trust that you left the studio feeling rejuvenated and with increased mobility in those tight and painful areas. If your pain persists, please Contact Us.
To maximize the benefits of your Gua sha session and extend the post-treatment feeling, keep reading for a few aftercare tips….
Keep Warm: What generally happens after a Gua sha treatment is that the body sweats and it is important to be aware that you need to protect the area from aspects of the weather e.g. keep the area warm and dry, avoid being directly in the wind and avoid a cold shower for a few hours.
Hydration: Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins and keep your body hydrated. This will enhance the detoxifying effects of the Gua sha treatment. it can be a good idea to drink warm water, tea, warm ginger soup, etc. to warm the body. Avoid drinking ice water even when the temperature is hot.
Rest: Allow your body some time to rest and recover. A good night's sleep can significantly enhance the healing process and leave you feeling even more revitalized.
Follow-Up Session: To prolong the positive effects of your treatment a 2-week follow up gua sha session is generally recommended to clear out the remaining stagnation and bring the body back into balance.
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Our Zhongshan 2nd branch is located near Kodak Hotel, Rocky Mountain Villa, Yarle Garden Hotel, Chan Road Hotel, Taipei Hilton Hotel, attracting many Japanese tourists who specifically come here for massages. All our staff are highly skilled in massage techniques, providing expert services to relieve the accumulated stress of daily life. We also arrange female masseuses to ensure comfort for female customers. Aromatherapy massage is particularly popular among our female clientele.
Through lymphatic gland massage, toxins can be eliminated from the body, and the immune system can be improved by stimulating blood and lymphatic gland circulation. Our massage services are highly effective in reducing tension, stress, and muscle pain. In addition to foot massages, we also offer various massage services such as full-body massage, foot baths, and cupping.
Asked Questions
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