What is the reason for getting Sha easily?
In recent years, with the improvement of health awareness, "Gua Sha" as a traditional Chinese medicine method has attracted much attention. However, many people find that their skin is prone to rashes or even bruises after scraping. What is the reason for this? This article will analyze the physiology, constitution, operation techniques and other aspects, and combine it with the hot health topics on the Internet in the past 10 days to give you a detailed explanation.
1. What is Sha?
Sha is a red or purple spot that appears on the skin after scraping. It is essentially a small bleeding caused by the rupture of subcutaneous capillaries. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Sha reflects toxins or blockage in the body, while modern medicine classifies it as a mechanical injury response.
| Types of Sha | color characteristics | Chinese medicine explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Bright red Sha | Bright red, scattered | There is heat poison in the body |
| Purple Sha | Deep purple-red, appearing in patches | Severe qi and blood stasis |
| Purple Sha | Bluish purple with bruises | Severe cold and dampness or fragile capillaries |
2. Six major reasons why Sha is prone to occur
1. Physical factors
The capillary walls of people with sensitive constitutions are thin, and slight external force can cause rupture. The "Skin Sensitivity Test" topic that has been hotly discussed on social platforms in the past 10 days shows that about 32% of the participants reported that they have a constitution prone to developing Sha.
| Constitution type | Probability of developing Sha | Characteristic expression |
|---|---|---|
| blood stasis constitution | More than 85% | Dark purple tongue, frequent menstrual blood clots |
| Qi deficiency constitution | 60-70% | Easily tired, low immunity |
| Damp and hot constitution | About 50% | Oily face, bitter mouth and bad breath |
2. Fragile capillaries
Vitamin C deficiency and long-term use of anticoagulant drugs (such as aspirin) can increase capillary fragility. Recent health searches show that about 28% of people experience increased capillary fragility after recovering from COVID-19.
3. Improper operation
Excessive scraping force and incorrect angle are common operating problems. Under the topic #GuashaTeaching# on Douyin, professional doctors pointed out that 90° vertical scraping is most likely to cause capillary damage.
4. Abnormal skin condition
After recent exposure to the sun, during skin allergies, or when using retinoic acid products, the skin barrier function decreases and the probability of developing sha increases by 2-3 times.
5. Environmental factors
Dry and cold winter (relative humidity <40%) will reduce skin elasticity and make bruises more likely to appear during scraping. Weibo data shows that the number of complaints about scraping in the northern region is 47% higher in winter than in summer.
6. Special menstrual period
From the 3 days before a woman’s menstruation to the end of her menstrual period, hormonal changes lead to an increase in blood vessel permeability. At this time, the amount of scraped sha may increase by 50%-80%.
3. 4 Notes on Scientific Gua Sha
1. Pre-evaluation
Check the skin for damage and inflammation, and check the medication status. A recent hot post on Xiaohongshu suggested that people taking anticoagulants should wait 3 days before gua sha.
2. Correct approach
Maintain an inclination angle of 45°, the length of a single scraping should not exceed 10cm, and the same area should be repeated no more than 10 times. The popular teaching videos at Station B emphasize that "red but not purple" is the best effect.
3. Instrument selection
Beginners are advised to use a buffalo horn scraper with rounded edges and avoid using metal utensils. Taobao data shows that sales of silicone scraping boards will increase by 210% year-on-year in 2023.
4. Aftercare
Avoid contact with cold water within 4 hours after scraping. You can drink 300ml of warm water to speed up metabolism. Zhihu’s highly praised answer recommends drinking honey water to relieve discomfort.
4. Five categories of people who are not suitable for scraping
| Taboo groups | risk level | Alternative suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| patients with thrombocytopenia | ★★★★★ | Infrared physiotherapy |
| People with skin infection | ★★★★ | local disinfection treatment |
| Pregnant women (waist and abdomen) | ★★★★ | Professional acupressure |
| patients with severe heart disease | ★★★ | Light manual acupressure |
| drunken person | ★★★ | Deal with it after sobering up |
Conclusion:
The severity of Sha not only reflects the physical condition, but is also closely related to the operation method. A recent analysis of health content on the entire network shows that the amount of discussion on scientific knowledge of scraping has increased by 65% year-on-year, indicating that the public is gradually establishing a rational concept of health care. It is recommended to perform scraping under professional guidance. If any abnormal bruises persist for more than 3 days, you should seek medical attention immediately.
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