I know my way around a facial. I have well-formed opinions about collagen face masks and laser treatments. I planned a trip to Seoul, in part, so I could visit a famous spa known for its advanced skin care techniques and K-drama celebrity clientele.
So when I saw a TikTok video that described a local L.A. treatment as “ gua sha on steroids ,” I couldn’t resist.
The $108 service is offered at JY Beauty in San Gabriel. Owner Yajing Lu opened the shop in 2021 after she cut her teeth in local salons for six years. Before launching her own business, Lu traveled to China to gather inspiration, incorporating ideas like Bojin, a traditional Chinese technique that stimulates facial muscles, into her spa’s offerings.
On the menu, it’s listed as “face tendon,” which, as Lu explained to me through a translator, is a direct translation from Chinese. Lu said the facial contours the face, firming and lifting the skin. It can also reduce the appearance of pores and minimize wrinkles like marionette lines, which go from the nose to the mouth.
Overall, she said, it reduces signs of aging. This is all pretty close to the claims of face sculpting, another beauty trend that promises at least temporarily tighter-looking skin. But Bojin goes beyond face sculpting and relies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices that focus on manipulating the body’s energy pathways.
In TCM, these pathways, known as meridians, are believed to channel qi, or life energy, throughout the body, .