Got that buzzy buccal fat or love handles that refuse to budge? Maybe skip the surgeon and start knuckling your puffy cheeks and dry brushing your bloated belly instead.
Finger scissors. Chin sweeps. Full circles. In typical TikTok overkill fashion, clips featuring a blizzard of body-part kneading and stroking techniques have exploded over the last year, drawing focus to our lymphatic systems. A wildly complex network of organs, nodes, ducts and vessels, its core job is to circulate lymph, a feisty fluid that fights infection by sprinkling immunity-boosting cells throughout the body.
If that network gets sluggish, beauty bummers can pile up. “A stagnant lymphatic system will cause acne, breakouts, puffiness and dry skin,” says New York City skin-care guru Joanna Vargas, who swears by facial lymphatic massage for both herself and her A-list clients. “It can completely change the look of someone’s face.”
Below the neck, lymph drainage can also contribute to a slimmer silhouette.
And while you could easily swing by a luxe day spa to have an aesthetician professionally knead you (Sage + Sound, The Well and JTAV Clinical Care are just a few of the New York City venues offering full-body lymphatic drainage), you can also take matters into your own hands and try a DIY tool.
Rollers, paddles, gua shas and densely bristled brushes can all assist in the quest to stimulate the lymphatic system and boost circulation.
Just go easy with those tools, says wellness influencer and De La Heart brand founder Gigi Vogel. Not only are lymph vessels delicate, nodes are positioned just below the skin’s surface. “For lymphatic drainage massage to be beneficial, very light pressure is required,” Vogel notes. “I invite our clients to use what I call ‘gravitational pressure’ against their skin, and drive excess fluid in the direction of the heart or toward the closest set of lymph nodes.” (Google “lymph node chart” and prepare to be inundated.)
Other best practices, according to Vogel: Prep your lymph nodes in advance, by gently pumping on them; start from your ankles and work your way up, toward your heart; always use a body oil or cream with your tool to facilitate glide, and be sure to clean said gadget after use.
While her team offers lymphatic drainage at her spas in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, Fla., superstar facialist Tammy Fender believes in a combo pack of professional and at-home treatments, and she isn’t surprised her clients are more than up to the task.
After all, lymphatic drainage is the self-care obsession du jour.
“It’s growing in popularity because it’s so needed,” Fender says. “While our spa treatments are very effective, when you perform manual lymph drainage at home consistently, you can also see some remarkable results.”