Inside Ashley Black’s wellness revolution

Ashley Black, best-selling author and inventor of the FasciaBlaster, turned a childhood of chronic pain and a near-death experience into a global wellness movement. Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, she defied doctors and embraced self-healing through fascia care—decades before it became mainstream.

Her groundbreaking tools, backed by science and used by celebrities and athletes alike, empower people to take control of their health. With her newest invention, NeXcia, Ashley continues to redefine what's possible in wellness and self-care.

wellness

The psychology behind the ick and how to navigate it

GLAMOUR: Let’s start at the beginning, what was your childhood like, and did you ever imagine you’d end up in the wellness world?

Ashley Black: My childhood was a tug of war between wanting to be a competitive gymnast and living with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had to defy both my parents' beliefs and the medical community to follow what worked for me. As a very young child, things like nutrition, exercise, stretching, hot and cold baths, and using kitchen tools to manipulate my tissue became the norm, although certainly not the norm for a child in the 1970s.

I never really thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I definitely had entrepreneurial aspirations. I started my first business at 13 and was earning nine times the minimum wage as a teenager. I was hooked.

GLAMOUR: You’ve spoken openly about your own health journey. What was the moment that pushed you to explore fascia and ultimately invent the FasciaBlaster?

Ashley Black: In 1999, while giving birth to my beautiful daughter, I developed a severe bone infection and became septic. I ultimately had a stroke, and I died. I experienced a full near-death moment and was told I couldn’t cross over yet because I had something important to do. I was told I’d be given the knowledge when the time was right. I remember resisting the idea of returning to my broken body.

Ashley Black is redefining mainstream medicine, Photographer: Shaun Vadella

As I started to heal, I turned back to the methods from my childhood. I also sought out the best doctors and alternative healers, but eventually, I realised I needed a deeper understanding. I enrolled in an anatomy course that included dissection. When they opened the body and said they were going to remove the fascia—the white connective tissue, I had a visceral reaction. They saw it as mere packing material; I saw the key. I knew, intuitively, that fascia was my answer.

I had Chinese academic papers translated, travelled around the world, and immersed myself in fascia research. That journey became a 26-year obsession. It started with clinics and eventually led to working with athletes and celebrities. But from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to reach the everyday person, those who felt hopeless.

Once you understand how fascia works, creating tools to treat it becomes the easy part. The FasciaBlaster and now the NeXcia are about democratising wellness. Every human should know they have fascia, and that keeping it healthy significantly impacts our health, beauty, and longevity.

GLAMOUR: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while healing yourself, and how did that shape your research?

Ashley Black: The biggest challenge was going completely against the grain. I stopped seeing doctors, trusted my own intuition, and surrendered to what I believe is my role in the universe.

That backstory hugely shaped my research. I knew that if I wanted to break into the mainstream, I needed undeniable evidence. I partnered with ASPI Research and used objective measures, blood tests, DEXA scans, ultrasound imaging, metabolic testing. The science now speaks for itself; people don’t need to “believe” me anymore, the data is there.

GLAMOUR: What was the first version of the FasciaBlaster like, and how did people react to it?

Ashley Black: The first version is still our best-selling product. It’s a simple stick with prongs that penetrate down to the fat, muscles, and deeper layers. I honestly wasn’t sure whether people would be open to that level of self-care. But when before-and-after photos of cellulite reduction and skin tightening began circulating online, it took on a life of its own. In our first year online, we went from $2 million to $40 million in sales. Celebrities and athletes were posting and endorsing it for free. We knew we had something special.

Of course, there was some polarisation, it was a “love it or hate it” situation, as with most revolutionary ideas. But over time, fascia care and the FasciaBlaster found their place in mainstream wellness. And now, I’m excited to introduce our next innovation: the NeXcia. It’s the first motorised FasciaBlaster, and I believe it will have mass appeal. It feels like the beginning of a new era, just like the early days.

GLAMOUR: You’ve been called the “body guru to the stars.” How did word spread early on, especially among elite athletes and celebrities?

Ashley Black: The celebrity and athlete world works entirely through word of mouth. I was getting results like no one else. Fascia work, done right, was game-changing. Athletes were recovering faster and performing better. Celebrities could handle physically demanding roles. Plus, the beauty benefits were a major bonus.

Ashley Black, best-selling author and inventor of the FasciaBlaster. Photographer: Shaun Vadella

I also understood how high-profile clients think, they want what they want, when they want it. They can be demanding, and I thrived in that environment. I was building an empire while they were seeing real, tangible results. That mutual trust made everything possible.

GLAMOUR: You’ve empowered so many women to take back control of their bodies. What feedback or stories have impacted you the most?

Ashley Black: The most impactful stories are from people who were suicidal from chronic pain and depression. I remember being in that dark place. To give someone not just hope, but a real solution, that’s powerful. That’s purpose. I want every man, woman, and child on the planet to understand fascia. I want to rewrite the textbooks. I want fasciology to become a legitimate field of medicine. Every testimony brings us closer to that.

GLAMOUR: How do you deal with scepticism or controversy around new health tools?

Ashley Black: I simply don’t give it energy. I’m focused on my mission. Eagles don’t fly with chickens.

GLAMOUR: You've blended science, sports medicine, and self-experimentation. What does your research process look like today?

Ashley Black: These days, I’m mostly reviewing other people’s research and applying it to my product development. That’s my primary focus now, innovating tools. I also love to experiment. I combine my tools with other healing methods, plant medicine, sauna therapy, meditation, even working with Alzheimer’s patients. It’s all about exploring what’s possible, without rigid limitations. When someone asks, “Does it help with X?” I often reply, “I don’t know, let’s find out.”

GLAMOUR: What advice would you give to women who are on a healing journey, physically, emotionally, or both?

Ashley Black: You get a new body cellularly every seven years. I moved to a Blue Zone in Costa Rica where people live disease-free into their 100s. I went there to create my new body. Life here taught me the importance of returning to the basics, sunlight, grounding, whole foods, movement. Today, I have a completely new body, and it's only getting better. If I can do it, so can you.

Fascia is the body's primary sensory organ. It’s essential to your health. I’ve seen people reverse disease and transform their lives over time. Start with FasciaBlasting and hydration. Then slowly peel back the layers, cut out chemicals, move towards natural living, raise your emotional vibration. That’s when the miracles begin.

Ashley Black: Photographer: Shaun Vadella

GLAMOUR: If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing about this journey, what would it be?

Ashley Black: You’ve got this. You are the one. Trust your inner voice. Be your full self. And remember, there are no do-overs, so prioritise joy and free time.

GLAMOUR: What do you want your legacy to be, not just as an inventor, but as a woman who changed lives?

Ashley Black: I want to inspire people, especially women, to believe that if they can dream it, they can do it. I hope to pass the fascia torch to the next generation and watch it spread across the globe. Maybe in a few hundred years, someone will say, “You know this all started with the FasciaBlaster.” That would be pretty amazing.