Lymphatic drainage

Start by checking that the massage is suitable

This routine concerns a healthy face, with slight usual and temporary swelling. If the change is new, asymmetrical, painful or persistent, first seek its cause with a professional. Rapid swelling of the lips or tongue, especially with difficulty breathing, is an emergency. A massage session is not a way to test whether this type of symptom will eventually pass.

Avoid areas with a wound, infection or inflammatory outbreak. After surgery, injections or treatment that has affected the lymph nodes, follow the practitioner's instructions before massaging. In the event of significant heart or kidney disease, thrombosis or known lymphedema, seek advice tailored to your situation. The route of the drainage and the very appropriateness of the gesture may then be different.

Make it light, with your hands

Sit comfortably, shoulders relaxed, with clean hands and clean skin. Place your fingers flat rather than pressing with their tips. The gesture consists of moving the skin very slightly, then releasing, in a slow rhythm. You are neither looking to knead the muscles nor crush a pocket. If the contact hurts, pulls strongly or leaves a marked redness, the pressure is too much.

For a gentle cosmetic massage, follow the movements from the center of the cheeks towards the ears, then down the sides of the neck towards the collarbones. Stay on the surface, without deep pressure on the neck or lymph nodes. Avoid pulling the eyelids and squeezing the eyes. This general guideline does not constitute a treatment protocol: for real manual drainage, have a suitable sequence shown to you.

Use a tool only if you prefer

A roller can make the gesture pleasant and a gua sha can facilitate certain movements, but neither is essential. Above all, choose a tool that is smooth, intact and easy to clean. With a flat stone, keep a wide surface area in contact rather than scraping with the edge. Jade or quartz alone does not give any particular ability to move lymph or refine the face.

To avoid friction of a tool, a small quantity of a treatment that is already well tolerated can provide glide. With your hands, you must maintain enough grip to mobilize the skin: a lot of oil does not necessarily help. Clean the accessory after use and do not use it on inflammatory spots. Neither marks nor small bruises are a result to look for for this facial massage.

Integrate massage into your routine

Start with a brief session, lasting a few minutes, and see if it brings you comfort or a visible change. There is no firmly established ideal cosmetic duration, nor any reason to extend the session to achieve a more significant transformation. If your face doesn't look swollen and you don't particularly like the gesture, you can simply do without it.

The face also changes naturally after getting up. To judge the benefit of the massage, compare mornings at a similar time, with the same light and a relaxed expression. A before and after taken immediately after waking up and then after washing can give the impression of a greater effect than it is. If you don't see any benefit, don't increase the pressure: this is not a sign that you didn't massage hard enough.