Feeling bloated and sluggish? Your lymphatic system could be the culprit

Have you been slapped in the name of a face massage? Had your whole body kneaded? Have a collection of face rollers and gua shas to put a spa to shame? Then perhaps, you already worship at the altar of lymphatic drainage massage. Here's what it does to the body.

What is lymph?

Lymphatic drainage massage is the draining of lymph fluid that might cause swelling—you might see it as puffy eyes or swollen arms and legs. This condition, known as lymphoedema, usually occurs as a result of a build-up of lymph fluid, which is a yellow fluid that flows through the lymphatic systems. However unlike blood vessels that have a heart to pump the fluid evenly around the body, lymph vessels do not have a pump. Instead, they rely on the blood vessels to facilitate movement. The fluid is part of the immune system, transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells and flushing out toxins via the kidney.

The lymphatic drainage massage was discovered in the 1930s. It was meant to help people suffering from lymphedema. It is essentially a massage with light to medium pressure around certain points of the body to enable lymph fluid to move towards the lymph nodes and ultimately drain out, leading to less swelling, and also improve immunity.

Some believe that lymphatic drainage massage also assists traditional Chinese medicine, alongside acupressure and acupuncture. The western study of the lymphatic system is said to have a few things in common with the Chinese medicine’s basic tenet of san jiao (the omnipresent structure that contains our different bodily systems and organs, and is involved with their functions) and meridians. San jiao is also the passage through which qi, or heat and fluid, travels through the body, and works on the excretion of toxins.

How does lymphatic drainage work?

Lymphatic drainage massage has now been adapted by the beauty industry—where massages administered by trained professionals will result in a temporary ‘lift’ of face and parts of your body. “On the body it is detoxifying because of all the drainage of toxins from the tissue,” explains Dr Kiran Sethi, MD. “It also reduces swelling in the lower body and legs, which can happen as we get older and our veins start collapsing and fluid seeps out into the tissues. It also improves varicose veins by improving venous pressure back up into the heart. Cellulite also improves because accumulated lymph can exacerbate the appearance of it. Dry brushing works on the same principle. Lymphatic fluid can accumulate in the face and under the eyes, and a thorough massage drains it out.”

Massage, therefore, enables a flow, and clears blockages. The lymphatic drainage massage, as far as depuffing the face is concerned, can also include a host of fun (and sometimes not so fun) instruments. A strong favourite is the face roller. While there are naysayers, most find a face roller has worked to de-puff, especially when used after being cooled in the fridge for some time. “A facial massage cannot break down collagen unless you are beating the face,” says Dr Sethi when asked what happens to collagen when we massage our face. “If gently and firmly done, it [face massage] helps contour it,” she says.

Of course there are things to be wary of. This is after all essentially a medical approach to treat a serious illness. For example, lymphoedema is commonly caused by the removal of or damage to lymph nodes as a part of cancer treatment. “Typically lymphatic drainage is safe but, it is contraindicated in decompensated cardiac insufficiency, cardiac oedema and congestive heart failure," says Dr Sethi. If you have active inflammation caused by pathogenic germs (bacteria, fungi, viruses), the germs could be spread by the manual lymph drainage, with resulting blood poisoning (sepsis).

What about products with caffeine (eye creams and anti-cellulite creams in particular), that claim to depuff too? “Caffeine products don’t really help in lymphatic drainage, but they help in circulation, which can mildly improve lymphatic drainage as a side effect,” adds Dr Sethi. In addition, it’s important to understand the role of temperature too. “Heat can improve lymph flow. In fact warm compresses are often used to calm swollen lymph nodes. Thermotherapy temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius has been proven to increase the lymphatic flow and transportation of lymph. But cold can reduce lymphatic flow because circulation decreases.”

Also read:

Now is the perfect time to add dry brushing to your skincare routine

Here's why you're waking up to a puffy face in the morning

What exactly are the benefits of caffeine in skincare products?