The Best Gua Sha Tool for Your Actual Face (Not the One Influencers Are Selling)

A gua sha tool is a smooth-edged piece of stone or metal that you drag across your face with light pressure. That is the entire product. No battery, no proprietary waveform, no “micro-current technology” hiding inside a $190 slab of rose quartz. And yet the market has managed to turn a 2,000-year-old scraping implement into a status object with a price spread that runs from $6.99 to roughly $200 for what is, mechanically speaking, the same job.

Here is the part the product pages bury: the tool is not the active ingredient. Your hand is. The material determines how the tool feels, how it ages, and whether it becomes a bacteria hotel. It does not determine whether lymphatic fluid moves. A dermatologist will tell you the de-puffing effect comes from directional pressure and technique, not from the metaphysical vibration of jade. That does not mean the tool is irrelevant. It means you should buy it for finish, shape, hygiene, and durability — not for a crystal-energy pitch deck.

This guide ranks the tools that get those four things right, compares what they cost per use, and tells you where the “free shipping” math quietly eats your savings. The short answer, if you want it before the evidence: Sacheu Stainless Steel Non-Porous Gua Sha is the most sensible first purchase for most faces, Mount Lai Vitality Qi White Jade is the best stone option if you want edges that actually fit a jawline, and BAIMEI IcyMe set is the cheapest way to find out whether you will keep the habit past week two.

What a Gua Sha Tool Actually Does (and What It Doesn’t)

The mechanical story is unglamorous. Dragging a smooth edge across lubricated skin creates a pressure gradient in the superficial tissue. That pressure nudges interstitial fluid — the stuff that pools under your eyes at 7 a.m. after a salty dinner — toward draining lymph nodes. A 2026 review in Dermatology Times describes the effect as “transient mobilization” of fluid, and that word transient is doing a lot of work. You will look less puffy. You will not look like a different person by Thursday.

The de-puffing mechanism, explained without the mysticism

Lymphatic vessels do not have a heart pumping them. They rely on muscle contraction, breathing, and external pressure to move fluid. Gua sha supplies the external pressure. A randomized controlled trial comparing gua sha and facial rollers found measurable reductions in facial contour — in the range of 2.23 to 2.40 mm in the gua sha group — but the authors attributed the change to muscle property shifts and fluid movement, not permanent fat loss or bone remodeling. Translation: your jawline looks sharper because the tissue around it is less waterlogged and slightly more relaxed. Stop the routine for 48 hours and the water comes back.

That is not a reason to throw the tool in a drawer. Temporary is still real. A face that is 20% less puffy reads as more rested, and “rested” is most of what people mean by “glowing.” The mistake is expecting the mirror to hold the result indefinitely. It will not. Neither will a $395 microcurrent device, for what it’s worth.

Why “sculpting” is a temporary optical effect

Gua sha does not dissolve submental fat. It does not lengthen the masseter muscle. It does not “build collagen” through scraping — collagen synthesis is a biologically slow process that does not respond to a five-minute morning sweep. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jane Yoo puts it plainly: gua sha “does not permanently change bone structure, fat distribution, or muscle tone”. Any contouring you see in before-and-after photos is the combination of fluid drainage and mild muscle relaxation, and it fades over hours.

Does that make the before-and-after photos fake? Not necessarily. They are usually taken minutes apart, in the same lighting, after five to ten minutes of deliberate drainage work. The change is real in that window. It is just not structural. Think of it as ironing a shirt, not tailoring it.

Who should skip gua sha entirely

Active acne, rosacea flares, broken capillaries, and recent injectables are the four hard stops. Dragging a tool across inflamed skin can spread bacteria and worsen redness; pressure near fresh filler or Botox can displace product before it settles. If you have any of those, a cold compress and a dermatologist’s opinion are cheaper than a tool you will use twice and regret. Sensitive-but-not-inflamed skin is different — that is a material-selection problem, not a disqualification.

Gua Sha Materials: Jade, Rose Quartz, Stainless Steel, Bian Stone, Copper

Material is the most over-discussed and least consequential variable in gua sha — with two exceptions: hygiene and breakage. A stone tool that chips after a drop is a stone tool that can scratch your face. A porous stone that traps oil and bacteria is a stone tool that can seed breakouts. Those are real costs. The “cooling energy” of rose quartz is not.

The practical hierarchy is simpler than the table. If you want one tool that survives a bathroom drop, cleans up with alcohol, and still looks new in three years, buy stainless steel. If you want the tactile ritual of a stone and accept that it is a consumable, buy jade or rose quartz and treat it accordingly. Bian stone belongs in the body-work category; it is dense and traditionally used for larger muscle areas, not for the under-eye area. Copper is a niche choice for people following traditional Chinese medicine protocols that favor a warming metal — not a beginner’s first purchase.

Cooling retention, density, and glide — the three variables that matter

Stainless steel stays cold longer because it conducts heat efficiently and has a high thermal mass. A 2026 buying guide puts polished quartz and jade in a lower thermal-conductivity band than metal, which is why a steel tool feels colder at first touch and holds that cold through a five-minute routine. Density matters for a different reason: a denser tool lets you apply firmer pressure with less hand effort, which is useful along the jawline and useless under the eyes. Glide is a finish problem. A cheap stone with a rough edge will drag no matter how much oil you use; a well-finished $28 stone glides as well as a $68 one.

Hygiene and porosity: why stainless steel wins for acne-prone skin

Jade and rose quartz are porous. That means they absorb a fraction of your serum, your skin oil, and whatever bacteria are on your face at the moment of use. You can clean them — mild soap, lukewarm water, dry immediately — but you cannot sanitize them the way you can sanitize metal. Stainless steel is non-porous and can be wiped with isopropyl alcohol without damage, which is why clinical settings and shared-household bathrooms gravitate toward it. If you are prone to breakouts along the jaw or you share a tool with a partner, this is the single most important specification on the page. The “cooling crystal” copy is irrelevant next to it.

The bian stone exception: body work, not facial work

Bian stone is the traditional material, and it is heavier and denser than the jade and quartz most facial tools use. That density makes it excellent for shoulders, calves, and the IT band. It makes it clumsy and unnecessarily aggressive for the thin skin under the eyes. If you want one tool for both face and body, buy a stainless steel facial tool and a separate bian stone or wooden body scraper. Do not force a body tool onto your cheekbones because a product page told you it was “professional grade.”

The Best Gua Sha Tools in the US Market, Ranked

Rankings are not objective. They are a set of trade-offs made visible. These seven picks were ranked on edge finish, shape versatility, material durability, hygiene, and real cost per use — not on brand prestige or the number of TikTok videos the tool appears in. Prices are current US retail as of late 2026 and will move.

1. Sacheu Stainless Steel Non-Porous Gua Sha — best overall for hygiene

$32 at Ulta and Amazon. The Sacheu is the tool most dermatologists and estheticians would quietly recommend if they were not contractually obligated to promote a stone brand. It is non-porous, self-cooling, and fully recyclable, and it comes with a travel pouch that is more useful than the velvet bags stone tools ship with. The shape is a classic scraper profile with a divot for the nose bridge and jawline. It does not have the five-edge engineering of a Mount Lai, but it has the two edges you will actually use every day. The downside is aesthetic: stainless steel looks like a kitchen utensil, not a vanity object. If you need the tool to look pretty to use it consistently, this is not the one.

Real cost per use: at $32, used four times a week for two years, the Sacheu costs about $0.08 per session. A $68 stone that chips after eight months costs more.

2. Mount Lai Vitality Qi White Jade — best stone for precision edges

$68 at Ulta, Bloomingdale’s, and Mount Lai direct. Mount Lai’s patented five-edge design is the most genuinely differentiated shape in the stone category. The V-edge hugs the jawline, the W-edge contours the cheekbones, the comb edge works through tension, and the long smooth edge handles the forehead and neck. It is handcrafted white jade, which means it is porous and breakable, and the $68 price is a ritual premium, not a performance premium. But if you are going to buy a stone tool and you want one that feels engineered rather than cut from a mold, this is the one. The stainless steel version of the same shape runs about $90 at Bloomingdale’s, which makes the jade the better value if you accept the breakage risk.

3. FaceGym Multi-Sculpt High Performance Tool — best medical-grade steel splurge

Around $65–$75 depending on retailer. FaceGym’s tool is medical-grade stainless steel and is built like a surgical instrument. It is heavier than the Sacheu, which gives it a more deliberate feel along the jaw, and the edge geometry is excellent. Is it worth roughly double the Sacheu? Only if you have held both and prefer the weight. The mechanical job is identical. The “high performance” language is marketing, not a spec sheet. Buy it if you want the weight and the brand story; skip it if you are optimizing for cost per use.

4. BAIMEI IcyMe Gua Sha & Jade Roller Set — best cheap entry point

$7.99–$12 on Amazon, depending on the day and the coupon. This set gives you a jade gua sha and a jade roller for less than the price of a mid-range stone alone. Neither piece is an heirloom. The jade is likely lower-grade, the finish is acceptable but not luxurious, and the roller will squeak within a month. That is fine. The purpose of this set is to answer one question: will you actually do this four times a week? If the answer is yes, upgrade to a Sacheu or a Mount Lai and keep the BAIMEI roller for travel. If the answer is no, you have spent eight dollars to learn something a $68 stone would have taught you more expensively.

5. Skin Gym Rose Quartz Heart — best stone for ritual users

$27.20 on Amazon. The heart shape is more versatile than it looks: the point fits the under-eye area, the curve hugs the jaw, and the flat edge handles the cheek. Skin Gym’s rose quartz is substantial and well-finished, and the price sits in the sensible middle between the BAIMEI budget set and the Mount Lai premium. The caveat is the standard stone caveat: it will chip if dropped, and it is porous. If you want a tool that feels good in the hand and you are willing to treat it like a piece of glass, this is a strong choice. If you want something you can toss in a gym bag without a pouch, go back to the Sacheu.

6. ZDEER GS5 Heated Gua Sha — best budget electric option

Around $21.49 with a coupon code on Amazon, listed at a higher sticker price. The ZDEER adds three heat levels and red light to a plastic-and-metal body. The heat is genuinely pleasant on a tight jaw, and the vibration is stronger than the price suggests. But this is a comfort device, not a clinical upgrade. The red light dose from a handheld gua sha is far below the irradiance used in studies that show collagen benefits, and the heat does not make the mechanical drainage more effective — it just makes the five minutes more enjoyable. If enjoyment is the difference between using it and not using it, that is worth $21. If you are buying it for “red light therapy,” save your money and buy a dedicated LED mask with published irradiance specs.

7. Lanshin Intro Gua Sha — best for sensitive, reactive skin

Around $45–$55 depending on the retailer. Lanshin’s Intro tool is designed specifically for sensitive skin that flushes easily, including rosacea-prone and inactive eczema. The edges are rounded rather than sharply beveled, which reduces the chance of micro-irritation during a learning curve. It is a stone tool, so the porosity caveat applies, but the shape is the most forgiving for a beginner who has not yet learned pressure control. If you have rosacea and still want to try gua sha against your dermatologist’s advice, this is the least risky shape to learn on. If you have active rosacea, the correct purchase is no tool at all.

Gua Sha Tool Comparison Table: Price, Material, Guarantee, and Real Cost per Use

“Cost per use” is the number that exposes the premium-tool illusion. A $68 stone used twice and abandoned costs $34 per session. A $32 steel tool used four times a week for a year costs about $0.15 per session. The table below uses a 12-month ownership window and four uses per week as the baseline for tools likely to survive that long. Stone tools are calculated on a 12-month assumption with a breakage risk caveat.

The “guarantee” column is where US buyers get quietly punished. Most gua sha tools are sold through retailers with a 30-day return window, not a lifetime warranty. If a stone chips at week six, you are outside the window at Ulta and Amazon unless the brand itself offers a replacement policy. Stainless steel rarely needs a warranty because it does not chip. That asymmetry is the strongest financial argument for metal over stone, and it never appears in the crystal-themed product copy.

How to Use a Gua Sha Tool Without Tugging Your Face Off

Most gua sha irritation is self-inflicted. The tool is not too rough, the pressure is too high, the skin is too dry, or the session is too long. Fix those three variables and the routine becomes boring in the best way: five minutes, no redness, consistent enough to produce the temporary de-puffing that is the entire point.

The five-minute routine, step by step

Start with a clean face and a slippery base. Cleansing first prevents you from pushing dirt and oil deeper into pores. Then apply a facial oil or a rich serum — enough that the tool glides without any drag. A 2026 tutorial from Neal’s Yard Remedies recommends warming a few drops of oil between the palms and applying generously to the face and neck before the first stroke. If you feel friction, stop and add more product. Friction is the enemy, not pressure.

Work the neck before the face. Use the long smooth edge of the tool and sweep upward from the collarbone to just below the ear, then down the side of the neck. Five to ten strokes per side. This is the lymphatic drainage step, and it is the one most people skip because it does not produce an immediate jawline reveal. Do it anyway. Drainage is a plumbing problem: you clear the downstream pipes before you flush the upstream ones.

Jawline, cheeks, forehead, eyes — in that order. For the jaw, fit the notch or V-edge around the chin and sweep toward the ear, five to ten strokes per side. For the cheeks, start beside the nose and glide outward and upward toward the temple. For the forehead, use the flat edge and sweep upward from the brow to the hairline. For the under-eye area, use the smallest, most rounded edge and use feather-light pressure — this is the area where aggressive strokes create broken capillaries and the morning-after regret that makes people quit. Finish with a few downward strokes along the neck to clear what you have moved.

Pressure, angle, and the one mistake that causes redness

The tool should sit at roughly a 15- to 30-degree angle to the skin, not flat and not at 90 degrees. Flat means no drainage; 90 degrees means scraping. Gentle pressure is correct for the face, and “gentle” means less than you think — the weight of a stainless steel tool is often enough on its own. The redness mistake is almost always too much pressure on dry skin in the under-eye area. If you finish and your cheeks look sunburned, you did not “activate circulation.” You irritated the stratum corneum. Dial it back by half and add more oil.

What to use with a gua sha tool (and what wastes your money)

Use a facial oil, a rich serum, or a moisturizer with enough slip to let the tool glide. Do not use a lightweight gel that absorbs in 30 seconds — you will be dragging on bare skin before you finish the jawline. Do not buy a dedicated “gua sha oil” if it costs more than the tool. The oil’s job is lubrication, not magic. A $12 rosehip oil or a basic squalane works as well as a $60 “sculpting elixir” for this purpose. The one product category that is worth considering is a barrier-repair moisturizer if your skin is dry or reactive, because the friction of the tool is a mild mechanical stress and a healthy barrier tolerates it better.

Gua Sha for Double Chin, Jowls, and Puffy Face: What the Evidence Supports

The search results for “gua sha for double chin” are a masterclass in conflating three different things: fluid retention, muscle tension, and subcutaneous fat. Gua sha addresses the first two, temporarily. It does not address the third at all. A tool that promises to “melt” submental fat is selling a fantasy with a stone edge.

Lymphatic drainage: the only claim worth paying for

Lymphatic drainage is the best-supported benefit of facial gua sha. The mechanical pressure moves excess interstitial fluid toward the lymph nodes, and the visible result is a less puffy face, particularly around the eyes and along the jaw. A dermatology review describes this as the “most evidence-supported claim in the gua sha conversation” and notes that the effect typically fades over the following hours. It is not permanent, but it is reliable enough to be worth a five-minute morning routine if puffiness is your main complaint. If you wake up with a genuinely swollen face every day, gua sha is a reasonable cosmetic intervention — but it is not a substitute for a doctor’s opinion on why the swelling is happening.

Double chin: temporary de-puffing, not fat loss

A double chin has multiple causes: submental fat, a recessed chin bone, skin laxity, and fluid retention. Gua sha can influence only the last one. Sweeping the tool along the jaw and under the chin may move lymph fluid and create a temporarily sharper contour, and a randomized trial supports measurable contour changes in the range of a couple of millimeters. It will not reduce fat. It will not tighten loose skin. It will not change bone structure. If a product page shows a before-and-after with a dramatically reduced double chin and attributes it to the stone, look at the lighting and the time stamp — the “after” is almost certainly minutes later and shot from a higher angle.

Under-eye bags and forehead wrinkles: modest, short-lived gains

Under-eye bags are mostly fluid and thin skin. Gentle drainage strokes with a rounded edge can reduce the fluid component for a few hours. Forehead wrinkles are a different problem: they are dynamic lines from repeated muscle contraction, and gua sha’s temporary muscle relaxation can soften their appearance without changing the underlying crease. Neither result is permanent, and neither justifies a $100 tool. They justify a $32 tool used consistently and a realistic expectation about what “consistent” buys you.

Electric, Heated, and Red Light Gua Sha Tools: Upgrade or Gimmick?

The electric gua sha category exists because “stone on a string” is a hard product to differentiate. Adding vibration, heat, and an LED creates a spec sheet. The question is whether any of those specs change the outcome enough to justify the added cost, charging hassle, and eventual battery degradation.

Vibration and heat: comfort features, not clinical breakthroughs

Vibration makes the five minutes feel more massage-like, and heat relaxes a tight masseter or temporalis muscle. Both are pleasant. Neither increases lymphatic drainage beyond what the mechanical stroke already does. If the vibration helps you use the tool more often, it is a valid purchase — adherence is the real active ingredient in any at-home routine. But do not pay a premium for “sonic” or “thermal technology” as if it were a clinical feature. The mechanism is still a smooth edge moving across lubricated skin. The ZDEER GS5 at around $21 is a reasonable experiment. A $200 electric gua sha is a different product category wearing the same name.

Red light gua sha: the dose problem no one mentions

Red light therapy has real evidence behind it at specific wavelengths and irradiance levels. A handheld gua sha with a few LED diodes does not publish those specs, and the dose delivered during a five-minute glide is almost certainly below the threshold used in studies. That does not make the device useless — it makes the “red light” claim decorative. If you want red light, buy a panel or a mask with a published irradiance figure and a treatment time. If you want gua sha, buy gua sha. Combining them in one cheap device usually means doing neither particularly well.

How to Clean a Gua Sha Tool (Stone vs. Metal)

Cleaning is where stone tools require actual discipline and metal tools require almost none. For stainless steel, wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap after each use, dry immediately, and use isopropyl alcohol once a week or after any shared use. Steel is non-porous, so there is no hidden reservoir of bacteria. For jade, rose quartz, or bian stone, use lukewarm water and a fragrance-free mild soap, wipe with a soft cloth, and dry completely before storing. Do not soak stone tools — repeated soaking can degrade the surface over time. Do not use hot water, which can crack stone. Do not put a stone tool in the dishwasher. Do not share a stone tool with someone who has an active breakout.

The storage detail matters more than people think. A stone tool rattling loose in a bathroom drawer is a chipped edge waiting to happen. Keep it in the pouch or box it came with. A stainless steel tool can survive a drawer; a stone tool cannot. That is not a minor inconvenience — a chipped edge turns a smoothing tool into a scraping hazard, and the replacement cost resets your cost-per-use calculation to zero.

Gua Sha Tool vs. Face Roller: Which One Earns Counter Space?

A randomized controlled trial published in 2025 compared gua sha and facial rollers over eight weeks. Both improved facial contour, but the mechanisms differed: gua sha primarily through changes in muscle properties, the roller primarily through improved skin elasticity. In practical terms, that means the two tools are not interchangeable. A roller is easier to learn and more passive — you roll it across the skin without needing to angle an edge. A gua sha requires a small learning curve but gives more targeted pressure along the jaw and under the eyes.

If you have limited patience and want a low-friction habit, a roller is fine. If you want the drainage effect that most people are actually chasing when they search for “de-puffing,” gua sha’s flat edge is the better tool because it can apply directional pressure that a rolling cylinder cannot. The BAIMEI set includes both for under $12, which is the cheapest way to test the difference on your own face. If you buy only one, buy the gua sha and use your fingers for the under-eye area until you learn the pressure.

Gua Sha for Men: Less Ritual, More Practical

Men’s skin is thicker and oilier on average, and the beard area complicates the jawline stroke. The practical adjustments are simple: use a slightly firmer pressure on the jaw and cheeks (the tissue tolerates it), avoid dragging against the grain of a fresh shave, and use a lighter oil if you are acne-prone. The benefit profile is the same: temporary de-puffing, muscle tension relief, and a five-minute ritual that is more useful than a fourth cup of coffee. A stainless steel tool is the better first purchase for most men because it is durable, hygienic, and does not require the careful storage a stone demands. Harry’s sells a weighted zinc gua sha as part of an eye kit, but the Sacheu steel tool is the more versatile standalone option.

What to Look For When Buying a Gua Sha Tool in the US

The US market adds two variables that other markets do not: a dense returns culture and a “free shipping” economy that hides costs in minimum-order thresholds. A tool that costs $32 with free shipping over $35 is a $35 purchase unless you already needed something else. A tool that costs $28 plus $6 shipping is a $34 purchase. The sticker price is not the price.

Finish and edge quality: the cheap-tool tell

Run a fingernail along the edge of a stone tool before you buy it in person. If you feel a rough spot, a chip, or an uneven bevel, put it down. A rough edge will drag and irritate no matter how much oil you use. For online purchases, read the reviews that mention “scratchy” or “uneven edge” — those are the finish failures that the star rating hides. Stainless steel is more consistent because it is machined, but a cheap steel tool can still have a sharp seam. A well-finished $8 stone beats a badly finished $68 stone every time.

Returns, guarantees, and the “free shipping” trap

Most US retailers offer a 30-day return window on beauty tools. That is enough to test whether the shape works for your face, but not enough to test durability. Stone tools that chip at week eight are usually outside the window. Check the brand’s own warranty before buying: some stone brands replace breakage within a short window, and most steel brands do not need to. The “free shipping” threshold is a separate trap: if you are $8 short of free shipping and you add a $12 lip balm you did not need, you have not saved money — you have spent $12 to avoid a $6 shipping fee. Buy the tool alone and pay the shipping if the total is lower.

Price vs. value: the $8 stone and the $68 stone do the same mechanical job

This is the uncomfortable conclusion the premium segment does not want you to reach. A $190 gua sha and a $19.90 gua sha perform the same mechanical function: a smooth edge moving across lubricated skin. The difference is in the finish, the shape, the material durability, and the ritual pleasure of owning the object. Those are real differences, and they are worth paying for if they change how often you use the tool. They are not worth paying for if you expect the stone’s price to translate into a stronger de-puffing effect. It does not. The hand holding the tool is the active ingredient, and no price tier changes that.

Does a gua sha tool really work?

Yes, for temporary de-puffing and muscle tension relief. A gua sha tool moves lymph fluid and briefly relaxes facial muscles, which can make the face look less puffy and slightly more contoured for a few hours. It does not permanently slim the face, remove fat, or change bone structure. If you expect a structural change, you will be disappointed; if you expect a reliable morning de-puff, the tool delivers.

What is the best material for a gua sha tool?

Stainless steel is the best material for most people because it is non-porous, sanitizable, self-cooling, and nearly unbreakable. Jade and rose quartz are fine for sensitive skin and ritual-focused users, but they are porous and can chip. Bian stone is better suited to body work than facial work. The material matters less for the de-puffing result than the finish and the technique.

How often should I use a gua sha tool?

Three to four times a week is enough for most people. Daily use is not necessary for the de-puffing benefit and can increase irritation risk for sensitive skin. A five-minute session in the morning is the most practical routine because that is when fluid retention is most visible. If your skin is reactive, start with twice a week and build up only if there is no redness.

Can I use a gua sha tool on active acne?

No. Dragging a tool across active breakouts can spread bacteria, worsen inflammation, and increase the risk of scarring. Wait until the breakout has settled, and use a stainless steel tool rather than a porous stone if you are acne-prone, because metal is easier to sanitize between uses. If you have cystic acne, ask a dermatologist before starting any facial tool.

Do I need a separate gua sha tool for the body?

Not necessarily, but a facial tool is too small and too delicate for efficient body work. A stainless steel facial gua sha can handle the neck and shoulders, but for larger muscle groups a denser bian stone or a wooden body scraper is more practical. Using a facial stone on the body accelerates wear and increases the chance of breakage. If you want one tool for both, choose steel over stone.

Is an expensive gua sha tool worth it?

Only if the finish, shape, or material durability changes how often you use it. A $68 stone and a $32 steel tool produce the same mechanical de-puffing effect. The steel tool is cheaper per use over a year and will not chip. The stone tool may feel better in the hand and make the ritual more enjoyable. Buy the expensive one for the experience, not for a stronger result.

What should I use with a gua sha tool?

A facial oil or a rich serum with enough slip to let the tool glide without dragging. Do not use a lightweight gel that absorbs too quickly, and do not use the tool on dry skin. A basic rosehip or squalane oil works as well as a dedicated “sculpting oil” for lubrication. The product’s job is slip, not magic.

Can gua sha cause wrinkles?

Aggressive dragging on dry skin can create micro-irritation and, over time, contribute to laxity, but correct technique — light pressure, adequate lubrication, upward and outward strokes — does not cause wrinkles. The wrinkles people associate with gua sha are usually the result of using too much pressure in the under-eye area or skipping the slip medium entirely. If you finish red and stinging, you used the tool wrong.