Which Tool Do You Choose? Fascia vs Gua Sha Tools!

Although they may look similar, Pause Well’s  Fascia Stimulating Tool works differently than those trendy, abrasive gua sha tools you find all over Instagram. From its beveled edge to its medical-grade surgical stainless-steel makeup, this FDA-cleared Class 1 medical device does so much more than just look pretty on your feed.

Here are the 3 key differences between the two tools:

1. Wakes up fascia vs. promotes circulation

Gua sha is an Asian massage technique that’s been used for centuries to help promote circulation and release stagnant blood and toxins. When the technique is done properly,
the tissue is scraped very hard (Gua literally means “to scrape”), which causes trauma
and damage to the tissue—the idea is to damage the tissue so that it starts to heal again, resulting in repaired tissue.

The Pause Fascia Stimulating Tool, on the other hand, borrows a massage technique used by physical therapists to help elite athletes recover from injuries (IASTM). This
method focuses on applying very gentle pressure to generate Shear, which is the lateral shifting of layers of fascia in relation to each other.  This shifting of the layers wakes up fibroblasts that reside within the fascia to produce collagen and elastin
naturally.

Think of it like this: imagine the fascia (the soft skeleton of connective tissue that
surrounds your muscles and organs) as a spiderweb and fibroblasts as spiders, spinning to repair webbing and keep it strong. The spiders, or fibroblasts, do this by producing collagen.
When we’re young, the fibroblasts produce lots of collagen to support the fascia
which keeps our skin smooth and firm. As we age, our fibroblasts slow down and
eventually fall asleep, halting the production of tissue-supporting collagen. The Fascia Stimulating Tool works to wake up these fibroblasts to produce more collagen
in the fascia connective tissue.

2. Beveled edge vs. curved edge

The curved edge of a traditional stone used to perform gua sha requires the user to apply firm scraping pressure in order to produce effective results. —this amount of pressure usually causes the skin to become red, bruised, and temporarily discolored because the stone’s edge causes capillaries near the skin surface to bleed, resulting in red or purple streaks along the stroke pattern. Thanks to the beveled edge of the patented Fascia Stimulating Tool,
there’s no need to apply much pressure along your face. Promoting maximum results with minimal pressure, the beveled edge allows for proper depth and shear using minimal compression with gentle, comfortable strokes.

3. Stainless steel vs. porous stone

Most gua sha “tools” are made with some form of a porous stone—rose quartz and jade are pretty, but they might not be ideal if you’re trying to avoid bad bacteria from taking over your skin microbiome. As you scrape the stone in upwards strokes against your face, the
porosity of the material catches bacteria and germs, making it difficult to wash out the porous, bacteria-filled stone afterward. With bacteria still left on the tool, you continue to transfer bad bacteria back onto the face with each use.

–Created using medical-grade stainless steel, the Fascia Stimulating Tool is super easy to clean with either soap and water or alcohol. 

Pause Fascia Stimulating tool is available on Amazon. This Fascia Stimulating tool is a
favorite of a lot of celebrities!