If you suffer from varicose veins, then you know that they mostly occur in the legs and feet. But why do they occur and what can you do to decrease them? Your veins push your blood back to your heart and the muscles surrounding them help push that blood along. As the blood moves through your veins, there are valves that open and close alternating to let blood through and then close to keep blood from moving backwards. Varicose veins occur because the valves that that open and close to push blood along do not function properly causing the backflow of blood which pools in the veins. This makes it harder for the surrounding muscle to push that blood towards the heart. This increased volume of blood in those areas puts pressure on the walls of the veins, like a balloon animal they will bulge and twist to accommodate the volume of blood that is pooling there.

For mild cases of varicose veins, manual lymphatic drainage is a massage treatment that can be used to move lymph fluid into the blood system which aids in circulation and decrease the accumulation of the blood from the backflow. This however, is only for mild cases of varicose veins. Anyone suffering from varicose veins that cause broken skin, ulceration, or who are experiencing pain should seek medical treatment.

Though MLD can’t return the veins to their prior size because they have been stretched beyond their elasticity, but it can relieve pressure and decrease their appearance.

How Lymphatic Drainage Can Aid in Skin Rejuvenation

Lymphatic drainage facials can help you maintain a glowing complexion. When your lymphatic system is not working efficiently, your face shows it. You’ll see that your face is puffy and find the area under your eyes to be darker than usual, and overall your skin just looks dull. Under your chin, there is a network of lymph nodes down to your collar bone and behind your ears. When a therapist performs a lymphatic drainage facial, their goal is to revitalize your skin from the inside out rather than using topical serums and creams to treat the outside. Through the right technique, they can help filter out the accumulation of that fluid that causes the puffiness you see in your face and eliminates toxins so that your skin can glow from the inside out.

This type of massage technique also provides anti-aging benefits because the detoxification of the fluid helps improve cellular regeneration (the creation of new cells such as skin cells). It also shrinks pores by allowing oxygen to enter the skin more efficiently and reduce the appearance of acne by preventing the buildup of oily secretions from your sebaceous glands