The blood vessels in the neck are responsible for the blood circulation and nutrient supply to the head and face. Strengthening the neck through exercise not only helps keep the skin smooth but also promotes blood circulation, achieving health benefits.
However, many women often focus their skincare efforts on their faces, neglecting the care of their necks.
Little do they know, the neck is also an area that can easily reveal a woman’s age; just a glance at the wrinkles on a woman’s neck can give away her age.
Therefore, to appear younger, it is essential to prioritize neck care: Here are a few simple methods that are easy to implement.
(1) Method for Removing Neck Wrinkles:
Use acupressure to press Fengchi (风池), Yifeng (翳风), Futu (扶突), and Tianyou (天牖), pressing each point 30 times.
This method can clear the liver and drain the gallbladder, eliminating metabolic waste from the body, which helps expel pathogenic factors from the neck. Use a triangular water buffalo horn Gua Sha board with a curved edge to scrape gently around the areas with more wrinkles, applying moderate pressure from top to bottom. Various techniques such as rubbing, kneading, lifting, and tapping can be used, scraping about 5-10 times on the affected areas to effectively reduce wrinkles. Use a rectangular water buffalo horn Gua Sha board to scrape Xuehai (血海), Zusanli (足三里), and Sanyinjiao (三阴交).
(2) Alternating Hot and Cold Compress Method:
Take a small towel, soak it in cold water, and gently wring it out. Apply it to the neck.
Hold it tightly against the neck, then remove it. Next, take another towel soaked in hot water and apply it to the neck.
Alternate hot and cold compresses for 10 minutes.
Chin Tapping Method:
Fold a small towel into four layers and soak it in cold water, then gently squeeze out the excess water. Use your right hand to hold one corner of the towel and tap the right chin and lower right face firmly for 10-15 times, then switch to the left hand to tap the left face and left chin.
(3) Neck Massage Method:
When washing your face, make sure to wash down to the base of the neck. After daily facial massage, you should also massage the neck.
Neck care must be sufficiently moisturizing and nourishing, allowing the neck to receive the same level of treatment as the face, thus maintaining the skin’s elasticity and preventing sagging.
“Why Should You Practice Gua Sha on the Neck and Shoulders?”
■ Aging begins at the neck and shoulders. ■ The neck and shoulders are areas where toxins easily accumulate, which is key to many diseases. ■ The source of all diseases lies in the blood and Qi. ■ In TCM, it is said: if Qi is insufficient, blood does not flow smoothly; if blood does not flow smoothly, water does not circulate; if water does not circulate, toxins are not expelled.
The neck and shoulders serve as a bridge connecting the head and torso, bearing the communication of blood vessels, nerves, and meridians throughout the body. The health of the neck and shoulders directly impacts overall health.
Gua Sha on the neck and shoulders
Beauty, prevention of diseases, and strengthening the body!
Through Gua Sha on the neck and shoulders, one can open the meridians, expel toxins stagnating in the neck and shoulders, and accelerate blood circulation in the area, achieving beauty and health benefits!
“What Problems Can Neck and Shoulder Blockages Cause?”
1. Facial Issues: Affecting facial circulation, detoxification, and absorption
① Professional care has been used for a long time but with little effect;
② Dull complexion, lack of luster, uneven skin tone, and skin sagging that does not match actual age;
③ Signs of fatigue, poor resistance, easy allergies, pigmentation, and spots.
2. Head Issues: Insufficient blood supply
If the neck and shoulders are blocked, nutrients cannot reach the head, and waste cannot be expelled, leading to a series of head and facial problems:
① Headaches, dizziness, migraines;
② Insufficient oxygen to the brain, memory decline, forgetfulness;
③ Insomnia, poor sleep quality (frequent dreams, easy waking, difficulty falling asleep).
3. Neck and Shoulder Blockages
① Pain and soreness upon touch, indicating muscle strain and bone pain due to degeneration;
② Pain between the shoulder blades, frequent numbness in limbs, cold hands and feet;
③ Poor resilience in tasks, easily fatigued in a short time.
4. Hormonal Imbalance
① Pituitary gland growth hormone, endocrine disorders, psychological sensitivity, irritability, lack of confidence, and suspicion; cervical deformities can lead to lumbar deformities, which can compress the sciatic nerve, affecting the pelvic cavity;
② Also causing endocrine disorders: lower back pain, leg weakness, easy fatigue, menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, obesity, gynecological infections, sexual dysfunction, cervical erosion, uterine fibroids, etc.
From a TCM perspective, the human body is divided into three burners, which govern: Qi circulation, blood circulation, and water circulation; the first to be affected is Qi circulation, as if Qi does not flow, blood does not circulate; if blood does not circulate, water does not flow; if water does not flow, toxins are not expelled.
In beauty salons, neck and shoulder care involves techniques such as Tui Na (推拿), acupressure, and Gua Sha therapy, combined with medicinal-grade plant extracts and essential oils to invigorate blood circulation, dispel wind and cold, clear blockages, purify the blood, and eliminate toxins, alleviating muscle fatigue, stiffness, and pain in the neck and shoulders, and helping to resolve issues of Qi and blood stagnation.