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Lymphatic drainage face massages are trending on TikTok—yielding some curiously dramatic before-and-afters—and popping up on spa menus from coast to coast. Like most wellness trends, their purported benefits sound great on paper (er, screen): Decreased puffiness, glowing skin…sold! But are these fresh-faced effects legit or overblown? (Is the sculpted jawline in that TikToker’s video really a result of massage?) And is there even a difference between a lymphatic facial massage and a regular one?
We tapped three experts (all of whom, spoiler alert, had a slightly different take on the topic) to weigh in. Here’s what they had to say re: what a facial lymphatic drainage massage can and can’t do for your skin, and how to try it on yourself, if you’re so inclined.
First, let’s talk about the lymphatic system.
Before we can get to the “drainage massage” part of things, it’s helpful to understand what the lymphatic system is and the purpose it serves. Per the Mayo Clinic, the lymphatic system consists of a network of tissues and organs including lymph nodes and channels. Lymph—excess fluid that’s present in bodily tissue—moves through these channels and ultimately drains into the bloodstream, which helps maintain balanced fluid levels in the body, Jennifer Levine, MD, a double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City, tells SELF.
The lymphatic system also plays a major role in your immune system. Lymph nodes are bean-shaped glands—found in the armpits, groin, abdomen, and, yep, the face and neck—that act as guards, stopping foreign substances from entering the body, Dr. Levine explains. When they trap these molecular intruders, they can become enlarged, hence why swollen lymph nodes are sometimes a symptom of infection. Lymph nodes also produce disease-fighting white blood cells, which are then transported throughout the body via those lymphatic channels.
What is a lymphatic drainage massage?
There are different techniques, but the overall goal of any lymphatic drainage massage is to help improve the flow of the lymph with a very targeted type of motion, using either a tool or the hands, Kseniya Kobests, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in New York City, tells SELF. Proponents claim that the lymphatic system sometimes needs this encouragement because—unlike the circulatory system, which is driven by the heart—it doesn’t have an organ helping it pump and move fluid.
However, according to Dr. Levine, your lymphatic system is remarkably good at working on its own, without any type of manual assist. “A lymphatic drainage massage isn’t going to make your lymphatic system do something it wouldn’t do otherwise. What it can do is help it work a bit faster,” she explains. To that point….
What are the potential benefits of a facial lymphatic drainage massage?
All of the experts we spoke to agree that the primary benefit is moving excess fluid out of the facial area, and that translates to a de-puffing effect. It’s usually instantaneous, although Dr. Levine is quick to note that any type of reduced swelling or puffiness is only temporary. “There’s anecdotal evidence that this kind of massage will move the fluid, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to come back,” she says. These de-puffing, swelling-reduction benefits are why lymphatic drainage massages are sometimes recommended after plastic surgery, be it on the face or body. (Dr. Levine says that she doesn’t suggest it to her patients because she doesn’t think it’s necessary, but she notes that it’s certainly not harmful as long as you’re careful around areas that are healing.)
Enthusiastic supporters claim that this type of massage also helps remove toxins from the skin, combatting dullness and leaving you with a more glowing, healthier-looking complexion. While it is true that lymph carries cellular waste, that’s not necessarily what impacts the appearance of the skin (it’s excess fluid that causes puffiness). Rather, Dr. Kobets attributes any kind of improvement in tone to something else: Anytime you’re physically manipulating the skin, you’re increasing blood flow, and that’s what creates that rosy or otherwise glowing look and combats dullness, she says.
How is a lymphatic drainage massage different from a regular massage?
Here’s where things can get a bit confusing. The two are often conflated, but they’re actually pretty different. When it comes to the face and neck, most of the lymph nodes are located directly under the skin, so you really don’t need a lot of pressure to stimulate them. Lymphatic drainage massage requires a shockingly gentle touch, celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas, founder of Joanna Vargas Salons and an eponymous line of skin care products, tells SELF. While there are many different lymphatic drainage massage techniques, they’re all meant to follow the path of your body’s natural lymphatic flow, she adds.
On the flip side, traditional massage (facial or otherwise) is much deeper and requires notably firmer pressure, given that the goal is to target the muscles, says Dr. Kobets. It’s worth mentioning that this type of classic facial massage is also having a moment thanks to the growing popularity of spots dedicated to it, à la FaceGym. And, unlike its lymphatic counterpart, there’s actually some scientific evidence backing the beauty benefits of traditional facial massage. For example, Dr. Kobets cites one study that found it impacted both muscles and subcutaneous fat in the skin, ultimately making for a more lifted appearance. And a small 2022 pilot study showed similar lifting and tightening results.
Who should consider trying a facial lymphatic drainage massage?
According to the experts SELF spoke with, there’s really no harm in anyone trying it with a trained esthetician or at home—again, as long as you’re gentle. Vargas believes that doing it weekly, for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, can be beneficial; Dr. Kobets says it’s a nice quick fix on mornings when you wake up looking puffy or swollen (or after a good cry, perhaps?).
And, even if the jury is still out as to whether or not it will produce any kind of meaningful benefits for your skin over time, it feels good and can be very relaxing, Dr. Kobets notes. Given that we know that stress can be detrimental to the skin, utilizing lymphatic drainage massage for the possible psychological benefits if nothing else may be worth it, she adds.
How to DIY a facial lymphatic drainage massage
As we mentioned, a lymphatic drainage massage requires a particular type of touch and motion. For that reason, Vargas says using a tool can make doing it yourself much easier, though there are a few key things to keep in mind. Yes, you can theoretically reach for a jade roller, but most people instinctively use it the wrong way. “People tend to use rollers in a back-and-forth motion, like they would a vacuum, but in the case of lymphatic drainage you really need to be moving in only one direction,” she explains.
It’s also much easier to accidentally push too hard with a jade roller, and, again, a super light touch is crucial here if you want to actually target the lymphatic system in the face and not the underlying muscles. Vargas’s recommendation: a gua sha tool (ideally from an Asian American and Pacific Islander–owned business, since gua sha is a healing technique rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, as SELF previously reported). Try these steps:
- First, apply a lightweight face oil on your face and neck—you’ll want the skin to have a little bit of slip so that the tool can glide more easily, she says.
- Starting right under your jawline on the left side of your face, move the tool down along your neck toward your collarbone, then repeat on the right side; this will encourage the lymphatic pathways to open and drive the fluid toward the lymph nodes so that it can better drain, Vargas says. (Fun fact: There are approximately 600 lymph nodes in the body, and 200 of those are in the neck!)
- Next, work your way up one side of your face: Start along your jaw, gliding the tool sideways, toward your hairline, then down your neck toward your collarbone.
- Repeat the same motion (sideways, then downward) as you move up your face, gliding the tool along your cheek. Continue this until you reach your forehead. Then, repeat the entire process on the other side of your face.
A manual facial lymphatic drainage massage is a bit trickier to master, but here’s how to do it:
- You’ll want your face and hands to be clean and bare, since having a little bit of friction will actually help promote the movement of lymph fluid, Vargas says. (Plus, you don’t want to transfer dirt or bacteria on your hands to your skin, which can potentially lead to breakouts.)
- Just as you would with a gua sha tool, place the tips of your index and middle fingers on one side of your neck, right below your jawline, and move downward toward your collarbone while making small backward J motions (toward the center of your neck). Repeat on the other side of your neck.
- Move up to your face next. Using the same two fingers, make those same small, J-shaped movements following the same pattern as you would with a gua sha tool: Start on one side of your face, moving outward along your jawline, then downward once you hit your hairline. Continue to move up your face, finishing at your forehead. Repeat on the other side.
- In case we haven’t yet hammered home the point enough, be gentle. “Picture trying to swim across a lake without making any ripples in the water. Your fingers should be coasting over the skin,” says Vargas.
The bottom line on facial lymphatic drainage massage
While some of the experts SELF spoke with were bigger fans than others, all agreed that, so long as it’s done correctly (i.e. you’re not leaving your skin bruised or red from pushing too hard), there’s no harm in trying a facial lymphatic drainage massage. There may not be solid evidence suggesting it’ll permanently alter your face, but it might make it less puffy, and it’ll probably feel pretty freaking great either way.
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