Like a sink that gets clogged with waste, our lymphatic system can become overloaded with toxins – from eating too much processed food, having insufficient sleep, and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

This creates blockages in our lymph nodes, causing our body to retain water because it is unable to flush the toxins out.

Eventually, the lymphatic system experiences a build-up of toxic fluid.

Lymphatic drainage massage, Faria told WWD, is “a preventive medicine”.

“[After their massage, my clients] look skinnier, but they are not. They just have less water.

“Usually when they come here for the first time, they are looking for a better body shape. But after a while … they come because of the health benefits.”

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Lymphatic drainage is more than just a marketing term, says Ardyce Yik, a naturopathic doctor at the Integrated Medicine Institute in Hong Kong.

If your lymphatic system is healthy – that is, not sluggish or congested – and you do not have a serious medical issue, lymphatic drainage therapies such as massage and dry brushing are probably not necessary. But it is important to safeguard your lymphatic health.

“The lymphatic system is a network of vessels that circulate and drain lymph, a watery fluid, throughout the body,” Yik says.

Part of the immune system that complements the circulatory system, one of its many functions is keeping fluid levels in balance by draining extra fluid from body tissues and returning it to the circulatory system, she adds. It also defends the body against infections.

The lymph nodes – small, bean-shaped structures found along the network of vessels – contain lymphocytes, white blood cells that help fight off infection and act as filters by trapping bacteria, viruses and other infection-causing agents.

“When we have an infection, the lymphocytes multiply in the lymph nodes to help fight the infection – this is why we often have swollen lymph nodes when we have an infection,” she says.

How well your lymphatic system functions can affect your body’s ability to balance fluid levels, eliminate toxins and fight infection, Yik adds.

She even experienced a face “lift” soon after starting this DIY therapy.

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“When fluid accumulates in a specific area of the face, it can give the appearance of saggy skin, but once the fluid is gone the sagginess disappears, too,” she says.

Samtani also raves about the Vodder method of manual lymph drainage (MLD). This involves gently tapping the areas where your lymph nodes and vessels are located. She claims that this treatment is effective in reducing water retention and eliminating toxins from her body.

There are other ways to keep your lymphatic system healthy.

• Staying hydrated throughout the day to facilitate the flow of lymph through your body.

• Exercise helps lymph move more freely through the lymphatic system.

• Eating a nutritious diet also helps. Load up on green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, antioxidant-rich fruits with a high water content like berries and melons, and foods packed with omega-3 fats such as salmon, nuts and seeds.

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Tight clothing can restrict lymphatic circulation and put pressure on your lymph nodes.

Samtani works out regularly and says that any combination of therapies and activities can assist in keeping your lymphatic system healthy.

“Whatever way you choose to look after your lymphatic system, it should be right for your body,” she says. “If you want results you have to be consistent.”