Gua Sha Tools

Historically, any smooth edged tool was acceptable. Common soup spoons and coins were often used as well as instruments created out of jade, animal horns, but any smooth edge will work. It is necessary to lubricate the skin, and important to check for sensitivities or allergies. Oils made from Blood moving herbs and liniments are suitable if applied with care.

Rose Quartz is considered the “love stone”, as the vibration of the stone resonates with heart energy and creates a vibration of unconditional love, joy and emotional healing. It is for emotional stability, and helps with anxiety.  Rose Quartz has brightening properties, if you have concerns about your skin tone, rose quartz will help.

Jade has traditionally been considered the stone to create harmony of body and mind.  It is said to calm and irritable mind, and eliminates negativity. Jade is a cooling stone, so the tools are effective at reducing heat and inflammation.

Buffalo Horn has traditionally been considered a cold and acrid substance that is effective at moving Blood and Qi, improving circulation and relieving stiffness.  Buffalo Horn is considered the second coolest element in TCM next to rhinocerous which we obviously can not ethically use for this purpose.  The coolness of the buffalo horn means that it can have a powerful effect on removing heat and inflammation from the body.

Stainless Steel tools are cold and hard in nature.  Not appropriate for the face, the weight and density of stainless stell provide the strongest and coolest treatment option.  The beneifit of stainless steel are that it will not break, it is easy to disinfect, and the weight of the tools adds extra pressure to the area being treated.  The down side is that the treatment is very strong and potentially painful or damaging to the tissues.

Ceramic Spoon or Jar Lid various items can be used to perform gua sha, including the traditional Chinese soup spoon or jar lid.  Althought these materials do not hold any specific healing properties, they are useful "in a pinch" and because they are inexpensive can be disposed of therefore disinfection is not a concern.

Surface area and edges of tools

The surface area and edge of the tool that you use will have a great impact on your treatment.  If the surface is too rounded you may not achieve the desired result and if it is too sharp it may be very uncomfortable.  

Also the edges of the tools are significant, watch the video about gua sha tools to understand this better.