Most of us make it a ritual to remove makeup or apply face cream at night, because we know that without these simple actions, our skin suffers. But only a few truly know how important it is to take care of their breasts on a daily basis, and the easiest and most enjoyable way to do this is massage.
Here we share some benefits and secret technique for breast massage.
Importance of Breast Massage
Breast massage is not just about self-love. We love this ritual for it's health and beauty of our breasts. Plus, it helps relieve tension, relax, and even get us into a meditative-like state.
Skin Appearance Improvement
Massage using Gua Sha is a great way to improve microcirculation in the breast. Good blood circulation, in turn, is proven to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin necessary for its health and elasticity, as well as proteins and cells necessary for the skin to repair itself. Thus, regular massage prevents aging, sagging, and damage to the skin of the breast. In addition, a study has shown that just 15 minutes of this pleasant self-care ritual reduces the number of stretch marks on the breasts.
Breast Cancer Detection
By massaging your breasts regularly, you explore what it looks like and feels like. Because of this, you are more likely to identify any abnormalities such as growths or lumps. These lumps may also be benign cysts, or 20% of cases, precursors for breast cancer. Be sure to check with your physician if you have suspicious lumps. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer greatly improve your chances of recovery.
Good Lymphatic Drainage
The tissues of your breasts extend to the underarm area where there are many lymphatic vessels. Their main function is to regulate the movement of lymph fluid in the body. If they fail, the fluid builds up along with the toxin, leading to puffy skin and even lymphedema, a chronic swollen condition. Research has shown that manual breast stimulation can flush out excess lymphatic fluid and thus relieve you of uncomfortable swollen conditions.
Premenstrual Breast Pain Relief
Cyclical mastalgia is breast pain that appears about a week before menstruation in 70% of women. Although this is a natural phenomenon, it still gives us discomfort. Periodic breast massage, in turn, significantly reduces this unpleasant symptom. In particular, this ritual copes with pain and tightness of the breasts as well as nipple extensibility.
Smooth Qi Flow
In TCM, there are 3 major meridians that run near the breasts area: Kidney, Liver, Stomach and 3 minor meridians Spleen, Pericardium and Gallbladder that run at the outer side of the breasts. Think of these as “highways” that carry Qi (energy) around the breasts. When there is traffic is smooth along the “highways”, the self-regulating meridians flow along happily. However, when the flow becomes sluggish and stagnated, it threatens us with problems with physical and mental health as well as general well-being. Gua Sha has long been valued in TCM for its ability to clear blockages in the meridians and thus help Qi move freely through the body. That is why the Gua Sha tool is most recommended for breast massage.
Breast Massage Techniques with Gua Sha
Gua Sha has long been used to treat many conditions due to its positive effect on Qi flow. That is why there are many Gua Sha techniques, including for the chest area. Two of the most favorite ones for us are lymphatic drainage and firming.
Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)
MLD is a classic massage that was founded by Dr. Emil in the early 1930s, originally to treat swollen lymph nodes. Later science proved that this massage not only prevents fluid accumulation but also helps to avoid lymphedema in mastectomy patients and reduces postoperative scars. It is one of our favorite techniques as when done properly it can prevent or improve symptoms such as swelling, pain, tenderness, and heaviness in the breasts.
We recommend doing it every day or 2-3 times a week, about 5 minutes per breast. It's recommended to do it more often before menses to prevent breast tenderness. Whenever you find a moment or when you perform your daily beauty ritual. Just like with other treatments, the results are cumulative so it's good to do it regularly. In addition, MLD is a light, gentle rhythmic massage and should feel as if the skin is being caressed, not rubbed. Therefore, your pressure with Gua Sha should not cause pain.
Remove your bra before the massage as it can interfere with the removal of congested lymph from our breasts.
Apply décolletage balm or a few drops of your favorite beauty oil onto your skin and spread them evenly around your collarbone and breasts area.
Relax and breathe deeply to maximize the flow of Qi. Take your time and enjoy this moment of self-care. Obviously, it's not something to do when you are in a hurry. Listen to your body and experiment with what feels best and right for you.
Run the Gua Sha tool 10 times on the sides of the breasts and armpits.
Pass the tool 10 times from the upper chest to the armpit.
Change direction and do 10 smooth movements from the armpit to the upper chest.
Place the Gua Sha tool in the armpit and move it 15 times towards the outer part of the chest.
Move the Gua Sha to the nipple and with gentle rotational movements massage the upper part of the chest 15 times as if drawing circles around your nipple.
Place the Gua Sha on the inside of your chest and move in a few gentle strokes towards your underarms.
Repeat the ritual on the opposite side.
Stay without a bra for at least another hour so as not to impede the flow of lymph.
Massage for Firm Breasts
Although regular MLD massage is great for the appearance of the breasts, there is another simple technique to keep the breasts youthful and firm. You can easily alternate between both types of massage every other day for a wow effect. Similar to MLD, this technique involves removing the bra, applying décolletage balm or essential oil, and relaxing, but the next steps are slightly different. In addition, in this technique, you can press the Gua Sha harder to move the tissues of the breasts and not just the skin.
Warm up your chest to improve blood circulation. To do this, put your left hand on your right chest and vice versa and knead your chest in a circular motion for 2-3 minutes.
Place the Gua Sha near the earlobe on the top corner of the jaw.
Make 5-10 movements down the neck just above the collarbone.
Repeat the movements on the other side.
Place the Gua Sha on the left chest and move counterclockwise in a circular motion for about 5 minutes.
Move Gua Sha to the right chest and repeat the same movements but clockwise also for 5 minutes.
Repeat the ritual on each of the breasts, choosing the opposite direction (if you moved clockwise, now counterclockwise and vice versa).
We hope we were able to explain to you why we love breast massage so much. But what is no less important is that if you try this ritual a couple of times, you are unlikely to refuse it in the future. Simplicity, efficiency, and pleasant sensations will make you make breast massage an integral part of your beauty routine.
