Facial Gua Sha - TCM Tips

[Pages:36]Contents

1. What Is Facial Gua Sha? ................................................................................................................................ 4 What are the benefits of facial gua sha? ......................................................................................................... 4 Why is the gua sha tool better than my fingers?.............................................................................................. 4 Is facial gua sha painful?................................................................................................................................. 5 Does facial gua sha cause bruises?................................................................................................................ 5 Why this tool?.................................................................................................................................................. 5 Is facial gua sha for me and my skin type? ..................................................................................................... 5

2. Know the Basics.............................................................................................................................................. 6 Acupressure Points ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Reflexology Zones........................................................................................................................................... 9 Lymphatic System ......................................................................................................................................... 11

3. Telltale Signs on Our Face............................................................................................................................ 12 4. How to Use This Book................................................................................................................................... 16 5. About The Tool.............................................................................................................................................. 17 6. The Strokes ................................................................................................................................................... 18 7. The 7-Step Routine ....................................................................................................................................... 20 8. Tackling Stubborn Aging Signs ..................................................................................................................... 23

"11" Wrinkles/ Frown Lines............................................................................................................................ 23 Crows Feet Wrinkles .................................................................................................................................... 24 Forehead Wrinkles ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Wrinkles at Corner of Mouth and Cheek ....................................................................................................... 26 Freckles......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Sagging Skin ................................................................................................................................................. 28 Puffy Face ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 Dark Circles................................................................................................................................................... 30 Eye Bags....................................................................................................................................................... 31 Melasma/ Chloasma on Forehead ................................................................................................................ 32 Melasma/ Chloasma at Outer Bottom Corner of Eye .................................................................................... 33 Melasma/ Chloasma on Cheek ..................................................................................................................... 34 Shop Acupressure Products by Dragon Acupuncture ........................................................................................... 35 Sources................................................................................................................................................................. 36 About Us ....................................................................................................................................................... 36

The information on acupressure points for beauty and facial scraping massage techniques contained in this book are best of our knowledge as well as research. The information is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. Speak with your trusted professionals prior to practicing methods in this book. Please keep in mind that reactions and results may vary with each individual.

Copyright ? 2018 Easytech Trading Pte. Ltd. Except as provided by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

3 |

Facial Gua Sha

1. What Is Facial Gua Sha?

Gua Sha, a natural alternative therapy invented by the Ancient Chinese, involves scraping your skin with a massage tool to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissue, which increases blood circulation. Through these strokes, it is believed that the stagnant energy ("qi"), responsible for the inflammation causing chronic pain and sickness, can be stimulated to flow smoothly again.

Facial gua sha is a much gentler version of the gua sha applied on the body. It is not expected to cause bruises or skin rashes on the face and can be practiced frequently to improve various skin conditions. By applying simple varying strokes to selected reflexology zones and acupressure points, we can address a wide range of skin problems effectively. Instant results in erasing fine lines, puffiness and achieving better complexion are often observed. Over time, enduring aging signs such as wrinkles and sagging skin can be reduced. And all you need is a special facial gua sha tool that is gentle on your skin and a few minutes of your time each day.

The massage techniques in this book incorporate theories of gua sha (acupressure), facelift massage and lymphatic drainage. So three things happen when the skin is scraped:

1. Surface of skin and particular acupoints are stimulated to increase blood circulation and flow of "qi" (results in better complexion and reduces various skin problems) 2. Tense facial muscles are relaxed as pressure is applied (reduces depth of wrinkle lines), and 3. Stagnant lymph is activated to clear out toxins (reduces puffiness)

What are the benefits of facial gua sha?

With practice and patience, facial gua sha can achieve the following

Firms up your sagging facial muscles Smoothens the skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles on your face Improves dark circles and bags under the eyes (the kind you get from advancing age) Lightens age spots and other skin discolorations Your complexion gets rosier and more radiant Helps clear up acne, rosacea, and other skin diseases on your face

This is inexpensive. You can do it at the comfort of your home. Treat yourself to home facial spa anytime you want.

Why is the gua sha tool better than my fingers?

The tool is better than your fingers in various ways. Firstly, your fingernails wont get in the way or acciden tally scratch your face. And you wont tire your finger joints when you apply pressures on your finger tips for some time. Moreover, the tool is smooth all around, cool to touch and can reach every corners of your face. You will be amazed at how easy it is to adjust pressure simply by positioning and tilting the tool in different ways.

4 |

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Facial Gua Sha

Is facial gua sha painful?

No, it is not supposed to be painful at all. As you perform gua sha on yourself, you are able to apply varying pressure that is at balance between "pain" and "comfort". As a rule of thumb, we typically apply more pressure to areas with muscles, for example cheeks, as compared to those with little muscles such as neck and eye regions. As you scrape, you may come across spots where you feel dull aches. These spots are often regions of congestion of "qi" according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or areas with lymphatic blockage. At these spots, we continue to scrape but with lighter pressures and slower strokes. With several more sessions, you can feel that the pain goes away and with that the particular facial problem related to this congestion gets mitigated.

Does facial gua sha cause bruises?

Unlike body gua sha, we hold the gua sha tool at a much smaller angle to the face (for more details, refer to Chapter 6) and apply much less force as the face is more sensitive than other parts of the body. As such, bruises or "sha" (rashes due to breaking of capillaries) are not expected. If redness persists after facial gua sha, this means that you have applied too much pressure. Use lighter hand and apply more lubricant (oil, cream, gel or lotion) for the next session. With practice, you will get it right. Beginners are advised to start with the lightest pressures such that the routine can be performed regularly.

Why this tool?

Ancient Chinese started with using ceramic spoons for gua sha. Other common materials developed over the years include jade, bian stone, buffalo horn, wood and stainless steel. The tools often come in various shapes and sizes, and are usually targeted for application on the body. Our tool, designed for the sole application on faces, has corners and edges that can nicely fit our facial contour (for more details, refer to Chapter 5). As compared to wood, our material, microcrystalline ceramic, does not get moldy when damp and can be cleaned with soap easily. Unlike normal ceramic, jade or buffalo horn, our tool is made of a specially strengthened ceramic that does not crack or break as easily when dropped. Our tool is much more economical than stainless steel ones, which are more suitable for applications on large muscle groups. We also offer a 60-day replacement guarantee should there be any damage to the tool. (Contact us: info@dragon-).

Is facial gua sha for me and my skin type?

It is suitable for most adults with any skin types. It is a natural and non-invasive way of injecting youth to your skin and mitigating skin problems. There are however a few things to note:

1. Avoid directly scraping on inflamed skin e.g. acne 2. If you have sensitive skin, make sure that you use a gentle hand and clean the scraping tool thoroughly

before use. 3. Beginners have a tendency to apply too much force. It is advised to start with lightest pressures when

you first start practicing scraping.

5 |

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Facial Gua Sha

2. Know the Basics

Our massage method takes into consideration the lymphatic draining, acupressure point system and reflexology zones on our face. We would not burden you with the detailed theories, but here is the basic knowledge that will help you understand the techniques better.

Acupressure Points

There are 17 acupressure points that can effectively tackle skin problems related to aging. The table below describes how to locate these points and their applications for beauty. Whats more is that all the acupoints can also be applied for other issues such as eye fatigue, pain, headache etc. For example, the next time you have stuffy nose, try massaging acupoint Ying Xiang (LI-20). You will be amazed how quickly it helps clear your nose!

Jing Ming (Bl-1)

Cheng Qi (St-1) Si Bai (St-1)

Ying Xiang (LI-20)

Shen Ting (Du-24) Mei Chong (Bl-3) Yang Bai (Gb-14) Zan Zhu (Bl-2) Yu Yao Tong Zi Jiao (Gb-1)

Quan Liao (SI-18)

Cheng Jiang (Ren-24)

Si Zhu Kong (SJ-23) Temple

Xia Guan (St-7) Jia Che (St-6) Di Cang (St-4)

All the acupressure points shown are located on both sides of the face with exceptions of Shen Ting (Du-24) and Cheng Jiang (Ren-24).

6 |

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Facial Gua Sha

Point

Name

Forehead Area

Tai Yang/ Temple

Du-24/ GV-24

Shen Ting

Bl-3/ UB-3

Gb-14

Mei Chong

Yang Bai

Eye Area

Bl-1/ UB-1

Jing Ming

Bl-2/ UB-2

Zan Zhu

Gb-1

Tong Zi Liao

St-1

Cheng Qi

St-2

Si Bai

Yu Yao

SJ-23/ TB-23

Si Zhu Kong

Direction translation Great Sun

Spirit Courtyard

Eyebrows' Pouring Yang White

Bring Eyes Gathered Bamboo Pupil Crevice Container of Tears Four Whites

Fish Loin

Silken Bamboo Hollow

Location

Beauty applications Other applications

Extrapolate lines from eyebrow and tip of eye. Temple is where these two lines meet

Midpoint of front hairline

- Crow's feet wrinkles - Melasma/ Chloasma at outer bottom corner of eye

- Forehead wrinkles

Along hairline directly above inner tips of eyebrows

On the forehead, directly above the pupil and mid-point between the eyebrow and hairline

- Forehead wrinkles

- Melasma/ Chloasma at forehead

- Temporal, one-sided migraine headache due to eye fatigue - Dizziness - Eye issues i.e. swelling, redness

- Headache - Chronic sinusitis - Anxiety - Vertigo

- Headache - Nasal obstruction - Epilepsy

- Frontal headaches - Eye issues i.e. redness, swelling, twitching etc

In a depression, at the inner corner of the eye

At the inner tip of eyebrow, directly above the inner corner of the eye

In the depression at the outer margin of the eye socket

Directly below the pupil when eyes look ahead

Below Cheng Qi

- Dark circles

- Dark circles

- Crow's feet wrinkles - Dark circles - Dark circles - Eye bags

- Eye bags

At the midpoint of the eyebrow, in a depression directly above the pupil

In the depression at the outer tip of eyebrow

- Melasma/ Chloasma at forehead

- Melasma/ Chloasma at forehead

- Main point for all eye disorders

- Headache - Sinus congestion - Eye allergies

- Headache - Eye problems

- Eye issues i.e. redness, dryness, twitching, itchy

- Eye issues i.e. redness, excessive lacrimation, twitching - Facial paralysis

- Frontal headache - Disorders of the eyelids

- Eye pain, redness, swelling, drooping eyelids

7 |

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

Facial Gua Sha

Point

Name

Cheek Area

LI-20/ CO-20

Ying Xiang

SI-18

Quan Liao

St-7

Xia Guan

St-6

Jia Che

Mouth Area

St-4

Di Cang

Ren-24/ CV-24

Cheng Jiang

Direction translation Welcome Fragrance Cheek Bone Crevice

Below the Joint

Jaw Bone

Earth Granary Saliva Container

Location

Beauty applications Other applications

Depressed regions at both sides of nose

Below the outer tip of the eye, a depressed area at bottom edge of cheek bone In the depression in front of the ear, near ear hole

A region when you bite, you can feel the muscles rise and harden and becomes depressed when jaw is relaxed

- Puffy face - Freckles - Melasma/ Chloasma on cheek - Sagging skin - Melasma/ Chloasma on cheek

- Wrinkles at corner of mouth and cheek - Sagging skin

- Sagging skin - Puffy face - Wrinkles at corner of mouth and cheek

- Loss of smell or taste, sinus issues, allergies - Sinus congestion

- Facial disorders, spasm, Bell's palsy - Upper jaw toothache

- Facial pain - Lower jaw toothache - Hearing issues, deafness, ear pain, ear inflections

- Facial paralysis - Toothache - Loss of voice

Half of a finger distance from tip of mouth

- Sagging skin - Puffy face

In a depression

- Puffy face

under lower lip in the

mid-line

- Facial pain, paralysis - Inability to close the eye, eye twitching

- Facial pain, paralysis - Toothache - Voice hoarseness - Dry mouth

8 |

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download