The most pivotal information I gleaned from Dr. Berkowsky’s Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System
Where To Start with Dry Brushing
Many dry brushing instructions advise to start at the feet and brush towards the heart. My lymph drainage therapist informed me it’s better to start at areas with dense concentrations of lymph nodes such as the groin/armpits and then move on to the outer regions (still moving towards the heart).
Dr. Berkowsky takes that advice one step further. He advocates beginning with the axillary (armpit) nodes. These nodes drain a large section of the body and are located near where the lymph ducts empty into the blood circulatory system prior to reaching the heart. “Reducing lymphatic tension in the chest enhances tissue drainage of the entire body,” Dr. Berkowsky explains. Only after brushing the entire upper body does the Vital Chi method address cellulite-y regions.
Dry Brushing the Butt and Thighs
Again, it’s best to start with the dense concentration of lymph nodes in the groin. After a quick technique on the abdomen, Cellulite Region Number One is finally addressed. And can you believe I’ve been doing it wrong all this time?
Following normal dry brushing instructions, I’ve always brushed my glutes up towards the heart. But as Dr. Berkowsky explains, “the superficial lymphatic vessels of the gluteal region turn horizontally around the outer side of the buttocks and join the superficial inguinal glands of the groin.” When it comes to the butt, it’s best not to brush towards the heart. Instead, start brushing from the center, go up and around the hip, and then down towards the groin.
After brushing the lower back and feet, the legs are the last to be brushed. Before I read Dr. Berkowsky’s book, I would brush them first. For our purposes, it makes more sense to brush the legs last, once the rest of the lymphatic system is already moving along. You learn something new everyday!
More on dry brushing as a cellulite treatment:
How to Dry Brush Your Butt
Do You Dry Brush Your Head? And Other Such Questions
Strigils: Is it Time for a Comeback for this Ancient Roman Bath Tool?
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
ok, might be a stupid question – but what do you dry brush with? Is it a special device or something we all probably have around the house?
Oooh, thanks for the tips. I'll go try them out right now!
Wow I've been totally doing this wrong. Thanks for the post. (fyi many times when i view your site the POST COMMENT button is grayed out and 'un-clickable')
Two months later, I think I finally fixed the comment problem. Thanks for reporting it. I hope you like the new site!
radcrow –For dry skin brushing, all you need is a natural bristle body brush. They cost a few bucks and are usually sold near the loofahs. The one I'm using now is made from Japanese palm fibers (looks like this ). Dr. Berkowsky says you can also use a coarse towel or loofah, but those options aren't as effective or as versatile.
Could you post a diagram or something to illustrate the technique you mention on the butt area? I can't figure out what you mean by " start brushing from the center, go up and around the hip, and then down towards the groin."
Thanks!
haha! I was trying to be tactful! Let's see if I can explain it better without the tact. If you're starting with the right side, start just to the side of the butt crack and brush out to the right over the top of the glute. Then curve slightly upwards around the hip on the side of the leg. Then curve down on the front of the leg towards the groin. There is a diagram in the book on page 34, but I haven't been able to find it online. If it's still not clear, I'll try to draw something up this weekend (I'm traveling for work the next few days). Thanks for your question, herama!
Argh…sorry, Melissa…still confused about the butt thing!
Any diagram would be greatly appreciated!
HA! You guys are so funny! You know you're forcing me to spend my weekend trying to create butt diagrams on powerpoint! Crazy thing is, I'm so into our little investigation that I'm actually looking forward to it
I'll see what I can come up with and try to post something next week.
Hi Melissa, great post! I haven’t tried dry brushing so it’s good to read about how it works for someone else. Thanks for explaining how this works with the lymph nodes and everything, and also why the direction is important. It seems like this might hurt at first or does your skin get used to it?
It definitely shouldn’t hurt, but it does become more pleasant as your skin grows accustomed to being brushed. Eventually it starts to feel as enjoyable as a good back scratch. Thanks for your comment, Abbie!
I love this website! So informative on so many levels. Thank you for spending the time to inform the rest of us!
How long do you dry brush? How many minutes?
I’m glad you like the site, Colleen! Dry brushing doesn’t have to take long. 5-10 minutes is great. They say to shoot for 7 strokes over each spot. I hope to put together a quick guide to dry brushing in the near future. Seems to be a lot of interest in this topic (for good reason!). Thanks for your question.
Hi – I’m living in France where there are a ton of Thai massage salons everywhere. I’ve been trying to explain to them that I’d like a massage along the lines of a manual lymphatic drainage massage, but I have a question about the abdominal/intestinal area. should I ask them to massage up toward the heart (as per the rest of the body) or rather from the stomach down toward to the groin (to encourage digestion/intestinal flow!)? I once had a really good MLD massage in the south of France where I had to run to the bathroom afterwards, and the masseuse said that was good because it was a sign that the massage was working.
That is a tough one. Lymphatic massage was pretty much invented in the south of France. It takes a lot of training to be skilled at it. I don’t think it’s something you would be able to explain to someone who is accustomed to the traditional “muscle” massages. But any type of massage is probably good for the lymphatic system (as long as it’s gentle enough and doesn’t cause bruising, etc).
A lot of lymphatic vessels are located in the abdomen. Besides its purpose as a “sewage drainage system” for our cells, the lymphatic system is also how the body absorbs fat from the digestive system. From what I recall from my lymph drainage session, my therapist did mostly move in the direction of the heart when she was working on my abdomen. She had studied LMD For decades and was able to feel the flow of lymph and encourage circulation (I believe the technique is called lymph mapping). If you can find a skilled lymph drainage therapist, you would probably get the effect you are looking for. In his book about dry skin brushing, Dr. Bruce Berkowsy recommends brushing the abdomen in a clockwise pattern.
I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes!
Fabulous site and I loved your diagrams! You are THE BEST!!! Can’t wait to share this with my girlfriends!
Thanks, Kristen! It’s always appreciated when my fellow cellulite investigators help spread the word!
I had the first appearance of cellulite since I was 15. Now I noticed that the locations where I have cellulite (i.e. thigh, butt, and lower outer waist) are usually colder than my other parts of the body — even after exercise. Apparently there’s some circulation problem there. I am all new to dry brushing and I hope it will help.
Yes, it will be so much appreciated if you could put together a quick guide of how to dry brush the whole body. Meanwhile, can you please tell me how I dry brush my back, thigh, breast (or around the breast), and neck?
Big thanks! Your blog is amazing!
Carrie
Thanks, Carrie!! Yes, dry brushing should definitely help with that. For the upper, back, start at the edge of the spine and brush outward. It’s hard to reach, so just do the best you can. For the lower back, start at the base and brush up. For the breast, I brush above the breast, starting near the edge of the armpit and brushing in. After a few strokes there, I’ll brush under the breast–again starting at the edge of the armpit and brushing in. For the neck, brush down toward the heart. I can literally see the lymph pathways here when I’ve had too much fluoride because I’ll have trails of breakouts down my neck.
For the all-important thigh area, start at the groin and brush in semicircles. Then brush the thigh in upward sweeping motions.
I definitely need to write this in a quick guide pronto! Thanks for the encouragement, Carrie!
Thanks Melissa!! This is very helpful!
You’re welcome, Carrie. I’m glad you find it useful!
I am new to your site and learning so much already ! Was thinking the same as I was reading on the dry brushing that a body diagram with arrows showing direction of brushing would be most helpful..is there one on the site somewhere ? ( I noticed in the comments someone thanking you for the diagram but I haven’t found any ) Thanks and much appreciate your informative site on a subject that you are giving hope to so many through !
Sorry to get back to you so late on this one, Elaine. I was out of town this past weekend for the holidays. I believe the diagram in reference is this one: The Much-Anticipated Butt Diagram. I was having a hard time describing how you’re supposed to dry brush your backside so I put it in picture format (using a drawing, of course). My next project is to create a short guide to dry brushing, something you could download and have on hand as a quick reference guide for body brushing beginners. Judging from the length of time it took me to put my last e-book together, it might take a few months before it’s ready. But I’ll get to work on it soon!
Hi,
Love your site. I am starting a personal 30 day challenge this week (sports, eating) and will start dry brushing as well. I have been on and off for years, like a day here and there. But will do daily. Is that ok? And is it best to do morning before shower? Once a day right?
Thanks!!!!
jen
I love a good 30 day challenge, Jennifer! Good luck! Yes, dry brushing is very gentle and you can do it every day. They do suggest taking a day off here and there just to give your skin a rest, so don’t be afraid to skip a few days if you feel like it. Brushing once a day in the morning before a shower is perfect. Please let us know how it goes!
PS- I just installed a discussion forum on the site. Feel free to start a thread about your dry brushing challenge. Maybe others will join you!
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