SHIBUICHI Gua-Sha Self Care Massager

Shibuichi Shell Gua Sha Tool

For many years I dealt with stiff hands and neck, headaches and poor circulation. I tried traditional methods, including medication and visits to a chiropractor and sports medicine massage. The medication messed with my gut health and the other things helped, but not for long. I started doing research and found my way to acupressure and gua sha scraping, which is defined as follows:

‘Gua sha is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves using a smooth-edged tool to gently scrape the skin. The word "gua sha" translates to "scraping sand" in Chinese. 

• Gua: Means "to scrape" 
• Sha: Refers to the reddish or purple marks that may appear on the skin after gua sha treatment, resembling sand 

Gua sha is believed to improve circulation, reduce muscle tension, and promote relaxation. It is often used to treat pain, stiffness, and skin conditions. ‘

I began to try out various tools and methods and found that the light scraping along my muscles, especially my neck, hands and face, felt really relaxing. I discovered that this was due to lymphatic drainage, which helps with puffiness. So, gua sha scraping helped me feel better and after the initial reddening went away, my skin looked revitalized from the blood flow. Ever since discovering it, the practice has become a part of my daily ritual. I have a large collection of massage tools, rollers, needlers, guns and brushes but non of them were perfect for my needs. I wanted something portable, multi purpose, antibacterial and also beautiful, especially if it’s something I carried and used everyday. I carved my own tool, using a sea shell as inspiration. The bumps have a tactile quality that I use in two ways, the first as a deep tissue massager ( the dip on the other side is perfect for your thumb) and the bumps help loosen up the fascia, or connective tissue in the muscles. The teeth are great for combing the scalp or more intense scraping of the muscles. The smooth edge is perfect to scrape the face and neck and hands. There is also a bulbous point that is great for acupressure. The tool feels great in the hands and I often carry it in my pocket and find that the bumps are quite satisfying as a worry stone or stimulation device. I use it whenever I feel my neck get stiff, or my face looks puffy or dark circles are forming- I use a lovely auryveda face oil (coconut oil or tallow works well) to help things glide along and get circulated. I’ve carved several prototypes and this one is the final product and I am very happy with it! We cast these tools in an alloy called shibuichi which is silver and copper melted together to create a rosy pink metal that has a beautiful burgundy patina that is naturally antibacterial. These tools are labor intensive to make and the materials aren’t cheap, but the finished result is a beautiful and useful tool that you can use on your self or on someone else.