Choosing Gua Sha Stones: Shape

We are really seeing Gua Sha have a moment right now. Not only do estheticians love it in the treatment room, but celebrities and influencers are also touting its benefits all over social media. Doing a quick Google or Amazon search of Gua Sha stones can leave you feeling a little overwhelmed if you don't know what you're looking for. Stones come in all different shapes, sizes, price points, and materials. How do you know which one will be best to use? Do you need multiple shapes? What is it all for? Queue action paralysis for those of us who have a hard time making decisions. My goal with this post is to help provide some clarity about stone shapes… and maybe introduce you to some fun shapes you didn’t know existed.

What qualifies as a Gua Sha Stone?

In traditional Chinese medicine, Gua Sha refers to using a flat, rounded tool to scrape the skin. Gua Sha actually means scraping and redness, and the goal in traditional Chinese medicine is to leave the skin bright red. The end result is a huge boost in circulation which helps to take away toxins and bring oxygen and nutrients into the cells. On the face however, our goal is not to leave the skin bright red or scrape with the depth and pressure that is traditionally used. Our stones for facial work tend to be smaller, have smoother edges, and come in many different shapes to fit easily in your hand and work in the small contours of the face. One thing is true of Gua Sha on both the face and the body - the stones are always flat with rounded edges in order to scrape the skin. This means that rollers, acupressure point wands and marma point massagers are not Gua Sha stones. 

Anatomy of a Basic Stone

Flat side - used to drain, usually at a 15° angle.

Points - used to drain in smaller areas (think folds of the nose, around the eyes) or to smooth out adhesions anywhere on the face, usually at a 45° angle.  When there are 2+ points on a tool that are somewhat close together, that side can be used to work on tension in places like the jawline or to smooth or sculpt specific areas like around the mouth or neck.

Ridges - used for scraping in areas that are not as sensitive, such as a the jaw and neck, or very lightly on the face for encouraging drainage

Stone Shapes

The most common shapes for the face are the ones that I like to call the foot and the bunny ear. They are about the size of the palm of your hand, with rounded edges on different ends of the stone. These stones work on pretty much anybody - any face shape and in any practitioner's hand - and the main difference is simply a matter of preference. Which one feels better to you when you use it? Which one fits in your hand better? Which one has contours that fit onto your face the best?  Because of the shape, you have many options when it comes to how to use this tool. The flat ends tend to be the perfect size for draining the face and you have multiple different points to use for detailed smoothing or contouring, as well as releasing tension.

Another stone we see a lot looks kind of like a spatula. They are like longer, skinnier versions of  the most common Gua Sha stones. I love these for the same reasons as the more traditional shapes - there are multiple uses. The long handle fits into your hand easily and can drain areas like the cheeks all in one motion. You also have the benefit of points on each end for more detailed sculpting and working on loosening adhesions.

A shape with similar benefits to the spatula is the spoon. Spoons have a rounded end for sculpting and smoothing with a point for performing pressure point style massage. These stones tend to be better for working in detailed areas and releasing tension, but not so much for lymphatic drainage in larger areas like the cheeks just because of the size and shape. I still love them because they're multi-purpose. They are perfect for eye treatments - you can lay the spoon across the eyes for cooling and reducing puffiness, drain easily around the eyes, and finish with pressure points. 

One shape that we see a lot is the larger flat stones with ridged sides, often made of Bian stone. These are actually the most traditional Gua Sha stones, more similar to something that you would use on the body. They fit well in the hand and have great contours for working on the  jaw and neck. The flat ends work well for drainage. They have points for working on adhesions.    The ridges are perfect for tension on the back and sides of the neck, as well as encouraging lymphatic drainage when used with lighter pressure. These stones have it all!

One of my favorite shapes to use in the treatment room right now is the mushroom. Mushrooms are great for larger areas where you want to use a little more pressure without scraping (such as the back of the neck, shoulders and decollete). They work well on jaw tension and for cooling and soothing the eye area during eye treatments. These are also a good choice if you are worried about scraping too hard, as they don’t have strong edges or points. I love putting one in each hand and performing neck, shoulder and decollete massage while someone has a mask on (especially those jelly masks that take forever to set).

My other favorite and most underrated shape is the comb. These are obviously different than regular gua sha stones, but they still are flat with rounded edges - in fact every single comb tooth is rounded out. The combs are amazing because most people don’t realize how much tension is actually held in the scalp. This is super easy to do on yourself and as an add on for clients. Adding in a scalp serum with a little minty feeling takes this to the next level. I find you can even use the non-comb sides of the stone on the face for Gua Sha if you want, just be aware that the combs themselves are often times pretty heavy. You can also find these in combo tools for face and scalp if you want something with a lighter feel.

Choosing a Stone

If you are using Gua Sha in the treatment room, you may find it useful to have multiple stones in order to work on different face shapes. I find it helpful to have different shapes in order to add value in different ways or create different protocols.  Other fun shapes are available too that may make it easier for you to retail Gua Sha tools to your clients.

At the end of the day, some stones will just feel better to you when you are working with them - you don’t want to feel clumsy when you are switching positions or like the stone is too heavy.  It makes sense that if something doesn’t feel good in your hands, both shape and size, you will not be able to work as effectively. My number one recommendation is to play with different ones and see how you feel. If you are using the stones correctly (i.e. pressure, direction and angle), there is really no right or wrong.

Do you have a favorite stone shape or one you want to try? Let me know in the comments below!