Yahoo News Wait, does dry body brushing really get rid of cellulite?
Dry body brushing – literally brushing your body with a bristle-y brush, sans soap and water –has developed a bit of a halo around it, much like sea moss, weighted hula hoops and ashwagandha. Why?
Short story, thanks to its promise of smoothing rough skin and stimulating your lymphatic system, it's said to help with fluid retention and cellulite.
While there is no silver bullet for either of the issues mentioned above, it is true that getting your blood flow going may help with the appearance of your thigh-area dimples – as well as helping to nix in-grown hairs and giving you smoother limbs. (Note: there is, of course, nothing wrong with cellulite – it's a completely normal thing that occurs on the skin of over 90% of women. If, however, you do want to know how to reduce its appearance, then read on.)
'Dry body brushing – also called skin brushing – helps to break up fatty deposits, aids lymphatic drainage and stimulates circulation,' explains Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD, a nutritionist who specialises in women’s health.
Is dry body brushing good for you?
Okay. So let's dig into this whole thing.
'Body brushing is particularly helpful for reducing cellulite,' says Glenville. How? 'Cellulite is caused by clumps of un-metabolised fat, water and trapped waste beneath the skin that push up against surrounding fibrous connective tissue.
'These waste materials harden to give the telltale dimpling in the skin,' she elaborates.
'If the flow of blood to your connective tissues is poor, resultant swelling stretches the connective tissues apart, allowing fat to bulge through.' Body brushing, by coaxing your blood flow to be more energetic, then, might be able to help out with cellulite.
'Cellulite can also result from poor lymph flow around your body – if you don’t drink enough water, your lymphatic system [the network of tissues and organs that help you to transport metabolic waste out of your body] can get sluggish),' Glenville adds.
Dry body brushing also stimulates this system, which can give you a cellulite reducing-boost.
How do you dry body brush?
Glenville recommends that you dry body brush first thing in the, AM, before you shower. One warning: as this is dry bristles making contact with your skin, it can feel pretty rough and uncomfortable.
What is the correct way to dry brush your body?
Take it real slow and if your skin becomes irritated, just stop. 'The best way to body brush is doing repetitive strokes towards the heart, all the way up,' says lymphatic drainage expert Flavia Morellato.
1: Use firm, rhythmic strokes to brush the sole of your right foot. Then brush over the top of your foot toward your ankle. Move to your lower leg, cover the whole surface. Brush from your knee to the top of your thigh. Brush your buttock areas up to your waist. Repeat on your left leg.
2: Brush at the top of your buttocks and move upward. Brush the whole of your back up to your shoulders. Brush your right arm, paying particular attention to the area around your armpit. Repeat on your left arm. Finish by brushing gently over your throat and neck.
3: 'Do first thing in the morning as you get a boost of energy for the day ahead. If you are brushing in the evening, you can use a more gentle, methodical stroke, which will help calm the system and can result in a beautiful meditative self-care ritual,' says Morellato.
Is it better to brush your body wet or dry?
'In Chinese Medicine, similar to gua sha, dry brush can be a method to direct Qi flow upwards or downwards depending on your direction of brushing.When brushing wet you can run the risk of over-scrubbing and robbing the skin of moisture, especially if you’re in a hot shower. If you do want to wet brush, use cool or lukewarm water so that you don’t strip the skin,' explains Ada Ooi, Red Carpet Aesthetician and Chinese Medicine Practitioner.
Do you dry brush your stomach up or down?
It depends what you'd like to achieve. Ooi adds that, 'if you want to faciliate drainage, brush your stomach in circular, clockwise motions, and then from back to front, continuing that upward motion.'
'Ideally you make the heart your “North Star” and start from the feet, brushing along your soles towards your heels and continuing to your legs, always sweeping upwards towards your heart. Then up to the stomach and as you reach your arms and neck, your heart remains your centerpoint, and you sweep the brush downwards towards the heart.'
'Or if you feel fatigue or down in spirit, you can you'd take the Chinese Medicine approach to lift the 'yang qi' (uprising energy) by brushing along the gallbladder meridian which goes along the side of the body from the armpit to the ankle, brushing in small circles downwards,' she adds.
For women who always feel cold, or have PMS issues, brush the inner leg from ankle to the thigh upwards to stimulate the spleen meridian to improve circulation and digestion to enhance immunity.
How many times a week should you dry brush your skin?
Not every day, given that this is total body exfoliation. Once to twice a week is enough to hopefully see some sort of benefit, without irritating your skin. If you're body brushing in the evening, follow with a nourishing oil to soothe and hydrate the skin.
Do you have to shower after dry brushing?
'It's best to,' says Ooi, 'this is because the brushing will rub off a bunch of dead skin cells, so you want to wash those away. If you're body brushing in the day, make sure you follow up with SPF, as your skin will be extra sensitive.'
What are the benefits of dry body brushing?
Aside from the reduction of cellulite, there are other wins when it comes to working this practice into your routine.
1/ Dry body brushing is good for exfoliation
Nixing the need for things like scrubs, this sloughs away dead skin cells, meaning that you reveal the fresher skin underneath.
2/ Dry body brushing can halt ingrown hairs
Thanks to this exfoliation, pores get cleared out, meaning that pesky ingrown hairs have less chance to take root. When it comes to your legs, this is especially helpful, natch.
3/ Dry body brushing can help to give your skin a glow
Brushing brings lots of fresh, oxygenated blood to the surface of your skin, meaning you can get a brighter look.
4/ Dry body brushing can be energising
A brush before your morning shower is a great way to feel invigorated and yank you out of the land of nod. End your wash with a blast of cold water, to really feel awake.
Do you dry brush your face?
No advises Dr Sophie Shotter. 'This is because the skin is more sensitive and prone to irritation on the face. I would recommend using a gua sha tool instead for facial lymphatic drainage. because the skin is more sensitive and prone to irritation on the face. I would recommend using a gua sha tool instead for facial lymphatic drainage.'
Can you dry brush incorrectly?
As long as your brushing in theSkin and aesthetics expert, Nina Prisk, of Update Aesthetics, says
‘When body brushing it’s important to remember not to scrub your skin as this can cause damage to the skin barrier, resulting in irritation and sensitivity. Instead, you should use the brush to make gentle, long strokes of the bristles.
It’s also important to avoid brushing skin affected by eczema, psoriasis, acne, sunburn, cancer, warts, open wounds, or any other skin condition as it could aggravate or exacerbate these.
Similarly, if you’ve got sensitive skin then it’s advisable to use a softer bristled brush and not apply too much pressure. Also, it’s important not to do this too often, ideally no more than a couple of times a week in order to avoid over-exfoliation which can result in irritation and sensitivity.’
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