Beauty Rolling & The Lymphatic System

Facial rollers have recently become very mainstream around the world in the beauty industry, plus you can find them in a multitude of beautiful semi-precious stones.  But why are people reaching for this ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique in modern times?  What does this beautiful tool and technique actually do for our skin?  In order to answer these questions, it is first important to understand a little about how TCM explains beautiful and healthy skin, as well some knowledge about the Lymphatic System.

In TCM, we use face-reading as part of the diagnostic process.  We can tell a lot about the internal environment of the body just by looking at a persons’ face.  The face looks beautiful when the body is healthy.  We want to see clear, sparkling eyes, smooth and hydrated skin, and a glow that appears to come from within.  We want the skin to have volume, and bounce-back, and we also want the facial muscles free of tension.  The muscles and skin on the face will begin to sag and droop when the qi (vital life energy) becomes too weak to nourish and lift the tissue.  When we are under too much stress, the muscles of the face hold tension, which over time causes fine lines and deep wrinkles in the skin.  When the body is struggling regulating the internal temperature, or too many hot things such as alcohol or spicy food, are being ingested, we can see red inflamed acne or eczema patches start to form, or worsen.  If there are issues with certain organs in the body, we can see a change to the colour of the face, for example, kidney issues can cause the skin to look dark and sooty, commonly beginning under the eyes.  Acupuncture and herbal medicine work wonders at correcting organ imbalances, but there are other techniques you can use at home on a daily basis!  

So before we get in to how to improve the health of our face and neck area, let’s talk about why the lymph system is important when it comes to how we look. 

The lymph system is made up of a network of vessels, lymph organs, and lymphatic tissues, and is related closely to both the immune and the circulatory systems.  A clear fluid called lymph, circulates through the vessels to the heart, which contains many waste products, cellular debris, and bacteria.  These toxins are travelling through the vessels to nodes, which contain high levels of lymphocytes.  These lymphocytes act as a filter system, collecting and cleaning up the toxic material that has been released from body tissues.  The lymph is moved through the vessels by muscle contraction, and relies on exercise and/or massage to keep moving!  If we don't keep the lymph system stimulated, the nodes can become swollen, just like they do when we have an infection.  When the nodes are swollen and full, the fluid becomes stuck.  Below is an image of the vessels and nodes that flow in the face and neck. 

When the fluid becomes trapped in the vessels of the face, we may look dull, puffy, and devitalized.  It is also possible to feel tender in areas over the lymph nodes.  You can imagine if the toxins aren't being removed from the facial tissues, we can have reactions in the skin - this is why I always encourage my acne and eczema clients to work on draining the face every single day.  

So how can we drain the lymph system, relax tension in the face, and stimulate the flow of qi upwards to the face?!  This is where our facial roller comes in handy!  The facial roller is an excellent tool to drain stagnant lymph fluid from the face, and stimulate the lymph vessels.  IT IS IMPORTANT to move the tool in the direction that the lymph system flows, which is from the middle line of the face, out towards the ears, down the side of the neck, over the collar bone, and towards the heart.  I like to use my roller when I am masking, which will help the mask penetrate into the skin better, but you can use your tool at any point in your regime, as long as the skin is CLEAN. 

I start under the chin at the mid-line of the face and work under the jaw bone to the ear, then down the side of the neck towards the heart -  I do at least 10 passes per section.  Once I have drained the neck, I begin on the jawline, towards the ears, then down the side of the neck.  You can section the cheeks off to 2 or 3 levels, still working in the same direction.  My favorite area of the face to work on is the eyes.  I use the small end of my roller and gently roll on the orbital bone that surrounds the eyeball, working from the nose to the outer eye, again at least 10 passes - more if you're puffy or have dark circles.  I do the same on the upper orbital bone, over the eyebrow towards the temple.  Lastly, I roll from the centre of the forehead, towards the temple and down the neck to finish the process.  You will notice that this is a very relaxing process, moving in one direction, massaging the face will actually calm the central nervous system, which is why this process can also relax and release tension in the face. 

After I have drained the lymph system, I will return to any area of the face that felt tight, or tender, and I will roll my tool back and forth over that area, until the tension releases.  To finish my rolling session, I will roll upwards, starting from the collar bone, up the neck and towards the forehead, to lift the qi up to the face.  You don't need to worry about backing up the lymph system by changing directions, as this doesn't happen!   I like to do about 10 passes over each vertical section, paying close attention to areas that you feel need more of a lift.  The roller is made of stone, which will naturally absorb heat from the skin, reducing inflammation, but a fun tip for people with heat signs in the skin, rosacea, acne and eczema - soak your beauty tool in cool water before using!  This gives a wonderful cooling sensation to the face and feels amazing.  All facial massage is going to benefit the skin, so don't worry if you think you are doing something wrong.  When we roll the skin and it turns nice and pink, we know we have flushed out toxins by stimulating fresh blood flow to the small capillaries of the face.  That flush brings THE GLOW! 

Please check out our YouTube channel, @thenaturalartofskincare, in the coming weeks for an in-depth tutorial on beauty rolling!  Rolling is used as a treatment in my Rejuvenating Acupuncture Facial if you’re looking to try it out, but they can also be purchased at The Natural Art of Skin Care Spa Boutique.  Book a TCM Facial Treatment at the spa and I’ll teach you how to get the most out of this beautiful skin care tool and technique.

See you at the spa!

Dr. Amy Nykoluk, Registered Acupuncturist, and Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
at The Natural Art of Skin Care

How Traditional Chinese Medicine Looks at The Immune System

How Traditional Chinese Medicine Looks at The Immune System

written by Dr. Amy Nykoluk (Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine + Registered Acupuncturist)

In light of the changes COVID-19 has brought to everyone's life, all around the globe, I wanted to bring the focus back to something that we do have control over in our lives, the health of our immune system.  At a time such as this, we can put more energy into keeping ourselves healthy, and making the right choices to keep our bodies in the best shape possible.  There are many, many ways that we can boost this system, and there are also ways that we can avoid putting any extra pressure on the body, so that when we may come into contact with micro-organisms that cause disease, such as the Coronavirus that is spreading around the world at an extreme rate, our body can fight hard to limit the degree to which we are affected.  But before we go into ways to keep the immune system running optimally, lets talk about what exactly the immune system is and how it functions.

Although I want to focus more on the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) aspect of immunity, it is important, first, to understand the western side of this equation.  Every organism has an immune system, even microscopic bacteria.  Of course, humans have a much more complex system comprised of many biological structures and processes that work together to keep us free from disease.  The basic job of the immune system is to keep the body free from invaders, and to rid the body of dead or sick cells that may be circulating.  It is very important that the immune system is able to distinguish self, from non-self, and when a foreign invader is detected, the immune response is activated.  One of the key players are the white blood cells, or leukocytes.  WBC are on constant patrol, looking for pathogens, and when they detect something foreign they multiply to signal further immune response.  WBC are stored in the lymphoid organs - thymus, spleen, bone marrow and the lymph nodes.  There are two types of WBC - the phagocytes, which essentially destroy and "eat" pathogens, and the lymphocytes, which form a sort of memory of past pathogens, produce anti-bodies, and stay on watch to alert the clean up cells if this pathogen returns - which is how immunizations work.  During an immunization, certain molecules of a pathogen are introduced to the body so that the immune response can be activated, and antibodies created.  Overall, this is an extremely complex system that we need to have working at optimal levels at all times.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the immune system, and all other systems are looked at very differently.   Overall, TCM looks at everything as a whole and doesn't separate the immune system from the rest of the body.  In order to have healthy immunity - all systems of the body - including the qi (“CH-EE”), blood, body fluids, meridians and organs, have to be functioning optimally.  All of these things work together to build up the strength of the body’s defences.  In TCM theory, the body’s resistance to disease and its ability to repair in the presence of disease, is determined by the healthy flow of the “zheng qi”, or healthy qi around the body.  The zheng qi is abundant and free flowing, we are able to fight off pathogens before they cause much, if any, damage.  This zheng qi is similar to the movement of WBC in the blood stream.  When the zheng qi is abundant, pathogens cannot prevail.  So how do we make sure we have sufficient zheng qi, along with healthy qi, blood, body fluids, and the meridians and organs are unblocked and operating well?  Of course, Acupuncture and herbal formulas work very effectively at keeping a perfect internal balance, or restoring balance that has been lost.  But there are many things that we can do and not-do outside of regular treatments to protect ourselves. 

The first and maybe the most important step we can take is ensuring our diet is well balanced, and full of fresh nutrient-dense food.  We know that VITAMIN C plays a key role in the immune system, because Vitamin-C enhances the WBC ability to kill off foreign microbes.  Vitamin C is a potent anti-oxidant that improves and supports the skins barrier functions.  We also know that things like sugar, alcohol, and fatty foods will damage our digestion when not consumed in moderation, which can lead to a build up of toxins for the body to deal with, along with the potential for leaky gut, which floods the blood stream with unwanted substances.  Both of these situations can dull the immune response.  In TCM, these things are true as well, and food is divided into categories by one of five flavours, and its effect on the body.  It is important to balance the intake of food so we don't end up tipping the balance off.  For example, foods like dairy are considered to produce dampness, so if we over eat this, we end up producing an excess of phlegm, which can settle in many parts of the body, including the lungs.  The presence of phlegm in the lungs inhibits their ability to regulate the opening and closing of pores.  On the other hand, some foods are warming and drying, such as turkey!  So eating turkey can help dry up phlegm in the lungs. Another example is alcohol, which is actually medicinal in small doses because it can help expel wind and cold, and it helps improve the circulation of blood.   But when overdone, alcohol adds excess heat to the body, and can lead to liver damage and poor digestive function.

Exercise is the next on the list!  We all know getting some type of physical activity in every day is important, but how does it effect our immunity?  One way that exercise keeps us healthy is by draining our lymphatic system.  When we MOVE our body, such as brisk walking, jogging, or jumping up and down - gravity moves the fluid in the lymph system.  As we talked about earlier, this is a very important function in keeping invading pathogens at bay.  Along with movement of the lymph system, exercise gets the heart pumping blood faster, again improving circulation to remove toxins.  The same goes in TCM, we need to keep moving to keep the qi, blood and body fluids moving.  

Keeping stress at bay is another key factor involved in our immunity.  Of course, that is sometimes easier said than done.  We are living in a fast-paced society, where it seems there is always more expected of us.  When we become stressed out, our bodies get trapped in our fight or flight mode, which keeps our nervous system on high alert, and suppresses the immune system.  When we are stressed, our cortisol levels sky rocket, and cortisol actually reduces the amount of lymphocytes circulating in the blood.  In TCM, when we become stressed, our liver becomes sluggish, and it can't circulate the qi around the body properly.  The lungs and all other organs rely on this smooth flow of qi to function, so high levels of stress for long periods of time will absolutely disrupt every single system in the body, including our lungs and immune system.  Exercise will release endorphins and lower cortisol, and 15 minutes of mediation a day can make a huge difference in our moods.  

Lastly, I want to talk about Acupuncture, Cupping and Herbal Medicine, or TCM!  The goal behind all the modalities in Traditional Chinese Medicine is to restore the body to balance - so it can heal itself, and the immune system is part of that healing!  TCM can reduce the stress response, and increase the livers ability to deal with the everyday life hustle.  We can use herbs like astragalus, cordyceps and ginko biloba to boost the respiratory function and keep the lungs effectively working to keep pathogens out, and to the blood circulating well, in case something does get in.  Acupuncture naturally calms the central nervous system, reduces pain, and moves the qi, which in turn keeps the body ready to heal.  And lastly, my favourite way to keep the lungs clear and the immune system strong, is CUPPING Therapy!  Firstly, Cupping gets the blood and lymph system moving.  We use this to treat muscle spasms, injuries, and for overall well being, but we also know, this keeps the immune system strong.  When we cup over the back, we’re causing a somewhat large area of local inflammation, which stimulates the immune response, and we also glide over the lungs!  Because Cupping can effect tissue up to 4 inches below the skins surface, this is almost like a workout for the lungs.  We can loosen up lodged phlegm, which if you've had Cupping during a chest cold, you may have experienced the phlegm clearing that comes after your session.  To conclude, Cupping opens the pores on the back, which can allow the release of pathogens that may be trying to enter the body.  This forced opening of the pores also improves the lungs ability to keep the pores opening and closing when they need to.

So, although times are scary right now, there are many things that we can do on a daily basis to keep our bodies strong!  We can't always fight off all possible infections, but we can keep all our organ systems running optimally, so if and when we do succumb to a pathogen, we can more easily fight it off. 

Sadly, I cannot offer hands on treatments like Cupping, or acupuncture right now, but I will be preparing a short video on an Acupuncture routine to boost your immune function, so check out on our YouTube channel, coming soon!  And of course, our FIRST line of defence at this time, is to practice social distancing to the best of our ability, so please continue to do so!  We can't wait to see everyone back at the spa, very soon hopefully.   

Stay safe!

Dr. Amy Nykoluk, DTCM + Registered Acupuncturist
The Natural Art of Skin Care