How to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
April 17th, 2023
Hello my darlings,
Have you ever heard of Lymphatic Drainage? Do you realize how vital this process is for detoxifying the body? What are the ways to stimulate this function in the body? I have all the answers for you so you can get started healing your body and revitalizing your skin today!
Your lymphatic system is the body’s sanitation system, filtering and clearing out toxins and waste from your cells. It also absorbs fats and fat-soluble vitamins, distributing from the digestive tract to the cells of your body. Your lymphatic system is also a crucial part of your immune functions. Lymphatic vessels spread all across your body, near the surface of your skin transporting lymphatic fluid. The catch is, lymphatic fluid isn’t automatically pumped through the body like blood, it needs a little manual help to move.
Lymphatic Drainage: What Is It?
Lymphatic Drainage is the natural removal of toxins from the body. The drainage process can become stagnant and backed up leading to lymphatic congestion. This can be contributed to things like:
-Stress
-Lack of exercise
-Poor diet
-Toxic lifestyle (eating foods with pesticides, using chemical filled products, vaping, etc.)
Signs of Lymphatic Congestion
The signs are numerous and varying. Lymphatic congestion can lead to what is essentially poisoning the cells if the toxins and cellular waste are not removed. This poisoning will cause the lymph fluid to become toxic and can lead to inflammation, infection, fatigue, and disease. Other symptoms might look like:
-Headaches
-Bloating
-Brain Fog
-Arms/hands falling asleep/tingling
-Itchy or irritated skin
-Acne or other skin problems
-Inability to lose weight
-Constipation
-Swelling or puffiness
-Stiffness or muscle pain in the morning
-Ears ringing or clogging
These are just a few of many possible symptoms or signs of lymphatic congestion.
How to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
There are many ways to stimulate the lymphatic system, to assist in moving toxins out of your body. Let’s discuss:
Facial Massage to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
I always tell my clients, the massage is the best part of a facial and not just because it feels so relaxing and luxurious. A trained esthetician will use massage techniques to stimulate your lymphatic drainage, as well as push the fluid towards the heart and back of the neck to flush out the toxins. This will not only stimulate lymphatic drainage but will also depuff your face!
Dry Brushing to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
Dry Brushing is excellent for your body. It exfoliates the skin and turns out it is excellent for stimulating lymphatic drainage. If you want to learn more about the exfoliating stuff, I refer you to this article. I use a basic set of brushes and I set time a couple times a week (and no more) to brush my whole body before I shower so I can rinse off all the old, dead skin. Please make sure to brush in small gentle circles, moving towards the heart and the back of the neck. Always hydrate after dry brushing so as soothe and replenish your skin!
Move Your Body to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
From what I understand from my functional medicine doctor, rebounding is one of the best ways to stimulate lymphatic drainage with movement. And you only need to do it for about 5-10 minutes a day. Rebounding (not that I have tried it) is essentially jumping on a mini trampoline. Check out this if you’re a Boise local! They have some pretty cool workouts out there.
Movement doesn’t have to be complicated though! Yoga, walking, and jogging are all easy and excellent ways to get your body moving, to stimulate that lymph and get your body healing in many other ways.
Drinking Water to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
One of the most problematic issues with our lymph system is dehydration. I am so terrible at drinking water, so trust me when I say I get it if you also struggle to get enough water everyday. Water is lubrication. And it flushes out the body. So make it a priority to drink your water every single day!
Take Hot Epsom Baths to Stimulate Lymphatic Drainage
Hot baths are wonderful on so many levels. The hot water can encourage sweating to enhance detoxification and you can add bonus materials to encourage even more detoxing. Especially epsom. Epsom salts will facilitate lymphatic drainage while also boosting hydration, relax muscles and pull toxins from the skin. You can find epsom salts in my herbal tub teas within the Bewitched Beauty Box.
Which Method Is Your Favorite
Hopefully you’ve gained some healthy insight on the importance of lymphatic drainage as well as found a helpful place to start on your own journey. I highly recommend scheduling a spa facial as your first step. You can improve your detoxification and relax at the same time!
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
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