How often should you do lymphatic drainage? How long, and oil or no oil

What lymphedema services’ leaflets say, point by point: how often, for how long, how much pressure, oil, time of day and water afterwards. And where many of the answers going around get it wrong.

7 min read Reviewed on October 11, 2026 Sources ↓

Edited by José Antonio Neto Not clinically reviewed

How often

Every day. That is the British Lymphology Society’s guidance for self-massage¹ and what NHS leaflets ask: try to do it every day.² Because it is so gentle, it does not need rest days.

Some search and AI answers say “three to five times a week”. In the Google answer that says it, the source is a fashion magazine; clinical guidelines do not give that figure.

If you have lymphedema, your specialist sets the frequency. Cancer Research UK gives twice a day, about 20 minutes each time, as the usual routine, although it can vary.³ And treatment with a professional starts with an intensive phase, with daily sessions for several weeks, before moving on to self-massage at home.⁴

How long

The leaflets talk about 10 to 20 minutes for self-massage, against 45 to 60 for a manual lymphatic drainage session with a professional.¹ The NHS head and neck leaflet estimates about 20 minutes.⁵

Our routines last 5 to 8 minutes. That is our own simplification, meant for people who do it for wellbeing rather than for lymphedema, and it should be said plainly: nobody has studied whether a short routine does the same as a 20-minute one. Our bet is that a short routine is easier to keep up every day.

Oil or no oil?

No oil. The NHS legs leaflet puts it like this: on bare skin, no moisturizing cream or oils.⁶ The British Lymphology Society is a little more flexible: they are not needed, and if your hand sticks, from heat or sweat, a little talc, cornstarch or cream is fine, away from the genital area.¹ And the UK register of manual lymphatic drainage therapists explains that MLD does not use oils or creams.⁷

The reason is in the move. Drainage does not slide the hand over the skin: it rests on it and stretches the skin.¹ With oil, the hand slips and the move turns into a different massage.

Several answers going around, including from AI assistants, recommend oil or serum. They mix up drainage with cosmetic facial massage, which is something else. If you want to moisturize, put the cream on when you finish.

How much pressure

Just enough to see the skin stretch without pressing it in, and without leaving it red.¹ The head and neck leaflet gives a test: if you can feel the muscle under your fingers, you are pressing too hard. Use the flat of your hand rather than your fingertips.²

The legs leaflet calls it a “firm” massage, but it also says it must not hurt or leave the skin red.⁶ If it hurts, stop: either you are pressing too hard or there is something to get checked.

What time of day? In the shower?

No leaflet sets a time. What they ask is that you are comfortably warm and in a comfortable position, sitting, standing or lying down, and that you fit it into your day: some people do it while watching TV or in the shower.²

Our suggestion follows the swelling: your face in the morning, when it wakes up puffy; your legs in the afternoon or evening, after a day on your feet. And if you cannot one day, that is fine: pick it up the next.

Afterwards: water, and how long it lasts

You do not need to drink extra water. None of the self-massage leaflets ask for it.^{1, 2, 6} Drink as usual: water does not “flush toxins” after a massage.

How long does it last? Nobody has measured it in healthy people. The lighter feeling is temporary, which is why it is offered as a daily routine and not as a treatment. In lymphedema, what keeps swelling down in the long term is the compression garment, not the massage.⁸

Questions

How many lymphatic drainage sessions do you need?

At home it is not counted in sessions: it is a daily routine.¹ If you have lymphedema, your specialist decides the number of sessions with a professional based on how you respond.

Can I do it twice a day?

Yes. In lymphedema it is the usual routine.³ If you do it for wellbeing, face in the morning and legs in the evening is a good way to split it.

Can I do it over clothes?

Better not. The legs leaflet asks for bare skin,⁶ because your hand needs to stretch the skin, and over clothes it slips.

Can I use moisturizer?

Afterwards, yes. During the massage, no: it makes your hand slip.⁶

What if I skip days?

Nothing happens. The effect is temporary, so nothing built up is lost: pick it up when you can.

Sources