The Best Lymphatic Drainage Massage in Dubai.
It’s been seven months since I gave birth to my second child, and I can still remember the effects of oedema during my last pregnancy and after my c-section. During the last couple of months of my pregnancy, I felt my legs, thighs and face swelling and I remember that feeling of having low energy and heaviness both physically and emotionally. It wasn’t a nice feeling, but I kept on reminding myself that, like every uncomfortable stage in life – this too shall pass. The most important thing was that my baby was healthy, and I would just find ways to manage any water retention issues. And this is when I discovered about the benefits of lymphatic drainage and where to go in Dubai to get lymphatic drainage massage.
During pregnancy, in case you didn’t already know, swelling is caused by your body holding on to more water than usual resulting in excess fluid trapped in your body's tissues. This is because of your swollen uterus which is full of fluid and the fetus which pushes down into the pelvis, compressing blood, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. This limits the amount of lymphatic fluid that can return to the blood and the pressure of your growing womb can affect the blood flow in your legs causing swelling. So, throughout the day the extra water tends to gather on your lower body, especially if the weather is hot or if you have been standing or walking around a lot.
Also, I remember that after my c-section, with postpartum recovery, I had a lot of excess air and water held in my body. It took quite a few weeks to recover from this. If you are planning a c-section, for whatever reason, try a few sessions of manual lymphatic drainage massage pre-c-section to get rid of excess water and bloating and clear your system for your operation. Post pregnancy, once your scar is healed and there’s no infection (at least 1-2 weeks), you can try it.
If it’s your first lymphatic drainage massage, keep in mind the technique is a far cry from deep tissue massage that targets the muscles. It’s feather-light strokes with hardly any pressure (lymph nodes are very near the skin surface) so that accumulated lymphatic fluid can drain through the proper channels. The treatment is relaxing but it’s the results that are the big plus here – it is basically like a detox except you get to lie back and let somebody else do the work. It's no instant slimmer but it does help you go from cankles to ankles in no time and it’s a fantastic way to flush out excess water retention both pre- and post your c-section.
Lymphatic drainage is a very gentle form of massage to help with water retention and to assist in the body's natural detoxification process and clear away toxins and help regulate your body back on track. In fact, it can help boost your immune system, keeping away viruses and it increases the production of lymphocyte production (white blood cells) that help heal cuts and damage tissue.
I’ve also been told other tips to help with water retention like increasing your potassium intake and wearing compression socks. But it is probably best to speak to an expert or professional in nutrition, or a naturopathic doctor, on how much potassium needs to be increased in your diet and it’s best to seek an opinion from a therapist or doctor about how long you should use compression socks.
In the meantime, here are my top discoveries in Dubai for lymphatic drainage, which really helped reduce water retention or oedema:
For the Face:
Facette Facial Bar
For me this is the best place in terms of pricing and quality for lymphatic drainage on the face. It’s also known as face yoga, which is basically great for sculpting the face, reducing puffiness, and firming muscles to help with anti-ageing. Not to mention of course to make your face feel less bloated and slimmer during pregnancy and postpartum. I recommend going around once every 7-10 days until you feel like you don’t need to for a while. It is around 45 minutes of sheer bliss. The therapist will use a cocktail of ingredients to cleanse, tone and moisturise. You can also add on a brightening or anti-ageing jelly face mask. My favourite therapists are Natalia, Faya and Maja, each therapist has a slightly different way of approaching the massage, but honestly all are fantastic.
For the Body:
Dubai Herbal & Treatment Centre
Since 2016, this 360-degree wellness centre focuses on so many aspects to help mind and body rejuvenation. I really saw a huge difference when I went there during my first pregnancy when my oedema (water retention) was particularly at its worst. I saw physiotherapist and osteopath Elena Naranjo De La Rubia who truly helped. It was very light touch strokes or massage all over the body, from the feet up. After 60 minutes, I was literally flushing all the excess water out and I had to rush to the toilet. Elena also advised me to wear compression socks for several hours every day during pregnancy and I really saw the difference, with less water retention in my legs and thighs. During the last few months of pregnancy, I went once a week, and it really made a difference.
At Home:
Amanda Miamoto and Aline Campanher
This Brazilian mother and daughter duo are fantastic when it comes to the best professional and effective at-home lymphatic drainage massage service in Dubai. The costs are the same (or very similar) to that in an actual clinic, but they are incredible at what they do. The beauty is you don’t need to travel anywhere, and you get to stay in the comfort of your home and sometimes, when you feel lethargic and tired, this is the best option. They arrive with a bed and (during COVID) you will have to provide the towels to lie on. I suppose this is just precautions during this time to help not spread the virus. The massage is light, but I do remember post pregnancy it felt a little firmer than some of the others I tried. The results were amazing though. You really should try it.
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Contact: +971 (0) 55 529 3898
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