Lymphatic Drainage – the what, why and how

At Joly, we aim to simplify beauty practices, routines, and ingredient pairings (among other things). There is ample noise out there on self-care, massages & sculpting, that deciphering signals on what these practices should mean for us individually, gets really challenging. Let’s start with lymphatic drainage as part of massaging, as a starting point. What is it, and why do we need to do it? Do all of us need to do this, and how? What results should I be expecting and how soon? Whoa whoa whoa.. let’s slow down.
While there is no sure-fire answer to such questions as it is all subjective, there are various approaches to Lymphatic Drainage (LD) that may help treat our facial dullness and shift it back to a youthful looking skin (yes – that’s what LD is supposed to do… (when done right)).

The high level -
The lymphatic system is a network of tissues, vessels and organs that move a colorless fluid – Lymph, through your circulatory system. The lymphatic system has many functions. These include keeping our fluid levels in check, absorbing fats from digestive track, and protecting our body against foreign invaders (as part of the immune system). To keep your lymphatic system strong and healthy, avoid toxic chemicals inside and on the body, drink plenty of water so lymph can move through your body, and maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

The fix –
Lymphatic drainage (a repetitive manual massage technique that works on the lymphatic system, stimulating it to work quickly by moving the lymph to the lymph nodes) works by removing the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in your face. By moving waste and toxins out of the lymph nodes and providing oxygen across the skin, the light, soft massage therapy improves circulation in your face (or rest of your body depending on the extent of your massage or practice).

The ‘HOW’ -
An esthetician (or you could try yourself) gently stimulates the lymph vessels under your skin by massaging your face/body toward the lymphatic flow while using circular motions with finger pads. Light, targeted pressure removes toxins and extra fluid from your face/body.

The benefits –
While the overall benefits of lymphatic drainage are a lot throughout the body, if we focus on just the facial area, there are still a lot of them, such as:

1) Reduces dullness
As the lymphatic buildup starts disappearing from your skin, the critical nutrients have a lot easier time getting to the skin cells. The newly nourished skin cells seem much more radiant and give a glowing look.

2) Helps with puffiness and swelling
Lymphatic drainage massage (support with a body/face oil) helps your skin regain vitality by making it feel relaxed and firm. Additionally, it helps reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. If you wake up with a puffy or bloated face, lymphatic drainage will immediately aid by decongesting tissues.

3) Helps combat sagging skin
Impaired lymphatic function causes skin troubles, such as “swelling.” “Swelling” due to impaired lymphatic function causes “sagging” based on some of the publicly available research. Therefore, LD, when done right, can help reduce the appearance of swelling and sagging.

Caveat – This blog is based on personal experiences and meant for entertainment. Please supplement with your own research & doctor’s advice.