How to Use Gua Sha: What the Research Shows

Gua sha (pronounced "gwa-shah") is a massage technique that uses a smooth-edged tool, often a flat stone, to glide or scrape along the skin. On the face, it is usually done with light pressure and a little oil. This guide covers how to use gua sha, what the research shows, who should skip it, and how to care for the tool.

We sell a gua sha stone and a crystal skin roller, so read this with that in mind: the evidence for facial gua sha is thinner than most social media suggests, and this guide says so. If you are choosing an oil to use with it, see our guide to facial oils for dry skin.

What Is Gua Sha, and What Is It Used For?

Gua sha is a traditional East Asian technique in which a tool is stroked or scraped over the skin to try to improve circulation. In the sources we read, the research on it is limited and mostly about pain, not skin.

Cleveland Clinic says the word loosely translates to "scraping, rubbing or pushing," essentially a tool-assisted massage, and that there is "not enough high-quality research to definitively declare the benefits." Medical News Today likewise says there is limited research into how well it works. On the body, practitioners use firmer pressure that can leave red or purple spots. Facial gua sha, the version most people search for, uses much lighter pressure. Our reading: treat it as a relaxing massage tool, not a treatment for anything.

Does Gua Sha Actually Work on the Face?

It can change how skin looks and feels for a short time, but we found no evidence of lasting lifting, sculpting or wrinkle change. The one facial trial we found compared two massage tools rather than gua sha against nothing.

• What Westlake Dermatology says: Westlake Dermatology says gua sha appears to increase local blood flow temporarily, which may help skin look less dull right after a session. It also says there is limited scientific evidence that it leads to permanent changes in facial structure, sustained sculpting or true skin firming, and that any contouring effect is typically temporary and related to fluid shifts and muscle relaxation.
• The one facial trial: A 2025 randomized trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology put 34 women aged 20 to 50 into a facial roller group or a gua sha group. Each did the massage for 10 minutes, five times a week, for 8 weeks. Measured distances across the face surface fell by 2.23 to 2.40 millimetres in the gua sha group and 2.75 to 3.26 millimetres in the roller group, and measures of muscle tone changed in the gua sha group.
• What that trial cannot tell you: The abstract describes two active groups and no group that did nothing, so it cannot separate the effect of gua sha from the effect of time, or from any facial massage. It does not say whether the changes lasted after the eight weeks. A change of two millimetres is small.
• The gap: We found no trial of facial gua sha against no treatment. Our reading: results are plausible but unproven, and small.

Does Gua Sha Increase Blood Flow?

Yes, briefly, in the one study that measured it, but that study was on the back with a firmer technique, not on the face. The other sources describe a temporary flush.

• The study: A 2007 pilot study in Explore used laser imaging on 11 healthy volunteers after a single gua sha treatment on the back. Blood flow in the treated area rose about fourfold for the first 7.5 minutes and stayed significantly higher across the 25-minute study period. Cleveland Clinic cites this study for the claim that gua sha increases microcirculation.
• Why it may not carry over: That technique deliberately raises small red spots called petechiae, and it was tested on the back, not the face. Facial gua sha uses lighter pressure, so we cannot assume the same result.
• What it means for skin: Westlake Dermatology links the temporary rise in blood flow to skin looking less dull for a while afterward. We found no study showing this changes skin over weeks or months.

Does Gua Sha Drain Lymph or Reduce Puffiness?

Possibly a little, for a short time, but we could not find a study that shows it. The sources describe it as a plausible effect of gentle massage rather than a tested one.

• Cleveland Clinic: Its page says social media influencers rave that facial gua sha reduces puffiness, though "research doesn't address this benefit." It adds that, like lymphatic drainage self-massage, the gentle downward motion may help get lymphatic fluid moving, which may lessen puffiness and help you feel more relaxed.
• Westlake Dermatology: It says the massage-like motion can help move lymphatic fluid, which may reduce mild puffiness and give a slightly de-puffed look. It cites no study for this.
• Medical News Today: It attributes to a 2022 article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology the idea that short-term gua sha use may reduce the appearance of puffiness through lymphatic drainage. PubMed lists no abstract for that article and we did not read its full text, so we cannot say what evidence it rests on.
• Our reading: If puffiness goes down, the likeliest explanation is that gentle massage helps fluid shift for a while. That is a reasonable guess, not a result. It is also not a substitute for finding out why your face is swollen, if it is persistent or one-sided.

Does Gua Sha Firm Skin or Remove Toxins?

We found no study showing that it does either. The sources disagree here, and the one that makes the bigger claims does not cite research.

• The bigger claim: Healthline, in a 2021 article, quotes an expert saying facial gua sha increases circulation and the skin's production of collagen and elastin, and that the extra circulation helps with detoxification. The article does not link a study for either.
• The cautious view: Westlake Dermatology says its claims about long-term anti-aging benefits, such as significant wrinkle reduction or collagen stimulation, are sparse and not robustly supported. It calls gua sha a supportive practice rather than a stand-alone way to lift, firm or correct wrinkles.
• On inflammation: Cleveland Clinic says the idea that the small spots gua sha can leave trigger an inflammation-reducing response has not been scientifically validated.
• Our reading: The claim that gua sha removes toxins has no study behind it in anything we read, and the collagen claim rests on one quoted opinion. We would not buy a stone expecting either.

Which Is Better: Gua Sha or a Facial Roller?

We cannot say either is better. The one trial that compared them found different measured changes, and both groups did an 8-week routine of 10 minutes five days a week.

• What the trial found: In the 2025 trial, the roller group's skin-elasticity measures improved by 8.6% and 7.5% on the two indices, while the gua sha group showed reductions in muscle-tone measures. Both groups had smaller measured facial distances. The authors conclude both work through different mechanisms.
• What to keep in mind: It was 34 women, 8 weeks, and no untreated group, so it shows the two routines differ, not that either beats doing nothing.
• Practical difference: A roller rolls over the skin, while gua sha is glided flat along it. We also sell a crystal skin roller; the same caution applies to it. Pick the one you will actually use gently and regularly.

Is Gua Sha Safe for Everyone?

Light facial gua sha is generally described as low risk, but it is not for everyone, and too much pressure can cause bruising or broken capillaries. Skip it and ask a professional first if any of the conditions below apply to you.

• Skip these areas: Cleveland Clinic says never to use gua sha over irritated or inflamed skin such as rashes, wounds or sunburn. Westlake Dermatology adds active acne and areas of broken capillaries, and says to be gentle around the delicate under-eye skin. Cleveland Clinic also says to skip swollen areas.
• Conditions and medicines to ask about: Cleveland Clinic lists circulation problems, diabetes, a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis, blood thinners such as aspirin, coumadin or apixaban, chemotherapy and pregnancy. Medical News Today lists skin or vein conditions, easy bleeding, blood-thinning medication, an infection, tumor or unhealed wound, and an implant such as a pacemaker.
• Sensitive or rosacea-prone skin: Westlake Dermatology says too much pressure, too little lubrication or a poor angle can lead to irritation or broken capillaries, especially on sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.
• Bruising: Cleveland Clinic says aggressive scraping can cause soreness, bruising or discoloration. Medical News Today says the bruises from body gua sha usually take a few days to a week to fade.
• Sharing the tool: A 2012 safety paper in Complementary Therapies in Medicine notes that gua sha can draw blood through the skin, which risks contaminating the tool, and that neither the literature nor professional standards adequately cover safety. Our reading: keep your tool to yourself and clean it after each use.

When Should You Check With a Doctor First?

Check first if you take blood thinners, bruise or bleed easily, have a skin or circulation condition, are pregnant, or have persistent facial swelling you have not had looked at. Cleveland Clinic advises telling your practitioner about any health conditions before a session.

Stop and get advice if gua sha leaves your skin painful, broken, blistered or badly bruised. Persistent or one-sided swelling deserves a medical look rather than a massage tool. Gua sha is not a substitute for medical care. This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Individual results may vary.

How Do You Use Gua Sha on Your Face?

Clean the tool, put oil or a moisturizer on clean skin, then glide the tool with light pressure up and outward from the centre of your face. Never press hard enough to hurt. The steps below combine what Cleveland Clinic, Westlake Dermatology and Healthline describe.

1. Clean the tool: Westlake Dermatology says to clean it before and after each use. Cleveland Clinic says some tools can be sanitized in boiling water or with a watered-down bleach solution; check that yours can take it first.
2. Prepare your skin: Start with a clean face and apply a facial oil, serum or moisturizer so the tool glides instead of tugging. Westlake Dermatology says to use a generous amount.
3. Use a light touch: Cleveland Clinic says the face is thinner than the rest of the body, so do not press hard: a little redness may form, "but not so much that it hurts." Westlake Dermatology says heavy pressure is not necessary and can irritate.
4. Work outward from the centre, mostly upward: Cleveland Clinic suggests starting at the nose and working outward. Westlake Dermatology says to move from the centre of the face outward for the cheeks and jawline and from the brow toward the temples for the forehead.
5. Go in one direction: Cleveland Clinic says to keep the tool moving in a smooth, straight line and not rub back and forth or at different angles, which can stretch and aggravate skin. Healthline's routines repeat each sweep about three times.
6. Finish on the neck, then clean up: Westlake Dermatology says to glide down the neck toward the collarbone. Skip swollen areas and be gentle under the eyes. Wash and dry the tool afterward.

How Often Should You Use Gua Sha?

The sources disagree, so start with once or twice a week and adjust to how your skin responds. That schedule is our suggestion, not a tested one.

• Healthline: It says facial gua sha should be practiced regularly for the best result and that once or twice a week is ideal.
• Westlake Dermatology: Regular practice, several times per week, is more likely to give sustained improvement in puffiness and relaxation than occasional use. It also says gua sha should never feel painful.
• The trial: The 2025 trial had women use their tool for 10 minutes, five times a week, for 8 weeks. That was a study protocol, not a recommendation, and we do not know whether that much is needed or wise for everyone.

What Should You Use With Gua Sha, and Does the Stone Matter?

Use a plain oil, serum or moisturizer you already tolerate, and pick any smooth, unchipped tool. We found no study comparing stones, and Cleveland Clinic's acupuncturist says a small wooden spoon works just as well.

• What goes on your skin: Cleveland Clinic says lotion or serum, and Westlake Dermatology says facial oil, serum or moisturizer; the point is glide. Our suggestion is a fragrance-free product. See our fragrance-free moisturizer guide or our rosehip oil for face guide for what to check on a facial oil.
• The stone: We found no research showing that jade, rose quartz, aventurine or any other stone changes the result, and none of the sources we read claim it does. Pick the shape and feel you like.
• Condition of the tool: Cleveland Clinic says to keep it in good condition, and to stop using it and replace it if it chips or breaks, since a chip could scratch skin.

How Do You Clean and Care for a Gua Sha Tool?

Clean it before and after each use, dry it, and keep it to yourself. Westlake Dermatology says to clean the tool before and after every session, and Cleveland Clinic says to keep it clean and in good condition.

• Cleaning: Cleveland Clinic says some tools can be sanitized in boiling water or with a watered-down bleach solution. We have no maker care guidance we can cite for our stones, so our suggestion, not from those sources, is to wash with mild soap and warm water, rinse and dry fully, and avoid sudden temperature changes that could crack a stone.
• Storage: Keep it where it will not knock against hard objects, because chips and cracks are the tool's main failure. Our suggestion, not from those sources: store it in a soft pouch or on a cloth.
• Sharing: Do not share it; see the safety section above.

You can browse the gua sha stone on its product page. We are not claiming it drains lymph, removes toxins or lifts skin; it is a massage tool, and this guide does not suggest more than that.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use gua sha on your face?

Clean the tool, apply oil or moisturizer to clean skin, and glide the tool up and outward from the centre of your face with light pressure, in one direction, then down the neck. Stop if it hurts.

Does gua sha really work?

It can make skin look less dull and may ease puffiness for a short time, and many people find it relaxing. We found no study showing lasting lifting, firming or wrinkle change, and no trial of facial gua sha against no treatment.

How often should you use gua sha?

Sources disagree: Healthline says once or twice a week, Westlake Dermatology says several times a week. If you are new to it, starting once or twice a week is a cautious option.

Can gua sha sculpt or lift your face?

Westlake Dermatology says there is limited scientific evidence for permanent changes in facial structure or true skin firming, and that contouring effects are typically temporary. The one facial trial we found measured changes of about two millimetres.

Does facial gua sha leave bruises?

Light facial pressure should not, and Cleveland Clinic says a little redness is expected but it should not hurt. Aggressive scraping can cause bruising, which Medical News Today says usually takes a few days to a week to fade.

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