How to Gua Sha a Puffy Face: 5-Minute Routine

Begin with clean skin and a clean gua sha tool, then apply several drops of facial oil or a generous layer of serum. The tool should glide without pulling, which helps protect the skin barrier while you work across swollen-looking areas.

Before touching the face, place the tool nearly flat against the side of your neck and sweep downward toward the collarbone five times. Use feather-light pressure, especially near the front of the neck, and avoid the thyroid area, broken skin, or tender lymph nodes.

Starting at the center of the chin, glide the curved edge along the jaw toward the ear five to ten times on each side. Continue from the corner of the nose across the cheek, then move from the brow toward the temple while keeping the tool at roughly a 15-degree angle.

For under-eye puffiness, use the smallest smooth edge and sweep from the inner corner toward the temple three to five times. Apply no more pressure than you would use to move a coin across a table; the delicate eye area should never look deeply red or feel sore.

Complete the routine with several light downward strokes from behind the ears to the collarbones. Wash the tool with mild soap and lukewarm water, dry it thoroughly, and store it in a protective pouch to prevent chips that could scratch skin.

A five-minute session in the morning is usually enough, and chilling the tool for 10 minutes may provide an extra cooling sensation. Review the complete guide to using gua sha for a puffy face, and stop if you notice pain, bruising, persistent redness, or irritation.