Gua sha: It’s one of the most popular facial wellness trends. And why shouldn’t it be? It promises sculpted cheekbones, reduced puffiness and an overall lifted look. But if you’ve turned to facial fillers to give you a sculpted look, too, you may want to think twice before bringing a gua sha tool into your skincare routine. And I, Danielle Smith, Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and Miami botox and filler specialist at smith & co., Smith & Co., am here to tell you why.
Under Pressure
Gua sha works by applying firm, repeated pressure to the face using a smooth-edged tool, usually made from jade or rose quartz. While this technique can promote lymphatic drainage and circulation in natural facial tissue, it poses significant risks when fillers are involved. The pressure and manipulation can potentially displace your carefully placed filler, causing it to migrate to unintended areas. What started as perfectly positioned cheek filler could end up creating an unnatural appearance or asymmetry that requires correction.
Breaking it Down
Dermal fillers, particularly hyaluronic acid-based products, need time to integrate with your facial tissues. Aggressive massage techniques like gua sha can interfere with this settling process, especially in the first few weeks after treatment. The mechanical pressure may even accelerate the breakdown of the filler, meaning your results won't last as long as they should. Essentially, you'd be working against your investment and potentially shortening the lifespan of your filler by months.
Uneven Steven
One of the biggest concerns with combining gua sha and fillers is the potential for uneven distribution. Fillers are strategically placed to enhance specific facial features and maintain natural-looking proportions. The scraping and pressure of gua sha can push filler away from these targeted areas, creating lumps, bumps or hollows where you don't want them. Correcting these issues often requires additional appointments and possibly dissolving and re-injecting the filler. And while I’m happy to do that for you. It’s not something either one of us set out to do when we began this journey together.
Do This Instead
If you love facial massage and want to maintain healthy skin alongside your filler treatments, consider these alternative: Gentle lymphatic drainage massage using just your fingertips, applied with minimal pressure, can still provide benefits without risking your filler placement. And always wait at least two weeks after getting fillers before attempting any facial massage, and avoid the specific injection sites entirely.
The bottom line? Gua sha and fillers don't mix well. Protect your investment and maintain your results by saving the stone tool for other parts of your body, or wait until your fillers have completely dissolved before reintroducing gua sha to your routine.
If you are interested in facial filler or dissolving facial filler, I, Danielle Smith,Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and Miami botox and filler specialist at smith & co., can help. Schedule a consultation with me to discuss what is right for you. Reach out by calling 305-393-2311 or contacting me here online. I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have via DM on Instagram at smithand_co and collagenproject. And be sure to follow along to see my before and after shots.
Gua sha and facial filler don’t mix.