Does Gua Sha Work? What the Research Says About Facial Gua Sha

Gua sha works, within limits. In the strongest study so far, an 8-week randomized trial of 34 women, facial gua sha used five times a week shortened facial contour measurements by 2.2 to 2.4 mm (Ahn et al., 2025). It supports a more sculpted, de-puffed look, but does not lift sagging skin, erase wrinkles or replace in-office care.

We make a powered gua sha tool, our GlowLift™ Infinity face sculpting device, so we read the studies carefully.

Does gua sha actually work?

Facial gua sha works for modest cosmetic goals. One randomized trial measured small changes in facial contour and a more relaxed jaw muscle after eight weeks of regular use, and circulation studies show brief rises in blood flow. The studies are small, and none shows lasting lift or wrinkle removal.

The key trial compared gua sha with a facial roller. Both groups improved their contour measurements, with no significant difference between them, and skin elasticity in the gua sha group did not change (Ahn et al., 2025).

There was no untreated control group, so some of the change could reflect time or expectation. Read it as an encouraging first trial, not proof.

What is facial gua sha?

Facial gua sha is a gentle massage in which a smooth-edged tool glides over oiled skin in slow, upward and outward strokes. It comes from a traditional East Asian body technique, but the facial version uses far lighter pressure and should never mark the skin.

Traditional gua sha is "press-stroking" that deliberately raises small red spots on the body called petechiae, which last two to five days (Lauche et al., 2012). The spots are tiny leaks of blood from capillaries under the skin (Nielsen et al., 2012).

Facial gua sha keeps the stroke and drops the bruising. The 8-week trial used a plastic-and-metal handheld tool with a curved edge, not a jade or rose quartz stone (Ahn et al., 2025).

How does gua sha work on the face?

Gua sha appears to work through mechanical effects on the skin and the muscle beneath it. Stroking briefly raises blood flow in the treated area, and regular sessions were linked to a more relaxed masseter muscle. None of these effects permanently changes the structure of the skin.

• Blood flow. One session raised surface blood flow for minutes, on the back (Nielsen et al., 2007) and, with a roller, on the cheek (Miyaji et al., 2018).
• Muscle tone. Eight weeks of facial gua sha left the masseter, the large chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw, less tense and stiff (Ahn et al., 2025).
• A de-puffed look. Slow outward strokes are widely used for morning puffiness, though no facial gua sha study has measured fluid directly. See how to depuff your face.

What have facial gua sha studies measured?

Facial gua sha research is still thin: one randomized trial of gua sha on the face, plus small studies of rollers, hand massage and body gua sha. Together these small studies point to measurable, modest changes in facial contour, circulation and muscle tone.

Study	Who and what	Protocol	What was measured	Caveat
Ahn et al., 2025	34 women aged 20–50, vs roller	10 min, 5 times a week, 8 weeks	Contour distances down 2.23–2.40 mm; masseter tone and stiffness lower; elasticity unchanged	No untreated control
Nielsen et al., 2007	11 healthy adults; pilot	One session on the back	Surface microcirculation 4 times higher for 7.5 min, raised for 25 min	Back, not face; no control
Miyaji et al., 2018	12 and 14 adults	5 min facial roller; 5 weeks of daily use	Cheek blood flow up for at least 10 min	Roller, not gua sha; beauty-tool maker co-author
Flament et al., 2023	50 women aged 40–60; open study	3-min hand self-massage daily, 2 weeks	Radiance score up 16.7%; fine-lines score down 23.8%	Hands, not a tool; no control

What the studies did not test

• Jade vs rose quartz vs stainless steel: no study has compared them.
• How long changes last after people stop.
• People with eczema, severe acne or rosacea, or outside the facial trial's age range of 20 to 50.
• A powered gua sha tool that adds warmth, cold, vibration or EMS, including GlowLift™.

Stone or powered: which gua sha tool suits you?

A smooth stone or steel gua sha is all the trial needed, so a manual tool is a fair place to start. A powered gua sha tool adds warmth, cold and EMS muscle stimulation for people who want one short ritual. No study has compared the two directly.

GlowLift™ Infinity is a 5-in-1 at-home face sculpting device that combines contrast therapy (warm and cold modes), EMS muscle stimulation, LED light, high-frequency vibration and gua sha-inspired sculpting to support firmer-looking, more defined skin. It is FDA-cleared.

EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) has its own research. In a 12-week randomized trial of 108 women, a facial EMS device used 20 minutes a day was associated with an 18.6% increase in cheek-muscle thickness (Kavanagh et al., 2012).

That trial and the gua sha trial tested other tools in longer sessions, so read them as evidence for the techniques, not for any single product. Our guide to EMS vs microcurrent explains how the two technologies differ.

Factor	Manual gua sha (stone or steel)	Powered gua sha (GlowLift™ Infinity)
What it does	Stroke and pressure	Stainless-steel gua sha edge plus warm and cold modes, EMS, LED light and vibration
Evidence	Stroke technique tested in an 8-week randomized trial	Gua sha and facial EMS each studied separately; the combination untested
Session	10 min, 5 times a week in the trial	5–7 min, 5–7 times a week per the GlowLift™ instructions
Upkeep	Clean after each use	Wipe the head with a damp cloth; USB-C charging; never submerge
Trade-offs	Low cost and travel-friendly; no warmth, cold or EMS	Costs more and needs charging; EMS is not for everyone

How do you use gua sha the way the studies did?

To match the research, apply facial oil or serum for slip and press firmly enough to move the skin without discomfort or bruising. Stroke upward and outward from the neck and jaw toward the ears and temples, about five times a week.

1. Start with clean, dry skin.
2. Add slip. A few drops of serum or facial oil; in the morning, our Radiant C-F Glow Drops vitamin C + ferulic serum works well under the strokes.
3. Warm and sculpt with GlowLift™ for 2–3 minutes. In warm mode, glide the steel edge from chin to ear along the jawline, then under the cheekbones toward the temples. With a stone, follow the same paths for 10 minutes.
4. Cool down for 1–2 minutes. Cold mode sweeps outward under the eyes and over puffiness-prone areas for a refreshed look.
5. Finish with EMS for 2–3 minutes. Start on Level 1 and trace the jaw and cheekbones again, raising intensity only when it feels comfortable.
6. Repeat five or more times a week. The trial measured its changes after a target of 40 sessions over eight weeks.

For the full stroke-by-stroke map, with morning and evening versions, see our gua sha routine.

EMS is not for everyone. Do not use an EMS device if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, implanted defibrillator or other active electronic implant, or on broken, irritated or infected skin. If you have epilepsy or a diagnosed skin condition, check with your doctor first.

Is gua sha safe, and when should you see a dermatologist?

Gentle facial gua sha is low-risk for most people when the tool is clean and the pressure stays comfortable. Bruising, broken skin and infection are linked to hard, traditional scraping, so stop if your skin marks or hurts, and see a board-certified dermatologist about any lump or lasting change.

Small gua sha studies have reported no adverse reactions (Nielsen et al., 2007). The rare problems on record come from force or poor hygiene: a skin infection after body-contouring gua sha in Korea (Park et al., 2021) and a neck muscle rupture after long-term, vigorous facial massage with a hard wooden block (Jung et al., 2024).

Gua sha is a cosmetic ritual, not a diagnosis or treatment, so check with a dermatologist first if you bruise easily or have rosacea, eczema, active acne or very sensitive skin. If you have questions about whether GlowLift™ suits your skin, reach us through our contact form.

The bottom line

For a more sculpted, de-puffed and relaxed look, early research says gua sha works, modestly: an 8-week trial measured millimeter-scale changes in facial contour. It will not lift skin.

Start with gentle sessions five times a week, with a stone or with GlowLift™ Infinity for warmth, cold and EMS in one tool. Small rituals that add up over months are our approach to skin longevity.

Sources

1. Ahn SH, Hwang UJ, Han HS, et al. Comparative effects of facial roller and gua sha massage on facial contour, muscle tone, and skin elasticity: randomized controlled trial. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(6):e70236. doi:10.1111/jocd.70236. PubMed 40439289
2. Lauche R, Wübbeling K, Lüdtke R, et al. Randomized controlled pilot study: pain intensity and pressure pain thresholds in patients with neck and low back pain before and after traditional East Asian "gua sha" therapy. Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(5):905–917. doi:10.1142/S0192415X1250067X. PubMed 22928824
3. Nielsen A, Kligler B, Koll BS. Safety protocols for gua sha (press-stroking) and baguan (cupping). Complement Ther Med. 2012;20(5):340–344. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2012.05.004. PubMed 22863649
4. Nielsen A, Knoblauch NTM, Dobos GJ, Michalsen A, Kaptchuk TJ. The effect of Gua Sha treatment on the microcirculation of surface tissue: a pilot study in healthy subjects. Explore (NY). 2007;3(5):456–466. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2007.06.001. PubMed 17905355
5. Miyaji A, Sugimori K, Hayashi N. Short- and long-term effects of using a facial massage roller on facial skin blood flow and vascular reactivity. Complement Ther Med. 2018;41:271–276. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.09.009. PubMed 30477852
6. Flament F, Maudet A, Bayer-Vanmoen M. The objective and subjective impact of a daily self-massage on visible signs of stress on the skin and emotional well-being. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2023;45(6):761–768. doi:10.1111/ics.12884. PubMed 37483121
7. Kavanagh S, Newell J, Hennessy M, Sadick N. Use of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device for facial muscle toning: a randomized, controlled trial. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2012;11(4):261–266. doi:10.1111/jocd.12007. PubMed 23174048
8. Park SW, Kwak HB, Lee SK, et al. Cutaneous infection caused by skin coining "gua sha" in Korean healthy female. Ann Dermatol. 2021;33(6):572–576. doi:10.5021/ad.2021.33.6.572. PubMed 34858010
9. Jung KH, Yang EJ, Lee W. Unilateral platysma muscle rupture as an effect of using a hard wooden block for facial massage. Arch Plast Surg. 2024;51(1):27–29. doi:10.1055/a-2175-8052. PubMed 38425863