Heyyyyyy friends. I bet you just clicked through this post and were thinking…”WHAT weird thing has Caitlin gotten in to this time?” Because though I am not trendy (SO not trendy) I tend to be the crazy one among my friends that’s always sharing about my crunchy endeavors – essential oils, cloth menstrual products, babywearing, natural childbirth, no ‘poo, cosleeping, eating whole foods.
And now I give you…the FasciaBlaster.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link I make a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!
DISCOUNT CODE: use CAITLIN10 for 10% off your fasciablaster purchase!
Although to be fair, FasciaBlasting is not at all a crunchy thing. In fact, in the 9 months since I first heard about it it has gone very mainstream and was even featured on the Today Show earlier this week. But it does err on the side of “alternative options”, which are totally my jam. In case you’re new around here you should know I am pretty darn passionate about taking care of your body now so you don’t have to treat your ailments later.
I first heard about the FasciaBlaster in a Trim Healthy Mama Facebook group. Someone was asking for tips to reduce loose skin from losing weight and the FasciaBlaster was mentioned by several people. I actually don’t have an issue with loose skin (a perk for losing weight reallllly slow, I guess) at this point in my weight loss journey but I was intrigued by this item I’d never heard of so I started doing some research (’cause I just can’t help it…I research stuff to death).
I was intrigued. Very intrigued.
What I found first were all these YouTube videos of a lady rubbing this strange stick all over people’s bodies to help with muscle issues and soreness and posture and jammed hips and IT bands and plantar fasciitis. The more I watched the more interested I became because at the time I was dealing with some IT band pain and plantar fasciitis myself.
I wasn’t sold though because it seemed so “as seen on tv”, you know? But there was a FasciaBlaster Facebook group so I joined that and let me tell you, scrolling through those posts sold me in no time flat. Come to find out, a LOT of people use the FasciaBlaster to reduce cellulite, get rid of scar tissue, banish belly overhang (this was particularly exciting to me because my belly was a mess from my two pregnancies), and lose inches over all. I scrolled and scrolled and looked at the hundreds of before and after pictures that these ladies (who had no financial gain whatsoever from this) shared with the group.
Needless to say I ordered that sucker right away!
Did it work for me?
A resounding YES!
I’ve been blasting for 9 months now and here are some of the results I’ve seen:
- The plantar fasciitis that I’d been dealing with for over 6 months (at the time I first got my FasciaBlaster) is gone. I was managing it by wearing supportive shoes all the time, even at home, and avoiding weight bearing exercises but after two or three weeks using the FasciaBlaster on my feet and calves I could walk barefoot without pain. I even completed the Couch to 5K program and did not have any issues with my feet at all.
- The IT band issues that I’ve dealt with off and on since college are now managed with the FasciaBlaster, I just give my legs a good blasting when my IT bands start to tighten up.
- I was able to complete the Couch to 5K program (where you work your way up to running a 5k over the course of about 10 weeks) with minimal pain. I have struggled with knee pain since college and this is the first time I’ve been able to run without serious pain. Running usually jacks up my back, IT bands, feet, and knees but this time, thanks to the FasciaBlaster, I had almost no issues. I gave my legs a very thorough blasting after every run and it made a huge difference. Oh and when I got shin splits the first week of running I blasted that too and they were gone within a week.
- The FasciaBlaster is amazing for relieving tension in my head, neck, or jaw.
- My stomach has shrunk significantly. Now, I am also dieting and exercising so I definitely can’t contribute that to just the FasciaBlaster but I for sure think it has helped.
So yeah, I am a full blown FasciaBlaster fan now. I have since purchased the Mini 2, which is a smaller version and the FaceBlaster, an itty bitty version for your face. My FaceBlaster should be here any day now and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
How does it work?
Your body has tons of this stuff called “fascia” all throughout it. Fascia is like a huge spiderweb of sticky strands that runs from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet and weaves in and out of your muscles and fat. It’s everywhere and yet up until now it hasn’t been given much attention when it comes to learning about the human body. I mean, we’ve heard of plantar fasciitis, but that’s about it, right?
So the fascia gets all bunched up and tangled up and stuck together and just messed up in general and that is the cause of so many problems. Cellulite is one, because when the fascia is all clumpy instead of smooth like it should be it makes your skin look all clumpy too. Messed up fascia can also be the cause of migraines, all sorts of injuries, chronic pain, and more.
Smoothing out the fascia, which is what the FasciaBlaster does helps with all sorts of these issues.
To use it you put a lubricant (usually oil) on your bare skin and rub the FasciaBlaster back and forth briskly. Essentially you are “combing” the fascia like you would comb a knot out of your hair.
It’s a form of myofascial release. The term “myofascial release” would have been totally foreign to me if I hadn’t just seen all the cupping bruises all over the athletes just a few months earlier at the Olympics and learned a little about the “cupping” that they use as part of their recovery. Cupping is not exactly the same as FasciaBlasting but it is a very similar concept.
For those of you who love to research and dig in there is a great peer-reviewed, published study that has been done on the FasciaBlaster tools! The study addressed the overall safety of the FasciaBlaster tools, but also confirmed a reduction of fat, an increase of resting metabolic rate, a decrease in the appearance of cellulite, and a decrease of inflammation in the study participants. Amazing, right?! Check that out here.
Where do I start?
- First of all, if you are at all skeptical and want to hear more real life stories, join the FasicaBlaster Facebook group (it’s women only, sorry guys, there is one for you too but I don’t have the link). When I first started looking in to it anyone could join whether or not they had purchased yet, I’m not positive if it’s still that way now but check it out and see!
- Ashley Black, who invented the FasciaBlaster, has hundreds of videos on her YouTube channel showing how to use it, before and afters, all sorts of good stuff, so poke around there and watch some.
- Ashley also recently wrote a book that I just finished reading. It’s called The Cellulite Myth and though it sounds like it’s going to be a fluffy read for people who just want to get smoother legs, it’s actually full of information on what fascia is, how it can mess up our bodies, why it causes cellulite (and other things), how to fix it, and how to use the FasciaBlaster. It’s $11 on Amazon and totally worth it.
Once you’ve checked out those I think you’ll have a good base to help you determine if this is something you want to buy.
What do I need?
- Well, a FasciaBlaster, of course. You can order that here from Ashley Black’s website. There are a lot of options, including several bundles, so check those out and pick what you think will work best for you!
DISCOUNT CODE: use CAITLIN10 for 10% off your fasciablaster purchase!
- Oil. Ashley has her own line of oils for blasting and after blasting but I’ve never tried those. I’m a Young Living distributor so naturally I prefer to use their products. When I blast in the shower I use Young Living’s lavender conditioner. When I blast outside of the shower I just use straight coconut oil and then will often use Young Living’s Cel-Lite Magic massage oil on the areas after I’m done.
- Heat. Ashley recommends heating up to make your fascia more pliable. Some people using portable saunas or the sauna at their gym or soak in a big tub of water or use a heating pad. I have none of those things so I blast after I exercise, after I shower, or while I’m in the shower, and I’ve been happy with my results.
- Extenders. I highly recommend getting a set of extenders because they makes it so much easier to use your blaster on your back!
(P.S. There are lots of cheaper, similar-ish, cellulite “roller” products on Amazon. I haven’t tried any of them but I’ve heard many, many people say that they don’t even begin to compare to the FasciaBlaster. So don’t waste your money trying those, just go for the real deal.)
Update in April 2020:
I originally wrote this post THREE years ago!! Wow! Time flies! I decided it was time to insert a little update.
Am I still blasting? Yes! I’m not as consistent as I’d like (I mean, three kids, homeschooling, and running a home-based business…it’s hard to be consistent about anything lol!) but I love love LOVE my blasters!
Since I wrote this post I have had another baby. I blasted all through that pregnancy – my blasters were an absolute lifesaver as I trained for a 5k during the first half of my pregnancy and then for my back/hip/glute pain at the end of my pregnancy.
My blaster collection has also grown quite a bit. I now own the FasciaBlaster, MasterBlaster, FaceBlaster, Mini 2, Mini 1, PaddleBlaster, and Nugget as well as several books and accessories (the extenders are amazing and the backpack is so handy for storing all my stuff!). I love them all for various different things! Perhaps I’ll write a post soon sharing more about how and why I use each one.
So yes, three year later I still love and recommend my blasters!
Tell me: have you heard of the FasciaBlaster before? If not, are you as intrigued as I was? If you already have one share your thoughts in the comments!
Hello, thank you for posting on the blaster. I am interested in it but it seems extremely time consuming. The blasting part seems fast but the messy oil is throwing me a curve. I only shower 2-3x a week. The time to get warm, get slimy with oil (ewww)and wash off oil is the drawback. Is there a quick alternative? Also could I get away with just the mini? I have pain in my legs mostly, hamstring and hip flexor due to overstretching splits. But I’d like to use it elsewhere too. Thank you for any advice
When I blast in the shower I wash as normal, then use conditioner to blast with. By the time I’m done blasting it has rubbed in and/or rinsed off so there’s no extra washing involved. If I blast outside of the shower then I shower first to heat up, then use coconut oil to blast (which takes no more time to apply than lotion) and then I don’t wash that off of anywhere except for my face – it’s a little too greasy for me on my face but on the rest of my body I just leave it like lotion. So really no extra work other than quickly rubbing on conditioner or oil.
For hamstrings I’d say you for sure want the original (the big one), otherwise you won’t be able to get leverage with the little one to really access your hammies.
Hi Caitlin!
Can you tell me your technique for fixing your plantar faciatis with the large blaster? I’ve heard that the face blaster works well, but I don’t have it yet. I have had chronic foot pain for 5 years! :(
Thank you!
Sarah
I actually used the mini most for my PF. I used the claws of the mini on the top and bottoms of my feet, then used the nugget on the end to poke/wiggle on the top of my feet in between my toes. Then I used the nugget on the area of my heel that was most painful and would wiggle/poke/jab/push – basically whatever felt good (in that “hurts so bad” kind of way). But what I think was the KEY was when I started blasting my calves a lot too. I learned that tight fascia in your calves can be the cause of PF so I started spending more time on my calves and that made a huge difference.
If you only have the big blaster and no nuggets then I’d just focus a lot on the calves and blasting all over the feet, then use the claws to dig in as much as possible. I found that it was kind of awkward to blast the feet with the large blaster at first but stick with it and it’ll become more natural :). Good luck!
Hi, I would really, really research before using this product, there is some anecdotal evidence that not only are results temporary but this can cause a cascade of health effects that do not show up for months. Fascia is a very delicate organ, yes I said organ.
Yep, results are definitely temporary if people stop blasting, just like exercise and diet. And yes, people react differently so it may not be for all; I recommend everyone do their own research as well. Thankfully way more people seem to have experienced benefits than those who have not.
I am a physical therapist and am not exactly sure what you are talking about. Fascia is the non-contractile fibrous envelope that encases muscle. It is not a stand-alone Organ, and is frequently an issue in muscle pathology.
I doubt people are going to go crazy with it, because deep pressure is painful.
Done in moderation should be absolutely fine.
Thanks so much for this post. I’ve never blasted before but want to purchase one and am having a hard time deciding between the big one and the Mini2. I want to use it for cellulite/fat around my abs and thighs. And I also have PF. I love the Which one of the two would you recommend?
I like the big one better for my stomach but the Mini2 better for my feet, so it depends on which area you want to concentrate on most. You can still use both blasters for both areas, that’s just my preference of what to use.
I want to try one. But debating which size to get. I would like to target my saddle bag area, stomach, below the bum and low back (for pain). Would you say the original or mini?
Thanks!
For those areas I’d definitely go with the original!
Where do you purchase them from Caitlin. Reading so much about them I think I will try it out. Thanks and great blog. Hellen
I linked in the post to a couple of different places you can purchase from
Do ya know if it absolutely has to be done on bare skin? Can u use it over thin clothing?
Yes, it needs to be over bare skin. If you do it over clothing it’ll be a nice massage but won’t be as effective for actually smoothing the fascia.
How long do I fascia blast at one time?