Is Lymphatic Drainage Worth the Hype? “After thirty minutes, the heaviness in my legs has subsided”

Kim Kardashian and Selena Gomez, among others, regularly book a treatment to redefine their body contours, with Bella Hadid applying it before the catwalk to remove excess water (hello, flat stomach!). quickly and Paris Hilton even had a lymphatic drainage device. Set up her living room. COST: $18,000 BUT: “It perfects your body and you don’t even need to exercise. Super cool,” said the reality star. It sure sounds super cool, but where does it really come from ?And equally important: Does it work?

what lymph? specifically to massage out excess moisture

first things first: The lymphatic system is like the highway of our body, where trucks full of garbage carry their load. It is part of our immune system and is a large network of tissues, vessels and organs that work together to move lymph fluid throughout our bodies. Quite an important function, as that lymphatic fluid is a cocktail of tissue fluids that can contain potentially harmful substances (infection, bacteria, unnecessary proteins, toxins and foreign substances), says trained nurse and massage therapist Chris Dameckens.

How? Simple: The lymphatic vessels are obstructed in places by lymph nodes that act as purification stations. “The gland checks the lymph fluid for harmful substances and will neutralize and remove them if necessary.” Usually the body is very adept at doing this job on its own, but sometimes things don’t go so smoothly. A power failure, so to speak.

“Using a gentle massage, we ensure that the lymph vessels open their ‘valves’ to allow fluid to pass through again. A slow, pumping motion – which follows the vessels’ natural rate of contraction – helps the fluid But also stimulates slightly larger lymph vessels for added suction effect.

Aesthetic doctor Ilan Karvani, who has been studying the subject for some time, says this explains why the treatment is so popular with top models. “In the first place because they lose excess moisture this way for an immediate tight effect. But mostly — and they don’t realize it — because they get rid of toxins. By flushing out those toxins, you build immunity.” system and get an anti-inflammatory effect, making you feel better.

Our bodies can’t process what we eat, and that sometimes makes us feel bad.

But there is more. Precisely because the lymph is not always good at eliminating waste, much remains dormant in the body. Recently, it has been realized that this accumulation is responsible for many processes. The effects of toxins will therefore play an important role in aesthetic medicine, predicts Karvani. “In the future, we will do more and more work on eliminating those toxins. The technology is promising not only for the treatment of cellulite and heavy legs, but also for skin improvement and anti-aging.

Since waste products are better flushed out, conditions like acne may improve, agrees Chris Dammekens. “Bacteria that are sometimes present in those inflammations are brought more quickly to the nearest lymph node, so that it provides better protection.”

Besides bacteria, lymphatic fluid contains a lot of other junk, says Karwani. “Not everything we eat, our body can process: our food contains many preservatives, dyes and other ingredients that are actually useless to the body. Basically, the lymph must eliminate them. Is the lymphatic system overloaded or does it no longer function? Then those tissues clog. We get extra fluid that we can’t get rid of, extra proteins that cause inflammation, immune systems that don’t function properly. shuts down – those stations of the lymphatic system are also our body’s immune stations – causing our natural defenses to drop and the sympathetic system to become overactive and trigger the stress response.

“In short: We’re really not at our best. (laughs) It is expressed in the body, how we feel, our face. This is the real basis of old age. We always think ‘oh well, it’s age’. But no: it’s the poison that we accumulate.

A common cause of a bad lymphatic system? Varicose veins. Kris Dammekens: “These veins cannot return moisture properly because their valve system is defective. As a result, more fluid remains and the lymphatic system has to work harder. However, the lymphatic system, like the circulatory system, has a pump doesn’t happen, so it needs to be helped.”

How many times do you have to do this treatment before it really works?

Doctors say, for this there is a need to think in a new way. “We’re used to doing everything on the outside: We inject hyaluronic acid or Botox, use lasers, lift the skin with threads or cut. We’ve created a whole industry out of the body. have not learned to connect what we naturally have – our cells and organs – with each other. In fact, we already have the most impressive tools by nature. All we have to do is make them talk (again) Have to do

Everything in the body is connected through nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels. How does old age come? Because these connections are useless. Karwani: “Your brain is fine, your heart and lungs are fine and your intestines are working well. But they’re not connected to your organs, so they can’t send and receive signals.”

“The activity of blood vessels decreases with age, they become smaller, thinner and decrease in number. What we have only recently known is that nerve pathways, like lymphatic pathways, also bear and do not transmit signals. In fact, your cables no longer work. Compare this to renovating an old house. Your lamps work, your electrical box is good, but you have to upgrade all your cables. Because they are old and cause short circuit.

How do you do that? With lymphatic drainage, eg. Although the classic, manual version is limited: “The result is temporary. For a lasting effect, you have to re-educate the body. You do this by connecting lymphatic drainage to electricity. This way, the body will eventually take over the massage and it will become an internal story.

Lymphatic Drainage of the Future: With Electrical Steam for Years of Results

Lymphatic drainage is anything new: The technology first saw the light of day in the 1930s. It was invented by a Danish doctor to treat chronic sinusitis and other immune diseases. In 2023, lymphatic drainage with electricity will undoubtedly be the cure.

Ilan Karavani: “The lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels are provided with nerve pathways. Therefore, stimulation of the lymphatic system with microcurrents can have a longer and deeper effect than manual lymphatic drainage. Electric currents drive everything: They make sure that the connections that were broken are re-stimulated. Superficial lymphatic drainage lasts about six to ten hours, deep lymphatic drainage works for up to a week. But if you work with electric current If you do, you will still have the effect months to years later, precisely because the body itself has taken over the circuit.

Lymphatic drainage triple tested

1. Lizbeth: “It doesn’t feel good, it really hurts in some areas”

“In winter I am quite satisfied with my legs. But when summer comes and the jeans are taken off, I always have to cross a threshold. Besides the fact that my stilts rarely turn brown, I sometimes get annoyed with those wet pads above my knees and the skin that gets softer with age.”

“Nothing terrible, but in terms of human formability, I’m still curious whether there’s room for improvement. That’s certainly the case with the BodyPerfect II,” according to Celeste’s Ils van Droom. Promises to tackle cellulite, fluid retention and sagging skin with three technologies.

“First, my thighs are treated with rotating radio frequency. Every centimeter of skin is vacuumed, rotated and heated. The aim is to destroy the fat cells that cause cellulite and stimulate the production of collagen so that the skin becomes tighter. It doesn’t feel good, it just hurts in some areas. But come on, don’t be fooled: this woman has given birth to triplets!”

“Then comes the cavitation session: The sound waves that you can feel buzzing in your ears make the fat cells vibrate and trap them (great image!). The lymphatic system naturally disposes of them after a few weeks. Third The session helps in this; once going up the legs with upward rotational movements, the lymphatic vessels are additionally activated.

“After an hour I’m out again, with bruises here and there on my legs, but still feeling lighter and tighter. After a week, the results are even more obvious. After another two weeks it goes away again. For optimal effect, you should repeat the treatment six times, with three weeks in between. This adds up, as you pay an average of 99 euros per treatment. Sunkissed calves in Mexico or the North Sea Tight feet on the beach? To choose is to lose!”

2. Fleur: “After a thirty minute session, the heaviness in my legs is gone”

“A scorching summer day and I, a red haired white fart, are not a match made in heaven anyway. Also, I retain more moisture on those days. So there’s no better time to try out Reshaping Draining Wraps. Collistar promises to give me a professional shock treatment of fluid retention, localized fat deposits and visible cellulite, but from the comfort (read: hammock) of my couch.

“I wrap wraps — think long strips — around my feet. The damp cloth, enriched with Dead Sea salt, fleur de sel from Sardinia, ginger extract and Asiatic pennywort, smells wonderful. And because the wraps Feel so amazingly refreshed, I even forget I look like a mom.”

“After a thirty-minute session, the feeling of heaviness in my legs has subsided, and my feet feel noticeably smoother. A little less swelling too. Bonus is I can reuse the wraps and there is a refill pack included.

Valerie: “Any downside? With a price tag of 899 euros, it’s not for everyone”

“No living soul has taken a closer look at my legs in the last decade. They have been a thorn in my side for ten years after the melanoma was removed and I am left with a severe scar and permanently swollen legs.” Was left with a pair.

“With the lymph nodes removed, the moisture balance in my feet isn’t smooth, and after exercising or on a hot day, I suffer from tired feet quickly. Enter Therabody RecoveryAir Jetboots, A pair of futuristic looking waders that will solve that problem through compression therapy.

“The principle is simple: You put on the shoe, set the time and compression strength (from 25 to 100 percent) and let the shoe do the work. Although I was quite skeptical about the test, I was soon convinced. The feeling of pumping is pleasant, the whole process requires little effort and my feet feel really light and less tired after use.After a few sessions I also noticed that my feet look less swollen Any drawbacks? With a price tag of 899 euros, these shoes are not for everyone.