How to De-Puff Undereye Circles with an At-Home Lymphatic Drainage Massage
I couldn’t believe my own eyes—literally, NO MORE PUFFY BAGS!
Ever wake up looking like Will Smith having an allergic reaction (check out this scene from Hitch for a better reference 😂). A puffy face and eye bags are enough to bring down your whole day.
Whether you inherited under-eye bags from your mom or they’re just an occasional occurrence, you don’t have to put up with them anymore or break the bank on filler injections that will only last a few months. A lymphatic drainage massage works wonders and this anti-aging hack is easier than you think. You can totally do it at home! Read on to see how.
What is a lymphatic drainage massage?
Your body is full of lymph nodes that contain fluid from the face down. When fluid buildup occurs, it causes swelling in all kinds of places you don’t want it—particularly the face. A lymphatic drainage massage focuses on those important areas by stretching the skin and applying pressure around the lymph nodes to release fluid.
I was a skeptic at first, but I’m always up for trying an at-home anti-aging hack that could save me money so I gave it a go and now I’m OBSESSED. My hereditary sleepy eyes are wide awake with substantially less inflammation and a few fine lines reduced. The best part—it cost me nothing!
I’ve seriously contemplated filler injections to remedy my puffy bags, but this massage (usually done twice a week) does the trick and it keeps hundreds of dollars in my pocket! Keep in mind, this is not a cure-all for dark circles and discoloration.
Side note: You can get an adorable knotted headband like mine (pictured left) on Amazon!
Use a good facial oil.
You’ll want to use a hydrating moisturizer or oil during the massage—organic coconut oil is what I use and it’s the perfect consistency. I like using this under $5 jar from ALDI but you can use any organic coconut oil brand you prefer. You can also score some cheap lymphatic drainage ginger oil on Amazon!
Nail the massaging technique.
I love following the DIY facial detox massage tutorial from Dr. Mona Vand on YouTube. The massage actually gets started at minute marker 2:50, but she also offers tons of insight on how to properly perform the massage and all the incredible benefits before that!
Try it at a Spa (Of course not right now due to the coronavirus pandemic.)
Lymphatic drainage massages are quickly becoming a popular anti-inflammatory alternative to reduce swelling and contour the face. Many have even replaced the use of Botox and other fillers with the treatment. If you’re not in the mood to lather up and rub your face for 30-40 minutes at home, find a spa near you that offers the treatment. Lay down, relax, and leave the rest to a pro.
SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!
Before you fork out hundreds of dollars on costly facial treatments, do your wallet and your face a favor by indulging in this genius anti-aging hack.
If your results are anything like mine, your skin will look smoother, more vibrant, and less inflamed. Lymphatic massages can be done as often as once per day or just once a week as needed.
Now that you’re face is de-puffed, check out these awesome beauty deals!
I love this post! Started doing facial gua sha a few months ago after a friend told me about it and I an obsessed now! Tons of great tips to keep looking our best during this crazy time. It helps me feel a little better when I do some self care every day.
How many days are between the before and after photos? How often did you do the facial massage? I have had allergy shiners for years and I would love to get rid of them for good.
Hi Kelly! The before and after photos were taken on the same day. I did allow about 2 hours in between because I was still a little puffy from massaging right after. I try to do the massage at least 1-2 times per week for about 15 minutes each time. Allergies affect me in the face too and lymphatic drainage has helped relieve some of that sinus congestion and inflammation temporarily. Hope this helps for you too!😊
Do you have to do the entire face or can you just do the under eyes? Puffy under eyes is my biggest facial problem and nothing I’ve tried – time master pro, microcurrent, Nira laser or Tria eye laser – have worked. Does it require firm pressure?
This is great! I’ve been looking for some good self care I can do during this virus scare and I usually have puffy eyes. Hopefully I can carve out some time to do this!
I hope so too, Judy! We all need a little self-care❤️
I have lymphedema and went to a therapist who did this as a whole body technique 3 times a week. A world of difference, especially with the swelling in my legs and feet.
I wonder if this will also help with dark circles. I’ll have to give it a try!
Wow… I need more of this in my life. I don’t struggle with bags under my eyes but I DO have four kids at home while working full time from home and I just took half an hour with a couple of face massage videos and I feel like a new woman. This is going to be a daily thing for sure. Thank you!
This makes me so happy! Carving out a few minutes for self-care can make such a difference in your day! So glad you got a little bit of R&R🤗
Very excited to try this! Thanks!
You’re so welcome! I hope you enjoy it!😊
WOW Taylor, this post has my name written ALL OVER IT! I inherited puffy under bags from my mom. They were an unusual occurrence when I woke up when I was young, but since I turned 40, they have become a pretty serious nuisance for me. I do not even worry about crow feet or fine lines anymore. All I can see when I wake up are those horrible bags under my eyes. I recently spent a few hours searching the web for causes and solutions and at the end, I felt even more frustrated. I’ll try this for sure! If you have more tips, PLEASE post them, I am pretty desperate and happy to try potential solutions! 🙂
Hi Rebe! I know how you feel, bags are the first thing I notice on my face some days😭 Some people have worse fluid buildup than others, which is a big contributor to the puffiness. Lymphatic drainage and drinking loads of water really help relieve some of that though. Sodium can also be a contributor as it causes us to retain water and bloat (unfortunately in the face for some of us). I really hope this helps for you!❤️
I, too,havepuffy eyes for many years and it is getting worse as I get older
Thanks! Going to give this a try today!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it🤗 I hope it helps!
Thank you for this post! I was looking for a little self care idea and this was just perfect. Allergy season is not my friend and this has really felt amazing with all the fullness and pressure in my face. I cannot believe how much this gets things moving! I find myself looking forward to this every morning; the physical feeling and the mental benefit, too! Helps ground me, get me focused and reminds me to breathe!
Thank you for sharing!
Lisa!! I am so happy to hear this! It really does help during allergy season🙌It’s quite refreshing and calming too.
How do you do the massage?
I recommend starting with your face, focusing mainly on your forehead and under-eye areas. Use your index fingers and apply light pressure in a downward and outward-facing motion (this will relieve the fluid buildup in those areas). Under your cheeks, massage upward as if you are contouring your face with your hands. You can continue the massage on your decolletage too if you’d like, but I usually just focus on the face for about 15 minutes. Hope this helps!
I’ve always heard that we should treat our facial skin very gently to discourage wrinkles. Doing lymphatic massage would seem to be counter productive.
I did this when I took a massage course as part of a beauty one, you can’t really go wrong just think of your fingers as tools like when your trying to get air bubbles out from behind a window sticker, as long as you have something to help them glide over your skin then just do exactly that and push that ole fluid out and away. Also pressure pressing works great for lymph drainage too.
Is there a video showing exactly what you do to reduce eye bags
Hi Carmel! Be sure to click through the tutorial link above!
Is it the one by Dr Mona Vand on YouTube? Can’t see any other link
Thanks
Yep, that’s it!
Thanks