The fact that lymph stagnation has formed in the body can be signaled by swelling of the face in the morning, which at some point became your constant companion. If your face is swollen, you can relieve swelling with a lymphatic drainage facial massage. But if swelling appears, then it’s worth taking care of the body, because everything in the body is interconnected. How can lymphatic drainage exercises for the body help remove swelling from the face and improve overall health?
How did swelling appear on my face and how did I get rid of it?
Irina Korkina reports
It all started at 25. I received my passport with a new photo and compared it with the one that was pasted on it a year ago. There seemed to be two different people in the photo, but I couldn’t understand what exactly was bothering me and why the face had changed.
Only eight years later, when I started working with Elena Fedotova, everything fell into place. My problem is swelling. Even then, at 25, she made her cheeks heavier, the nasolabial folds began to stand out more clearly, the eyelids covered the eyes, mascara was imprinted on the upper eyelid. And I chalked it up to poor quality mascara.
Photos at 24 years old and at 25 years old (before classes)
But over time, I began to notice that the swelling lasted longer and longer, and it happened that I came to work with a swollen face, and this upset me a little...
Only now, when, in addition to face fitness, I added lymphatic drainage to my daily practices, I understood how to deal with swelling, and I know how to return that same open look, remove heaviness from the face and, most of all, from the cheeks. Puffiness is not a harmless consequence of a night's sleep, but a phenomenon that can lead to premature aging of the face.
Photos before and after lymphatic drainage exercises
Eliminating puffiness at home
- Massage with special steel balls will help eliminate swelling of the eyelids.
- Compresses made from strongly brewed tea or decoctions of medicinal herbs help eliminate bags under the eyes.
- A contrast shower is one of the most effective means for eliminating swelling of the face and body. It will help “bring to life” the vessels and restart the lymphatic system.
- Massage with ice cubes prepared from a decoction of medicinal herbs and tea helps eliminate puffiness under the eyes, eyelids and face as a whole.
- Sage tea in the evenings and flaxseed oil in the mornings. Both remedies are an excellent preventive measure and help restore the strength of blood vessels, normalize the functioning of the lymphatic system and strengthen the nervous system.
- Raw potatoes are excellent in combating puffiness around the eyes. Place slices of cold vegetables on your face and hold for at least 15 minutes. Then turn it over and repeat the procedure.
- Chilled spoons are an old-fashioned way to eliminate swelling of the eyelids. Apply them to your eyes for 10 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
- Freshly squeezed juices have a diuretic effect on the body. Moreover, unlike tablets, they have no side effects. Carrot, beetroot and green juices (parsley, spinach, celery) are especially beneficial.
- Heparin ointment. An excellent remedy in the fight against swelling caused by insect bites (mosquitoes, bees, wasps). The ointment will help relieve itching and speed up healing. Apply it to the affected area in a thin layer and leave until completely absorbed. Update every two hours.
- Parsley decoction. An effective remedy in the fight against “salt” or renal edema. Drink a glass of decoction after meals. Parsley is best at removing toxic elements and speeding up metabolism.
On a note! Despite popular belief, Badyaga cream is strictly forbidden to be used to eliminate swelling. It can only make your situation worse.
Lymphatic drainage gymnastics for face and body
Swelling on the face in the morning is an excessive accumulation of fluid in organs and extracellular tissue spaces of the body. Swelling on the face should not be considered separately from the body. Lymphatic fluid in the body is like a pool, where water is supplied through one channel and discharged through the second. It moves slowly and in one direction along the body from bottom to top, and flows from the head from top to bottom. There is no sediment in the lymphatic system; breathing, massage and direct muscle movement play a significant role in stimulating the movement of lymph through the vessels.
When performing lymphatic drainage exercises, metabolism increases, which means your waist will become thinner faster. So stand up straight, smile, imagine yourself slim - and start exercising!
Shocks according to Mikulin. Raise your heels 5 cm and lower them to the floor until you feel a noticeable shaking in your legs. The shocks are rhythmic, no more than once per second. Do 60 times within a minute. Support your breasts with your hands if you are not wearing sportswear.
Contraction-relaxation. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Relax your whole body. Tighten your muscles alternately about 10 times, moving from the periphery to the center:
- first we strain the muscles of the toes (1 inhalation - 5 contractions, 1 exhalation - 5 contractions)
- then we tense our legs with the same breathing
- next - abdominal muscles
We stretch the ankle. Pull your toes away from you, stretching the front surface of your feet, and make small springing movements (8 times). Straighten your leg and stretch, pull your toe towards you, again alternating tension with relaxation (8 times).
Half squats. Next, we rise higher and do half squats. Carefully, slowly. The knees do not go beyond the line of the socks. We push ourselves out of the squat not with our knees, but with the work of our buttocks; at the top point, when straightening, we rise onto our toes (10–15 times). Depending on the condition of your knees, choose the optimal angle of leg bending and a comfortable number of squats.
Half bridge. Do a glute bridge while lying down. While holding at the top point, contract your buttocks. When lifting your pelvis up, remain lying on your shoulder blades (not on your neck); you should not lift it higher. Check your position so that your knees are above your feet. Lower yourself carefully, laying your spine like a string of pearls.
Do the exercise 8-10 times.
Vibration. Effective for cleansing capillaries and outflow in veins. Lying down, raise your straight legs and arms up perpendicular to the floor and shake them for 1 minute. Stroke your legs from top to bottom.
"Spreads." Stand up straight, lower your shoulders, and grab the ceiling with the top of your head. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Stretch your arms straight in front of you, palms facing up, fingers spread out as far as possible. Clench your hands into fists, then unclench them. And so 10 times.
Shchelbany. While continuing to keep your arms extended straight in front of you, simultaneously snap the fingers of both hands as if you were snapping someone on the forehead. Index, middle, ring, little finger and in reverse order. Perform clicks 3 times.
"Scarecrow." Bend your elbows and raise them to shoulder level, with your hands below - “scarecrow” pose. Perform rotations with your forearms. 5-8 laps in one direction, then in the other. Make sure your shoulders remain motionless.
Circle with your hand. Raise your right arm up so that it becomes an extension of the body, lower it down to the side, and then, completing the circle, lift it to chest level and straighten it up again. Rotate your hand in a plane in front of you 10 times. Repeat the exercise with your left hand.
Tapping the sternum. Gently tap the middle part of the sternum for 1 minute, creating pleasant vibrations upward and to the sides.
"Hugs." With relaxed arms, wrap yourself around yourself, patting your back as if you were hugging yourself. Do the exercise 10 times.
Patting.
- Gently pat the side of the neck from the ears down.
- Pat the lower part of the face along the line of the lower jaw from the chin to the sides to the earlobes and then down the side of the neck.
- Pat the middle part of the face from the nose to the ears and then down the side of the neck.
- Pat your forehead and eyebrows, moving down along your ear, as if water were flowing down.
We evaluate the result. Look at yourself now: the gymnastics took no more than 10 minutes, but your complexion has become better, your eyes are more open, and you are smiling. Any joint gymnastics stimulates lymph circulation, so you can add your favorite exercises to this complex, moving from bottom to top. Let's drink water, usually you're thirsty because of the drainage effect.
This complex especially helps me out on “women’s days” or after a flight, when my metabolism slows down, or when I eat delicious carbohydrates at night. In the heat, on days of high emotional stress and fatigue, tension in the shoulder muscles inhibits the movement of lymphatic fluid.
Of course, this does not solve the issue of swelling, but it helps to quickly get yourself in order. Even in my case, when after surgery on the thyroid gland, I got used to considering swelling as my eternal companion.
Masks
There are effective eye masks that will help get rid of the problem.
Pull-up
Necessary:
- Take 10 g of rice flour and 10 ml of cherry seed oil.
- Mix and dilute with any herbal decoction.
- Soak cotton pads in the solution and apply to eyelids.
Nutritious
Necessary:
- Grind 3 strawberries into puree.
- Mix with 1 tsp. coconut oil.
- Cool and place the mask on your eyelids.
Moisturizing
Need to:
- Take 10 g of gelatin and dissolve in warm water.
- Add 5 g drops of shea butter.
- Distribute the composition over the centuries.
Such compresses and masks should be kept for 20 minutes. Then they need to be washed off with cold water. It is best to perform the procedure in the morning and evening.
Salon procedures aimed at eliminating puffiness
Whatever the cause of the swelling, there is only one desire: to eliminate it as soon as possible. For this purpose, in the age of constant development and the emergence of new technologies, various cosmetic procedures have been created in beauty salons. Just remember, before choosing any of them, consult a therapist or phlebologist.
- Mesotherapy is an injection into the skin of special homeopathic and fortified preparations that help remove fluid from the body and, as a result, eliminate facial swelling. To obtain a visible effect, it is necessary to perform the procedure once a week for several months.
- Cryolifting is a short-term exposure of the skin to extreme cold, which achieves an instant, long-lasting and stable effect.
- Mud masks and wraps have a positive effect on the skin, restoring its strength and flexibility. They help eliminate swelling and get rid of excess fluid due to exposure to certain irritants: temperature or chemical components.
How to prevent bags from appearing
It is easier to prevent any problem than to spend a long time eliminating it. There are well-known standards of behavior aimed at preventing this defect.
- Properly formulated diet.
- A good night's rest and breaks during work.
- The desire to avoid stressful situations.
- Walks.
- Sports activities.
- Quitting smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Use of care products.
- Reducing fluid intake in the evening.
An effective preventive measure against circles under the eyes and unhealthy swelling is specially designed facial exercises.
Puffy eyes - drink more water
Consuming the required amount of water is extremely important for the proper functioning of the entire body and is also associated with the problem of puffy eyelids.
Proper fluid exchange removes impurities and toxins , which, if retained in the body, can cause a variety of unpleasant ailments, including swelling of the eyes (and other parts of the body). Therefore, determine the correct amount of water you need and drink for health , beauty and pleasure.
The magical power of makeup for dark circles under the eyes
A complement to home treatments for puffy eyes is, of course, properly done makeup . With its help, you can hide many imperfections, as well as make your face radiant and rested.
Among the means and methods we can recommend:
- concealer - it is best to use cosmetics with a light consistency that will give a natural look and will not clog pores. It's worth trying out different brands to see which one suits you best. Concealer will help hide imperfections (including shading) and even out skin tone;
- Highlighter is a real miracle when it comes to hiding puffiness and shadows. With its help, in a few moments you can achieve the effect of “open” eyes and give your face a fresh, radiant look. After applying concealer, apply a small amount of highlighter to the inner corners of your eyes.
The concealer and highlighter makeup trick is a very fun way to hide puffy eyelids and optically “open” your eyes with makeup: make two thin arches directly above the eyebrows and directly below the eyebrows (at the same level as their line).
Make the top one with highlighter, and the bottom one with concealer, light pencil or shadow. Gently brush both arches with a suitable brush. This way you will “brighten” your look and make your face more rested.
Genetic basis of ocular swelling
It's worth mentioning right away that puffy eyes can be a hereditary problem, so it's worth talking to your parents or grandparents about it first. Some people have a genetic predisposition to this type of condition, and it is the result of a natural tendency to accumulate excess fat, which in this case only accumulates around the eyes.
In such a situation, you may have to admit that this is just “your beauty” and prepare for the fact that without the use of invasive methods, unfortunately, it will not be possible to completely get rid of swelling.
