How to brush your body correctly and who shouldn't do it?

Brushing is a very simple and - usually - pleasant procedure, which does not involve high costs and allows you to improve the appearance of the skin. The only tool you need is a good brush . We need to consider which one will best suit our needs. With or without a handle? Made of natural bristles, e.g. wild boar, or maybe vegan? Made of beech wood or maybe another material? However, before reaching for a brush, it is worth finding out what brushing is and how to do it properly.

What are the skin benefits of body brushing?

Brushing is simply a body massage performed dry with a special brush. It works well as a method of skin exfoliation , which helps restore its firmness and even tone. It improves circulation and, consequently, the well-being and appearance of the skin. Some even claim that it helps reduce cellulite. However, there is no clear research on this topic. In an interview with the website of the Cleveland Clinic medical center ¹ Dermatologist Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal said that while many of the health and skin benefits attributed to brushing are supported by facts and do work, this is not true of all reports . The mechanical action of dry brushing works great as a peeling, which allows you to get rid of dry and even calloused skin . “Brushing frees pores through the exfoliation process. It also helps get rid of toxins from the body by improving blood circulation and lymph flow," said Dr. Khetarpal in the same interview.

What about this cellulite? People who regularly use this type of treatment claim that it helps reduce "orange peel". There is no research to support this claim . Fact ^2, however, is that such a massage improves the appearance of the skin by stimulating better blood circulation . However, such improvement is not permanent. It also does not change the processes that take place under the surface of the skin.

How to brush your body correctly?

To fully utilize the potential of the brushes, the massage must be performed in a specific way. How? Massage yourself every other day for 5 to 10 minutes , but it is important that the pressure does not cause discomfort. It should be neither too strong nor too delicate. Start the massage from the legs and move the brush towards the heart. While the movement on the legs should be sliding, on the stomach it should be changed to circular movement. Here the massage should be performed clockwise . We massage our hands from the fingers to the elbows, then the shoulders. We finish the massage under the arm or on the collarbone. You can also massage the neckline, neck and bust. The direction is also important here: we massage from the neck to the chest. Breast massage should be done in circular motions or in figure eights, using short movements extending from the nipples. We do not massage the nipples themselves. We do everything gently.

While dry brushing can improve the appearance and well-being of your skin, there are some contraindications to this type of home treatment. You should not brush damaged skin - i.e. skin that has scratches, wounds, burns or symptoms of allergies/rash. If the skin becomes irritated while brushing, the treatment must be stopped.

Body brushing and the venous system.

Sometimes brushing is not recommended for people with varicose veins or spider veins. However, if performed correctly , the procedure should not affect the venous system because it only works locally , says Cezary Szary, M.D., phlebologist, radiologist, co-founder of the Warsaw Phlebology Clinic :

“The appearance of visual symptoms of venous insufficiency, including spider veins under the epidermis (the so-called telangiectasia) or larger vessels (varicose veins) , results mainly from unfavorable hydraulic phenomena, resulting in overloading and stretching of the vascular bed.

An extreme situation for women that overloads the venous system is being pregnant or performing vigorous physical exercises. In women, the aspect of hormonal disorders is also important. Brushing is a local activity . If it is performed sensibly and does not cause micro-injuries, it should not have an adverse effect on the venous system.”

Bibliography:

1. “The Truth About Dry Brushing and What It Does for You.” health.clevelandclinic.org, November 2, 2021
2. Torborg L., "Mayo Clinic Q and A: Can anything help cellulite?", newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org, February 23, 2018.