7 habits to adopt to support your body's natural lymphatic drainage process
Do you know how water retention occurs? Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, making them more permeable, which promotes the release of water from the vessels and prevents its reabsorption from the tissues. So when you’re dealing with water retention, what can you actually do about it?
The benefits of lymphatic drainage—both for the body and the mind—are countless: detoxifying the lymphatic system, boosting blood circulation, relieving heavy legs and reducing the appearance of cellulite. This specific massage is the fastest (and most non-invasive) way to reduce bloating effortlessly. Your mind feels lighter just as your body seems more toned.
Why is lymphatic drainage effective?
All year round and especially in the summer as temperatures rise, toxins tend to accumulate in the lymph to the point where the lymphatic system can no longer eliminate them.
But this condition isn’t irreversible and solutions do exist, as Tehani Leprieux, founder of the Lymphatic Drainage Workshop, explains: “Initially, lymph is a viscous fluid that has trouble circulating! Yet its role is to transport all toxins—those we produce and those we absorb through food and medications—so they can then be eliminated via the bladder, stool and skin. Once the lymph becomes overloaded, it tends to stagnate. This is because the fluid circulating in the lymphatic vessels—which run parallel to the bloodstream—lacks a pump to drive it (unlike the heart, which helps circulate blood). Due to gravity, it therefore becomes trapped in the legs and abdomen. This leads to heavy legs, cellulite, a slowed metabolism and difficulty losing weight. In the abdomen, digestive issues and bloating occur. It is therefore crucial to help it circulate properly so that it can optimally fulfill its role as the body’s cleansing system.”
Here's how can you maximise the effects of a lymphatic drainage treatment at a spa, take care of your lymphatic circulation at home and relieve water retention?
Habits that encourage lymphatic drainage
“I get asked this question every day,” continues Tehani Leprieur. “So here are my top tips, which I always recommend to my clients:
- Focus on a diet with as few inflammatory foods as possible: dairy, processed foods, sugar. During digestion, they turn into mucus and end up clogging the lymphatic system.
- Massage your legs, working from the bottom up. Start by stimulating the lymph nodes with the pressure points behind the knees and in the hip crease.
- Practice intermittent fasting at least once a week, preferably in the evening to allow the entire digestive system to rest.
- Practice abdominal breathing for 5 minutes a day, as we often tend to hold our breath. This is crucial as a large part of the lymphatic system is located in the abdomen.
- Every evening, while lying in bed, do the headstand! The idea is to help lymph fluid flow back down.
- Engage in physical activity that raises your heart rate. The pressure from blood vessels on the lymphatic vessels promotes lymph circulation.
- Dry-brush your body every morning before showering. Always use upward strokes."
Lymphatic drainage tools
Manual lymphatic drainage remains the gold standard. But in recent years, accessories designed to extend this practice at home have become staples in beauty routines. Two options are vying for attention and the choice depends entirely on your skin’s sensitivity and the desired effect.
On one hand, there are stiff-bristled brushes, designed for a more vigorous dry brushing. Their firm bristles (often made of sisal or boar bristles) provide both an exfoliating and stimulating effect: they boost skin microcirculation while removing dead skin cells, delivering an immediate “glow” in addition to drainage. This technique must be performed on dry skin, before showering, always moving from the extremities toward the heart.
And then there’s the body gua sha.
gua sha tool
No longer reserved for the face, this quartz or jade tool is used on the legs, abdomen and thighs. The principle: held almost flat against oiled or lubricated skin, it applies gliding pressure always directed toward the heart, simultaneously activating blood and lymphatic circulation.