Your MLD Treatment’s Best Friend: A Guide to Dry Body Brushing
Here at The Hideout, our world revolves around one thing: the health and flow of your lymphatic system. While the specialised Manual Lymphatic Drainage we perform in the clinic is profound, I am deeply passionate about empowering you with rituals you can do at home to support and amplify those incredible results.
Of all the practices I recommend, the simplest and one of the most effective is an old classic: dry body brushing.
But I don’t love it just for smooth skin (although it does make a big difference) I love it because it’s a direct, daily conversation with your lymphatic system. It’s a five minute act of self care that honours the very system we work so hard to perfect in the treatment room.
Why We Do It: It’s More Than Just Exfoliation
So, why do I swear by this simple ritual? The benefits go far deeper than the surface.
It’s a Wake-Up Call for Your Lymphatic System: This is the most important reason. Your lymphatic system is your body’s master drainage and detoxification network, but unlike your blood circulation, it doesn’t have a pump. It relies on muscle movement and manual stimulation to flow. The light, sweeping strokes of a dry brush provide that perfect gentle push, encouraging stagnant lymphatic fluid to get moving towards the nodes where it can be filtered and eliminated. It’s like giving your internal drainage system a helping hand, every single day.
It Gives You an Energising Boost: The brisk bristles stimulate your nerve endings and boost your circulation, leaving you feeling awake, invigorated, and ready for the day. Honestly, it’s better than a morning coffee for shaking off that sluggish feeling.
It Unveils Glowing Skin: Of course, the surface level benefits are fantastic, too. Dry brushing is one of the best ways to manually exfoliate, sloughing away dull, dead skin cells. This process helps to keep pores clear and reveals the softer, more radiant skin hiding underneath.
It Can Help Smooth Things Over: By boosting circulation and promoting lymphatic drainage, dry brushing can help soften the appearance of cellulite over time by encouraging the detoxification of the tissues.
How to Do It: Your Hideout Ritual
Performing this correctly is key to reaping the benefits. It’s your moment of mindfulness, so be present and intentional.
1. Choose Your Tool: Select a brush with firm, natural bristles.
2. Timing is Everything: Always perform on completely dry skin before you get into the shower or bath. This provides the right amount of friction to effectively exfoliate and stimulate the skin.
3. The Golden Rule: Always Brush Towards Your Heart. This is non-negotiable. We are following the natural flow of your lymphatic system, which drains towards the centre of your body.
The Step-by-Step Process:
Start at your feet. Using long, smooth, upward strokes, brush from your feet up towards your knees, and then from your knees up towards your hips. Overlap your strokes and cover the entire surface of each leg.
Move to your arms. Begin at your fingertips and brush with long strokes up your arms, towards your armpits. This is where a high concentration of lymph nodes are located, so you are literally directing the fluid towards a drainage point.
Address your torso. For your stomach, many people prefer gentle, clockwise circular motions. For your back, use long, upward strokes, doing your best to move towards your heart.
Be gentle! The pressure should be firm enough to feel stimulating, but never painful or harsh. Your skin may look a little pink afterwards, but it should never be red or scratched. Avoid any areas of broken or irritated skin.
4. The Finishing Touch: Once you’re done, hop in the shower to rinse away the dead skin cells you’ve loosened. After you pat your skin dry, take a moment to massage in a beautiful, nourishing body oil or lotion. Your freshly exfoliated skin will absorb it beautifully.
Incorporating this ritual into your routine is a powerful commitment to your own wellness journey. It perfectly complements your professional MLD treatments, helping you maintain that feeling of lightness and flow between your sessions with us.
Happy brushing x
