Pillows, blankets, and winter coats are all delightfully puffy. A puffy face? Not so much. You may experience puffiness after consuming sodium-rich foods and alcohol or not getting enough sleep. Luckily, a lymphatic drainage massage can help to alleviate facial puffiness.
A lymphatic massage reduces the amount of excess fluid collected in the skin (internally) and helps to encourage the removal of toxins. At the same time, it delivers benefits like a firmer, more sculpted appearance and less puffiness. Here’s how to get started with a lymphatic drainage massage.
What Are Lymph Nodes?
Lymph nodes are located all over your body, including your face. These tiny collection sites collect toxins from your body. Once these toxins have been filtered out, white blood cells break down the toxins and prepare them to be sent back into your bloodstream via lymphatic fluid. The kidneys then filter the lymphatic fluid from your bloodstream, and it exits your body in urine.
The problem is that lymph nodes don’t always drain as quickly as we’d like them to. After we’ve been asleep, for instance, our lying down position makes it more difficult for the lymph nodes to drain appropriately. That means we might wake up to puffiness in the areas of the face where lymph nodes are located, like near the eyes and nose and around the jawline.
This fluid collection can hang out, causing us to look swollen, puffy, and tired. It also means that the toxins floating inside the lymph nodes are still hanging out there when they should be traveling back into the bloodstream to exit the body.
A lymphatic massage is a solution that gently assists the lymphatic drainage process and reclaims the contour of your skin.
What Is a Lymphatic Massage?
You can perform a lymphatic massage during your daily skincare routine, preferably in the morning, to help with any bags under your eyes or added puffiness from overnight.
The benefits of performing a lymphatic massage include:
- Encouraging toxins to drain from the lymph nodes
- Alleviating fluid retention in your face
- Helping promote fresh oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the skin
- Sculpting, firming, and contouring the skin to help improve overall appearance
The best part is that capitalizing on these incredible results only takes a few minutes.
How To Give Yourself A Lymphatic Massage
First, decide the type of lymphatic massage you’ll perform. You can use your hands, tools, or even microcurrent devices.
- Hands. Using your hands is a favored technique of some aestheticians because they feel they have better control over the amount of pressure they use. You also can reach difficult spaces, like the corners of the eyes near the orbital socket and the area just under the ear where it meets the jawline.
- Gua sha tools. These tools are typically made from jade or another smooth stone and can come in roller form or shape, allowing you to “sweep” the skin. If you choose a device, you must ensure you aren’t using too much pressure, which could bruise your skin. It’s also necessary to use an oil or serum before you begin to ensure the tool glides across the skin instead of dragging.
- Microcurrent devices. Skincare professionals love microcurrent facials; combining them with a lymphatic massage is their secret weapon. Microcurrent devices allow you to get the benefits of microcurrent treatment and lymphatic drainage to double your benefits in one fell swoop.
Microcurrent therapy uses low-level electrical currents that mimic your body’s natural current to target the skin and the underlying structures that support it for firmer, visibly contoured results. It’s also safe and thoroughly researched, having been used in the medical profession for decades. Microcurrent is a comfortable and less invasive option than other methods of skin tightening and toning.
To use microcurrent therapy and a lymphatic massage, you’ll start by cleansing your skin. We recommend Prep-N-Glow® Exfoliating & Hydrating Facial Wipes. These wipes thoroughly cleanse the skin from dirt, oil, and makeup and can be flipped over to the textured side for gentle exfoliation.
The Prep
Once you’ve cleansed your skin, we recommend spritzing on NuFACE Supercharged IonPlex® Facial Mist. This mist contains our proprietary blend of glacial water and ions to ensure proper microcurrent conduction and helps keep your skin fully hydrated.
If desired, massage in 3-5 drops of Super Booster serum to encourage microcurrent delivery and target your unique skin needs. Super Booster serums are formulated with clean ingredients that hydrate, support, and target fine lines, wrinkles, and skin resilience.
The Process
Apply your favorite NuFACE Microcurrent Activator in a mask-like layer to the treatment area. Turn on your NuFACE Microcurrent Device and glide upward and outward on the face and neck.
Next, glide your device up through your cheeks, around your nose, and underneath your orbital sockets, working in upward and outward motions. For treating the delicate area around the eyes, consider using the TRINITY+ and Effective Lip & Eye Attachment to deliver gentle microcurrent and a soft massage to the orbital area without pulling.
If your skin becomes dry during your massage, spritz on the Supercharged IonPlex Facial Mist to reactivate your serum and keep your massage comfortable.
The Afterglow
Once you’ve finished your treatment, gently massage any remaining activator into your skin. Finish off with your favorite eye cream and moisturizer, and don’t forget sun protection. You’ll notice that your skin looks more contoured, lifted, and radiant than before you began.
Don’t Forget To Drain
A lymphatic massage might sound a little off-putting, but it’s one of the best tools to support your skin and get noticeable results. To learn more ways to help your skin and manage the visible signs of aging you’d not notice, download the NuFACE Smart App, where you’ll get exclusive access to tips and techniques that help you use your device for even more skin toning and tightening benefits.
Sources:
Lymphatic System | Teach Me Anatomy.info
Lymphatic Drainage - An Overview | ScienceDirect Topics
How to Conduct a Spa-Like Facial Massage and Lymphatic Drainage at Home | Real Simple
