Are your rituals safe to practice when feeling unwell?
As Hayo’u rituals have been designed to encourage self-healing, they can be particularly useful in times of illness. Please note that the Hayo’u Method is not a substitute for the advice of your GP.
What side effects might I experience?
It is not uncommon to suffer from a healing crisis. This is when the body reacts to the treatment. You may experience extreme tiredness, headaches or cold sweats and feel more emotional than usual.
Can I combine it with other treatments?
Yes! But always consult a doctor as everyone has very individual and sometimes complex health issues. Chinese medicine often works hand in hand with Western medicine and complements the healing process.
How long until I notice a difference?
Within a few days of practicing the Hayo’u Method, you’re likely to notice a marked improvement in your general wellbeing and energy levels. The more you practice, the more you’ll benefit. Try it for a week and you’ll feel the cumulative effects on your stress levels. Try it for a month and you’ll feel calmer, rested and reinvigorated.
How do I make sure I'm using my gua sha tools correctly, without causing damage to my skin?
Please be reassured, it’s very difficult to damage your skin with this time-old technique. Before you try gua sha for the first time, read the instruction leaflet inside the packaging and watch the short video on the product page of this site. Go easy to start with and watch how your skin responds before continuing. Please note, gua sha should not be performed over broken skin, varicose veins, moles, cuts or bruises.
It looks pretty drastic! Am I doing something wrong?
It is totally normal (and useful) for your skin to show redness. Follow the instructions, retreat only once redness has subsided and notice the reduction in the levels of redness following each treatment.
Why do you use Jade?
Jade is a cleansing stone used in Chinese medicine for centuries to aid the body’s filtration and lymph system to encourage expulsion of toxins. Xiuyan jade is named after its place of origin in Liaoning Province, in northeast China, where the origins of jade-carving can be traced back more than 5,000 years. It is a natural stone that is hard wearing, difficult to scratch and polishes to a silky, smooth finish. Our Beauty Restorer is hand cut using traditional Chinese jade-carving techniques and each one is quality checked before being packed in the UK.
Which direction should I stroke the tool on my neck to help lymphatic drainage?
So, ONE of the purposes of facial gua sha is to clear lymph. If you want to focus on this then you concentrate more on stroking downwards. This is because our lymph drains into an area called “terminus” in the little dips right above the middle of each collarbone. The direction of the lymphatic pathways on the face are from the centre of the face, out toward the hairline, so we want to move all of the waste to the outer edges of the face and then sweep it all down the neck to dump it above the collarbone. Don’t worry too much, if you then want to also work upwards, that is not going to undo your hard work. Lymph cannot move on its own, but it will naturally move towards the area of the body it is supposed to. Only muscular contraction can move lymph, which is one of the reasons a sedentary lifestyle is so harmful.
What’s the difference between a gua sha tool and a jade roller?
If you are a jade roller fan, you’ll probably already be clued up on all the incredible benefits of jade. We believe our jade tool delivers an even deeper and more specific treatment to the face and neck. Using a Gua Sha tool allows you to work deeper into the muscles and fascia for a more effective tension release. The treatment removes any buildup of lactic acid and encourages lymphatic drainage. The curved points are used to activate specific acupressure points on the face and ensure good Qi flow. It’s the next level of beauty treatment. In fact, the Jade roller was traditionally used after facial Gua Sha to calm the skin after the real work had been done!
Is it normal to get breakouts when I start facial gua sha?
Gua sha encourages the skin to purge out toxins, so breakouts are to be expected - it’s a good sign.
What can I do if the Body Restorer is too harsh for my body
Our jade Beauty Restorer is gentler than the metal and you can press as gently as you like.
What if I find the Beauty Restorer is too harsh on my face?
Start with one stroke per area and build up slowly. Once you have the tool you have it for life, so you can go really slowly and build up - there’s no rush!
Can I practice facial gua sha alongside LED therapy?
You should absolutely be able to use the Beauty Restorer alongside a home LED device as part of your existing skincare routine. We always advise to start really gently with the jade and to gauge your skins reaction. This would be especially important if the LED treatment leaves your skin sensitive in any way.
Can I gua sha over my top lip?
The beauty restorer works by increasing circulation and stimulating collagen production in the area that you gua sha, therefore the top lip is a great place to gua sha. If you imagine a line down the middle of your face and then mirror the actions. You can actually go any way that feels good, but we’d recommend starting in the middle and stroking outwards, first on one side and then the other.
Can I gua sha the soles of my feet?
Yes! On the feet, metal works better. The soles of the feet are one of the most conductive parts of the body, and the theory is that you can ground yourself by press stroking metal on the soles of the feet to ground yourself. In Chinese medicine, we would gua sha the soles of the feet with metal to draw the energy downwards before sleep. The Body Restorer is great to use with its smooth curved edges.
Will using the beauty restorer on facial veins cause more damage?
When you have facial veins it is best not to do the “press stroke” technique and to use the tool in a different way. Just hold the stone over the affected area and allow it to warm up naturally. Then turn it over and repeat. Rather than using the rounded edge of the tool, use the flat stone and gently sweep along the contours of the face. We would then advise that you very gently press stroke the rounded edge of the stone over the décolletage area to allow heat to come out at chest level rather than travelling up into the veins. If you also have veins of the chest then do it over the sternum where the heart is. We’d recommend using the oil as the ingredients work very well for facial veins.
I have Melasma, can I practice gua sha?
As well as sun, Melasma can also come from acne scars, hormone imbalance, chickenpox – although sun exposure is the most common cause. Skin pigmentation can be a signpost to organ issues and imbalances in our body. In Chinese medicine, pigmentation issues are linked to Liver, Kidneys and Spleen. When these organs are deficient you get brown spots (Liver) or yellow spots (Spleen) or a dark grey skin tone (Kidneys). If you have all three, that can be a sign of deficiency in all three. This doesn’t mean you have a physical problem with any of your organs, just that they are energetically out of balance. We’ve got some useful articles on our website if you’d like to know more. Gua sha is often cited to help lighten or reduce Melasma – it’s definitely worth giving it a try and there are no known contraindications. As always, start gently and slowly and build up over time.