Lymphatic drainage massage: does it work?

Yes, and I'm a big fan.

You might have heard heaps of breathless chatter, or at least some rumblings, about lymphatic massage recently. Is it worth paying attention to? In my view, yes.

What it won’t do: melt away spare folds around the midsection —poof! — and keep them away forevermore.

What it will do: address excess fluid that often shows up in the face (puffy eyes, etc.) in addition to the legs, arms, and stomach. That excess fluid can build up if your body’s got a lot of debris for the lymphatic system to sweep away, or if the lymphatic system isn’t adequately stimulated with things like regular deep breaths. Or both. Because life, at the moment, is kind of nuts.

Key takeaways from today’s post

1. Movement, stretching, proper hydration, and deep breathing can help the lymphatic system eliminate excess fluid from areas where it tends to collect.

2. If you suspect you need a little more of a boost, lymphatic drainage massage is a great option, and there are some at-home solutions that don’t take a huge amount of time or effort.

3. If you’re doing a lymphatic massage routine at home that’s focused on the face, and you have any muscle tension between the shoulders and the crown of the head, you’ll want to release that tension first for the best results.

You’ll find the full story, which I think is always worth it, below the photo of my favorite related tools — more on those later.

First, a quick 101.

What’s the lymphatic system?

The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and nodes that are responsible for cleansing the tissues and maintaining fluid balance in the body. It’s often described as our body’s “sewer system”: it helps irrigate our tissues to filter and flush excess fluid and cellular waste from the spaces between our cells, providing a clean environment for them to function and receive the nutrients they need.

As one of the body’s most important regulatory systems, it’s a cornerstone of our immune system and one of the keys to healthier skin.

Movement, stretching, proper hydration, and deep breathing can help the lymphatic system eliminate excess fluid from areas where it tends to collect — often the legs, the arms, and the stomach as well as the face. Another key to helping the lymphatic system work more effectively is lymphatic drainage massage.

What is lymphatic drainage massage, and how is it helpful?

To answer this question, I’ve asked a few experts to weigh in.

The Lymphedema Therapist’s perspective

Lisa Brinker is the OG Manual Lymphatic Drainage expert in San Francisco — a Vodder-trained Certified Lymphedema Therapist who’s consistently recommended by other bodyworkers for her expertise.

When I asked her about lymphatic drainage, Lisa began with a more detailed description of the lymphatic system to help you picture what’s happening in the body during this type of massage:

“There are between 500 and 1500 lymph nodes, multi chambered filtering ‘stations’ ranging from the size of a sesame seed to that of an olive. Concentrated in the neck, under the arms, abdomen, groin, behind the knees, and other areas of the body, these nodes receive fluid via a delicate network of vessels beginning in the skin with some deeper, larger lymph trunks in the abdomen and chest. In the nodes, metabolic waste products, bacteria, and viruses are exposed to lymphocytes, initiating an immune response.

“The heart pumps blood through the capillaries to the cells. The nutrient rich plasma bathing the cells is called interstitial fluid. Next, blood vessels return that fluid to the venous blood going back to the heart to resume its journey. There is always some excess fluid remaining that becomes lymph as it enters the vessels to be cleansed before returning to the blood.

“Lymphatic drainage involves swelling and moving this lymph fluid from in between cells back into circulation: you’re encouraging the excess fluid to be drawn into the lymph vessels and stimulating the contraction of these vessels. The vessels have smooth muscle walls, linked by valves that pump fluid to the nodes and eventually back the venous blood. Fluid is directed to areas of lymph node concentration and, likely, drainage sites.

“The key benefits of lymphatic drainage massage involve immune support and reduced swelling. Additionally, there’s the benefit of ‘cleansing’ the cellular environment for improved delivery of nutrients and removal of waste products. It also helps activate the parasympathetic (rest and digest) system for stress reduction.”

Lisa’s work is a good reminder of the fact that there are many people who rely on lymphatic drainage massage not for a flatter stomach or sharper cheekbones, but to help with serious medical conditions: she frequently works with clients that have had cancer surgery involving the lymph nodes and experience lymphedema-related swelling as a result. But for those of us who are also interested in the “sharper cheekbones” part:

The Esthetician’s Perspective

Cecily Braden is a celebrated esthetician and educator who’s trained spa professionals in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe since 1994. She’s trained all the facialists I know who work with Gua Sha, and lymphatic drainage is her newest passion; she developed a patented set of brushes that I use and love for lymphatic massage that’s focused on the face.

From an esthetician’s perspective, she told me, “Lymphatic drainage is the answer to healthy, clear, glowing skin. Inflammation is the precursor to aging; by increasing lymphatic flow, we can reduce inflammation and stagnation within the tissue, allowing our body to heal, repair, and protect itself from harmful substances.”

She added, “If you want to stop bloating, address inflammation, and minimize the appearance of cellulite, focus on clearing the congestion and improving flow within the lymphatics — which directly support digestive and gut health, too. I refer to it as ‘clearing the clutter,’ or getting rid of the metabolic waste that creates stagnation.”

The home routine I recommend

For the face and neck in particular, I love Cecily’s super-soft set of Lymphatic Brushes: it’s an easy and effective way to incorporate lymphatic drainage massage into your regular routine. (You can do a routine in mere minutes.)

I don’t use the brushes every day, but I reach for them on mornings when I haven’t gotten quite enough sleep and/or feel a little puffy. I notice a difference and can feel drainage through my sinuses whenever I use them.

Longer-term, Cecily mentions that you’ll see more vitality in the mirror as the products you put on your skin just seem to work better; she doesn’t feel the need to wear much makeup anymore and credits these brushes for that newfound sense of freedom.

A few tips for the brushes

1. Don’t prep your skin with oil

It’s best to brush skin that’s been prepped with a mist like de Mamiel’s Multi-Active Hydramist or a water-based serum like the Sea Serum — but no oil.

2. Release tension first

I attended Cecily’s professional training for the brushes and almost started to giggle when she wrote on a poster, “First, ask yourself: is there tension?” (Is there ever not?)

If you, like me, have any muscle tension between the shoulders and the crown of the head (for example, in the neck, jaw, or scalp), you’ll want to release that before doing any lymphatic drainage work on your face. This tension is often what causes puffiness in the face, and releasing it will allow for better drainage of excess fluid during lymphatic massage.

However, and also like me, you might not have the time or inclination to learn intricate facial massage techniques. So, check out these two things:

1. Cecily's Tension Tamer Mushrooms. Designed to be massaged along your neck and jawline to melt away that tension, they’re very easy to use — there are really very few rules with these — and I swear by them for a back-from-vacation glow.

2. TEK’s Scalp Massage Brush. Cecily saw this during her last visit to Ayla and fell in love with it; it’s such a good way to help with the tension from the hairline to the crown of the head that many people don’t realize they have. Again, no real rules: just use it in a way that feels good, and know that it’s helping you out.

I hope this post was helpful! If it was, please like it, subscribe, or share it with your friends — Substack is a new experiment for me and I appreciate all the support.

PS Any topic discussed in this post is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.