Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Elle Macpherson all swear by lymphatic drainage massage and it’s not just for your face. For the body, the treatment promises to de-bloat, de-puff and temporarily ease water retention. We asked Drainage expert Flavia Morellato, Aimee Piper, Senior Skin Specialist at Vie Aesthetics, and Claire Williams, founder of Wow Facialto explain everything you need to know about this trending technique.
What Is Lymphatic Drainage?
‘Lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique used to accelerate your body’s detoxing processes and release water retention,’ explains Morellato. ‘After the massage the excess fluid gets filtered through your kidneys and flushed out in your urine.’ Meaning that sluggish, bloated feeling you've been experiencing could be the product of long term build up.
What Are The Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage?
The simple massage works to manually redistribute toxins and fluid, and unblocking the lymphatic system can leaving you feeling lighter almost immediately. " By draining lymph fluids from the body, you are flushing away toxins, viruses and bacteria that can lead to illness if not disposed of", says Piper. "and, while lymphatic drainage does not actually help with weight loss, it can help reduce puffiness and bloating by draining water retention, making you feel more comfortable".
DIY: How To Do Lymphatic Drainage At Home
While booking in with a professional is the best way to experience manual lymphatic drainage you can enjoy some of the benefits at home by dry body brushing and facial massage..
For The Body
- Begin slowly with long, gentle strokes across dry skin directed towards your upper torso and chest. "I recommend brushing towards the heart" suggests Piper. "This way you stimulate the lymphatic system in its natural direction". Starting at your feet, move upwards using a low-to-medium pressure that doesn’t irritate your skin.
- Working your way upwards. use circular motions across your stomach to aid digestion and once above your chest direct strokes towards your heart. Try the Mio Skincare Dry Body Brush, £15, which features rubber nodules alongside synthetic bristles to offer a more complete massaging effect.
- Finish with a nourishing body oil or cream to lock in moisture after exfoliation.
For The Face
"For a facial lymphatic drainage massage which is great for facial bloating and puffy eyes, you need to know where your glands are" says Williams. "If you have ever had swollen glands when you are ill you’ll know where the main ones are on your face. They are at the end of your jawline and at the top of your neck. I like to do this on a fully moisturised face and maybe add a little facial oil on top too to aid the slip
- Start by taking your thumb and forefinger of both hands and lightly grab the sides of your chin and jawline then in long sweeping strokes slide them up towards your lymph glands repeat this about 20 times. This is great at lifting the lower face too.
- Next do long sweeping strokes down from the glands towards your collar bone. This aid the flow of the lymph towards the heart. Again repeat 20 times.
- Next using place for index and middle finger together and place them on your cheeks. Make sure you have made contact with the gland that sits just under the cheek. You should be able to feel a sensitive area. Stoke out and upwards towards the lower temple and repeat about 20 times.
- Move up towards the eye brows and starting from the centre of your brows with your 2 fingers add slight pressure and stroke outwards towards your temples. Repeat 10-20 times.
- For the under eye area you’ll need to take care as we do not want to drag the skin here as it’s very delicate’ so using your middle fingers add a little more oil or your favourite eye cream to aid the slip and go from the corner of your eye and out all the way to the temple in one long sweep but with gentle pressure. Only repeat this 5-10 times so you don’r damage the delicate eye area
- We now need to move the lymph we have massaged out towards the temples and we do this with your 2 fingers, add slight pressure and stroke down towards your glands under the jawline. Again repeat 20 times
To finalise the drainage repeat the first step again of massaging along the jawline then doing long sweeping strokes down towards your collar bone."
Shop: The Best Products For DIY Lymphatic Drainage
The Best Tools For DIY Lymphatic Drainage
1 of 6Mio Skincare, Body Brush, £15
Buff away any dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs and encourage blood flow, all with a dry body brush. The rubber nodules in Mio's work the muscles and cellulite distribution, while the bristles tackle pesky rough patches on the skin's surface.
2 of 6Clarins, Firming and Toning Tonic Treatment Oil, £40
This indulgent oil contains plant extracts like rosemary, geranium and mint to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks, and firm and tone tissue by improving skin elasticity. Not only that, but it smells beautiful too.
3 of 6Nurse Jamie, UpLift Body Sonic Massaging Beauty Roller, £125
Used on the face, neck, décolletage, arms and legs, the Y shaped roller uses high frequency sonic vibrations and tiny massage stones to uplift skin's appearance and encourage blood flow.
4 of 6Aurelia London, Firm & Replenish Body Serum, £48
A lightweight, non greasy formula that instantly absorbs, delivering an intense dose of vitamins, shea and cocoa butters for supple, hydrated skin.
5 of 6PMD, Clean Body Brush, £145
This non-abrasive brush gently vibrates to stimulate muscles and blood flow, and can be used in the shower as a loofah or dry with an oil as a massager.
6 of 6Comfort Zone, Tranquility Face & Body Oil Blend, £49
"At home you can target the axillary lymph area which is located at your underarm; the supraclavicular lymph area which is underneath your collarbone and the antecubital fossa (the inside of the elbow). To target these areas it is important to gently massage on a superficial level to stimulate movement beneath the skin. It is ideal to use a body lotion or oil to do so as this aids with massaging movement, and I would recommend the Comfort Zone Tranquility Face & Body Oil Blend." Aimee Piper, Senior Skin Specialist
READ MORE: The Ultimate 10 Minute DIY Facial According To Phoebe Dynevor's Facialist