The scraping tools include scraping boards and lubricants. The choice of tools directly affects the effectiveness of scraping for treating diseases and promoting health. In ancient times, spoons, copper coins, and bamboo boards were used as scraping tools, with sesame oil, water, and alcohol used as lubricants. These tools were easily accessible, but are now less commonly used. Nowadays, processed tools with medicinal properties and no side effects are often used, which can significantly improve the efficacy of scraping.
1. Scraping Board
The scraping board is the main tool for scraping. Currently, there are many types of scraping boards with various shapes and multi-functional scraping combs, including ones made of buffalo horn and jade. Buffalo horn is tough, smooth, and durable, and is easy to process. It has a pungent, salty, and cold nature. Its pungency can disperse qi and promote blood circulation, its saltiness can soften and resolve stagnation, and its coldness can clear heat and detoxify. Therefore, it has the functions of dispersing qi, clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and resolving stasis. Its medicinal properties are similar to those of rhinoceros horn, making it a substitute for rhinoceros horn. Jade has a sweet and mild nature and enters the lung meridian. It can nourish the heart and lungs and clear lung heat. "Compendium of Materia Medica" believes that jade has the effects of clearing hoarseness, relieving restlessness and thirst, relieving asthma, calming the mind, and nourishing the organs. Ancient people often wore jade accessories on their wrists, necks, and chests. Both buffalo horn and jade scraping boards can help promote qi circulation, activate blood flow, and unblock meridians.
After using buffalo horn and jade scraping boards, they can be washed with soapy water and wiped dry or wiped with alcohol for disinfection. To avoid cross-infection, it is best to assign a dedicated person to use a dedicated board. If the buffalo horn scraping board is left in a damp place for a long time, soaked in water, or exposed to dry air for a long time, cracks may occur, affecting its service life. Therefore, after scraping, it should be washed and dried immediately, and it is best to store it in a plastic bag or leather case. Jade boards should be protected from impact during storage.
The scraping board is generally processed into a rectangular shape with smooth edges and rounded corners. One of the long sides is slightly thicker, and the other side is slightly thinner. The thin side is used to scrape the flat parts of the body, and the concave thick side is suitable for massage and health scraping. The corners of the board are suitable for scraping concave parts of the body. There are also scraping boards suitable for holographic scraping, with symmetrical rounded corners on one short side. In addition to being suitable for scraping concave parts of the body, they are more suitable for scraping the spine and the holographic acupoints of the head.
2. Lubricants
The lubricants used for scraping are often lubricants with medicinal properties. They are made from medicinal substances that have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, resolving stasis, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain, while having no toxic side effects, combined with plant oils that have strong penetration and good lubricity. The medicinal effects of the lubricants help unblock meridians, promote qi and blood circulation, and activate blood flow. The plant oils have the function of moisturizing and protecting the skin.
Applying lubricants during scraping not only reduces pain and accelerates the expulsion of pathogenic factors, but also protects the skin, prevents infection, and makes scraping safe and effective. At present, there are two types of lubricants that meet the above requirements: blood-activating and skin-moisturizing ointment and blood-activating scraping lotion. The blood-activating and skin-moisturizing ointment has a wider range of effects. It is an ointment formulation with good lubricity. It will not dirty clothes when applied, as it does not drip downwards. It is easily absorbed by the skin and has a long-lasting blood-activating and skin-moisturizing effect. It is especially suitable for facial beauty scraping, serving both scraping and skincare purposes.
