Dry brushing can be thought of as a body massage with a stiff-bristled brush. It is relatively safe and inexpensive; the only cost is the purchase of the brush. While there have been no clinical trials to validate the benefits of dry brushing, its practice has been a part of Ayurveda (known as Garshana) and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
There are many reasons to include dry brushing in your health regimen. Some of those benefits include:
Detoxification - The action of brushing your skin is great for exfoliating dry skin and unclogging pores, prepping the skin to more readily absorb moisture.
Gives your skin a more radiant glow - Removing dead skin cells helps your skin to look smoother, softer and brighter. It also helps with your skin changes from aging.
Supports the immune system - Our lymphatic system, one of the components of the immune system, is one way our body deals with waste. While our blood processes poisons and tiny particles via the liver, the lymphatic system handles larger molecules of toxins by breaking them down to a more manageable size before sending them through the circulatory system and the liver.
Relaxation - The mechanism of touch and self care supports the calming of the vagus nerve.The function of this nerve is a part of our parasympathetic nervous system - our “rest and digest” response - and this calming effect promotes cardiac relaxation.
Circulation - With improved self-care comes improved circulation, and when you dry brush your body, you are stimulating your tissues.
Are there any risks?
People with eczema or psoriasis should avoid dry brushing. Another contraindication for dry brushing is broken skin such as infections, wounds, cuts and scrapes. Lastly, if you have sensitive or sunburnt skin, you may want to avoid dry brushing.
Can dry brushing get rid of cellulite?
There is no clinical evidence of this claim; what may actually be happening is a temporary plumping up of the skin from increased blood circulation, which may reduce the appearance of the typical dimpled look of cellulite.
When is the best time to dry brush?
The best time to dry brush is before you take a shower. Since dry brushing removes dry, dead skin cells, showering will then help to wash them off.
How often do I dry brush?
This can vary from person to person, but it is safe enough (as long as you do not have any of the above listed contraindications) to dry brush your body daily.
How do I dry brush?
First, let’s talk about some basics. Dry brushing is done on dry skin without lotions or oils, with firm but not irritating pressure. You can dry brush your entire body or just focus on one particular area. It does not have to take long; you can dry brush your entire body in as little as 5-10 minutes. For the purposes of this blog, I will talk about dry brushing your entire body (excluding the face).
While the lymphatic vessels right under your skin are what is mostly affected by dry brushing, you still want to activate the deeper nodes (located near the collar bone, armpits and hip/groin areas) that will help get the lymphatic fluid moving. So start off by brushing the abdominal area with short upward strokes. If you have a dry brush with a handle, you can use it on your back.
Next, to dry brush your limbs, you will start and end at either the shoulder or hip.
To dry brush the arms, use upward strokes:
From your elbow to your shoulder
From your wrist to your elbow
From your fingertips to your wrist
From your wrist to your elbow
From your elbow to your shoulder
To dry brush the legs, use upward strokes:
From your knee to your hip/groin
From your ankle to your knee
From your toes to your ankle
From your ankle to your knee
From your knee to your hip/groin
Lastly, take a bath or shower to help remove any remaining dead and dry skin cells, and if you want, you may also apply lotion.
I hope this was informative for you! If you have any questions or comments, please send me a message via the Contact Form from the Navigation Bar on the left.
One more final note: please consult your primary care physician if you have any concerns about whether dry brushing is good for you.
I found this article to be quite interesting. Additional alternative lymphatic treatments need to be studied and shared - especially, for head and neck. Please continue to post more of these type of articles!
ReplyDeleteThanks Janeil! I will be posting more blogs regarding lymphatic - and glymphatic -drainage... stay tuned!
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