How to: Dry Brushing Protocol
The secret to smooth, healthy skin!
This blog is written with generally healthy people in mind. If you have any health concerns, skin lesions, lymphedema or other similar concerns, consider consulting with a professional that specializes in those concerns before introducing dry brushing into your routine.
The most common way of dry brushing that you see everywhere, has you start brushing from the feet and work your way upward toward the heart. But after researching this further, this method may not be the best procedure as there could be blocks in the lymphatic system further up that would compound if you are brushing more fluids to the area. Because of this, the following protocol works with the lymphatic system to allow for proper lymphatic drainage.
Benefits of dry brushing
While this protocol targets the lymphatic system, there are several other significant benefits of dry brushing:
- Exfoliates skin
- Stimulates collagen production
- Unclogs pores
- Increase blood circulation
- Increase skin smoothness
- Reduce the appearance of cellulite
- Detoxes skin and eliminates toxins from your body
- Promotes lymphatic drainage
Protocol
Let’s begin! Start with dry, bare skin without any lotion or oils on it.
Use a natural, soft bristled brush. It’s helpful to have a hand held brush and another with a long handle to reach your back. This is a good option: https://bestbeautyhacks.com/drybrushes
Think of your body in 4 sections. Each leg is a section up to your waist, and each arm is a section from your abdomen up to your collar bone.
Start with your abdomen, where the lymph nodes are deeper to stimulate. Brush or massage your abdomen in a circular motion 3-5 times.
Then begin with the lower sections. Instead of beginning at the foot, start at the thigh/upper leg. Brush with short, gentle but firm strokes upward toward your groin, 3 to 5 times. Be sure to brush all sides of the upper leg, brushing the back of the leg to the front where the lymph glands are.
Then brush all sides of the knee, brushing upward. Be sure to get the back of the knee as there are lymph glands behind the knee.
Continue down the leg to the calf, brushing upward in short, gentle strokes. Then brush the feet, including the toes and the sole of the foot. Once you’ve finished brushing the foot and ankle, work your way back up the calf, knee, thigh and waist to the groin. Do the same to the other leg.
Now you can work on the upper sections. Brushing upward from your abdomen on one side up toward your armpit, and brushing your back by pulling the brush from your spine around your side to the front of your body. Do this for your torso and shoulder, front and back – brushing toward the armpit.
Then brush the arm the same way you brushed the leg, starting with the upper arm and brushing all sides toward the armpit. Next, brush your elbow, forearm, hands and fingers. Once you are done brushing your hand, work your way back up your arm brushing each section of your arm to your armpit. And you’re done!
Be very gentle when you first start dry brushing, as your skin may seem sensitive to it. As you continue to dry brush, you’ll be able to use firmer pressure. Adjust to your skin’s responses, as it shouldn’t be painful.
Contraindications of dry brushing
Do not dry brush over areas of the skin with the following concerns:
- Broken skin or lesions
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Cellulitis
- Skin cancer
If you get nauseous while dry brushing or shortly after dry brushing, this is common and due to the lymphatic drainage. Drink plenty of water to flush your system.
FAQs
How often should you dry brush?
Dry brushing can be done daily if you’re gentle, but generally 2-3 times a week is sufficient.
When is the best time to dry brush?
In the morning, before a shower as it stimulates blood circulation and invigorates your body.
Do I need to shower after I dry brush?
No, you don’t have to shower after you dry brush but it helps remove all the dry skin you just exfoliated.
How soon before you see results?
You’ll notice softer skin that is less dry and itchy in the first few days to two weeks.
Can you dry brush breasts?
Absolutely! Toxins get trapped in the breast tissue from wearing bras. Dry brushing breasts will promote lymphatic drainage and prevent blockages in the lymph glands around the breasts.
Are there any side effects of dry brushing?
Your skin can become irritated or inflamed if you are dry brushing too hard or too often. You can also get nauseous while dry brushing or shortly after dry brushing. This is common and due to the lymphatic drainage. Drink plenty of water to flush your system.
For more information on dry brushing for lymphatic drainage, check out Cancer Rehab PT on Youtube. Kelly is a wealth of valuable information on this topic.
Was this article helpful? Please share your tips for dry brushing!
*Disclaimer: This post is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice. Content provided is for information purposes only. Please consult with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or skin related diagnosis or treatment options. The statements made about specific products throughout this blog are not to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. It is important that you check labels to determine if a product is right for you. Before starting any treatment at home consult a health care or skin care professional to determine if it’s right for you.
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