Want to Lose Six Pounds in an Afternoon? It’s Merely a Massage Away
Lymphatic drainage massage is used to help clients recover from invasive surgeries like liposuction. But it’s increasingly used on its own for a fast flab reduction.
Photo Illustration: Ben Giles; Photos: Getty Images (2)
It was about six months ago when Dr. Ryan Neinstein noticed an unexpected uptick in the number of patients making appointments—not for the usual nips and tucks but rather for prods and pulls. They were requesting lymphatic drainage massage, a procedure the Manhattan liposuction specialist normally offers to patients recovering from invasive procedures. It eases postoperative swelling by coaxing fluid out of soft tissues.
“These were people we’ve never operated on requesting our masseuses to work on them,” he says. The jump in new patients was caused by a simple thesis: Lymphatic drainage massages could work as a slimming shortcut—a cosmetic upgrade that doesn’t require a single incision. As it wicks away some of the water in your tissue, a lymphatic facial can sharpen your cheekbones and a full-body treatment can help you drop 5 or 6 pounds almost overnight.