Bare Facts: Understanding Your Lymphatic System - The Power of Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Welcome to my “Bare Facts” blog series! This month, I decided to switch it up and trade in my wordier, more in-depth blog posts for articles that are shorter, digestible, and get straight to the “need to know” information. 💡

Lymphatic drainage massage is something that is talked about daily in the beauty and wellness community. Like we know it helps depuff our faces and bodies and helps reduce excess fluid, leading to a more contoured look, but do you ever wonder about what lymph is and what this lymphatic drainage massage actually does?

What is our lymphatic system?

The lymphatic system is like your body’s inner drainage network, helping flush out toxins and keep things flowing smoothly. It works quietly behind the scenes to support immunity, balance fluids, and move waste out of the tissues. Lymph fluid travels alongside blood flow, passing through lymph vessels (separate from blood vessels) and then through lymph nodes, where it's filtered. Eventually, the clean lymph drains into the bloodstream near the heart, at the subclavian veins.

scrub me secret: the heart pumps blood to circulate throughout the body. Lymphatic fluid also needs to flow and circulate, but it doesn’t have its own pump like our blood does. Through movement, breathing exercises, proper hydration, and massage, we can help our lymph flow and move.

What is lymph? What does it do?

Lymph is a clear, watery fluid that flows through your lymphatic system, carrying away waste, toxins, and unwanted stuff like bacteria. It’s loaded with white blood cells that help your body fight off illness and keep your immune system strong. So essentially, lymph fluid’s main job is to help clear waste from our bodies.

How does lymphatic fluid affect our skin and body?

Our skin:

✨ Healthy lymphatic flow - Skin is clear, there is very little puffiness, the clavicle/neck/and jawline are defined, and skin is naturally luminous

🚩Lymphatic fluid buildup - Acne, breakouts, redness/splotchy, puffy under eyes, puffy jawline/under chin, fluid buildup in other areas, or very dull skin

Our body:

✨ Healthy lymphatic flow - Energy levels are good, very little stiffness, can move around easily, skin is clear, doesn’t have fluid buildup, and immune health is good

🚩Lymphatic fluid buildup - Stiffness, fluid buildup in areas, fatigued, body acne, and/or poor immune health

What is lymphatic drainage?

Lymphatic drainage is a specialty massage technique where a professional, like a massage therapist, doctor, acupuncturist, or certified lymphatic drainage massage expert, uses their hands and/or different massage tools to gently and effectively move your lymph fluid and direct it in the correct direction so it can drain debris and renew.

scrub me secret: If done improperly, lymphatic drainage massage can have negative effects like unwanted puffiness, uneven features, fatigue, or illness. Please visit a professional for your lymphatic treatments and consult your doctor if you have any medical conditions.

Lymphatic drainage facial massage:

This type of message is generally light and rhythmic because to move the lymphatic fluid properly, we need a light touch. Our lymphatic fluid sits just below the skin’s tissues, so a deep or very firm touch doesn’t manipulate it properly. Your facial massage specialist will gently pump or stimulate areas with lymphatic drainage points and passageways using their hands or lymphatic drainage tools. They will glide along different drainage pathways using specific motions in precise areas to move and drain fluid. Your face and neck are usually more contoured directly after a massage!

scrub me secret: if you want to get super specific, gua sha massage isn’t lymphatic drainage massage. Gua sha does have some elements of lymphatic drainage and is helpful for movement and flow, but since the pressure of gua sha massage is usually medium, firm, or deeper, the focus is more about rejuvination, release, and circulation boost rather than specifically lymphatic drainage. So if you ask an expert, they would not classify gua sha massage as lymphatic drainage.

Lymphatic drainage body massage:

Your massage therapist will use various lymphatic drainage methods using their hands, cupping tools, soft brushes, and/or gua sha to move your stagnant lymphatic fluid in the correct directions. Your therapist should be well-trained and know the specific directions to direct your lymphatic flow. In these types of massages, fascia release tools and techniques are often used to release tension in the tissues so that you can get better detoxification and lymph flow. These massages can vary in pressure.

scrub me secret: our lymphatic fluid carries toxins, especially our stagnant lymph fluid. When you get a lymphatic drainage massage, it helps your body move this lymph and expel toxins. If your body is sick, tired, dehydrated, or not in prime form, you may end up feeling a little under the weather after your lymphatic treatment. Your specialist should be able to give you the best instructions for how you should care for your body afterward.

Our lymphatic system is a complex system that is affected by lifestyle, illness, and disease. I did not discuss diseases of the lymph nodes, lymphedema, or cancers in this short article. Those and other medical conditions will affect the way that your lymphatic system functions, and you will need to ask your doctor or medical professional before receiving any kind of lymphatic drainage work.

I am educated and trained in manual lymphatic drainage work and lymphatic drainage massage using different tools. At my skin care studio in Boulder, CO, you can experience a face massage that includes these lymphatic techniques.

🧡 scrub me skin care studio, 2660 Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO