Pia Velasco is a New York-based beauty reporter with over 10 years in the industry — swatching lipsticks, interviewing experts, and finding the best products on the market. She's currently the Senior Digital Beauty Editor at Meredith, and writes for InStyle, Shape, and Real Simple. She received a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from New York University and her Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University. In addition to her love for beauty, she's also passionate about yoga, and acts as an instructor in NYC.

If you want to make your cheekbones pop or your jawline more defined, lymphatic drainage can help make that happen. Whether you opt for a few face yoga massages, a chilled jade roller, or a Gua Sha tool, there are a handful of facial treatments that utilize the technique to help make your features look more lifted and well-defined.

Now, we're here to tell you that the same method can be applied to the body.

Lymphatic massages are sought out by some of Hollywood's A-list for the impressive health and aesthetic results they deliver. Stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Hailey Bieber, Rebel Wilson, and Kim Kardashian are some of the few who turn to lymphatic massage regimens before big events and photo shoots — and for good reason.

Here, we interviewed three experts on all there is to know about lymphatic massages, from how they work, the results they deliver, how to do them on your own body, how often to do them, and more.

Before we get into how these massages work, it's important to understand the basics and how our lymphs work.

"The lymphatic system is a closed system that is part of our immune system and works alongside our circulatory system," explains Flavia Morellato, a London-based physiotherapist and founder of Flavia Morellato Method for Lymphatic Drainage. "It consists of an extensive network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic or lymphoid organs, and lymphoid tissues. The vessels carry a clear fluid called lymph — water, cellular waste/toxins, hormones, lipids, etc. — back towards the heart for re-circulation and elimination through the urine."

Rebecca Faria, a licensed lymphatic drainage specialist and founder of Detox By Rebecca, explains that a lymphatic drainage massage s a therapeutic treatment that targets areas of your body to help lymphatic fluids flow easily and reduce toxins in your body.

As with any type of massage, the patient will lay down on a massage table. From there, the masseuse will use their hands on areas such as the abs, legs, and arms. Faria explains that by performing a series of rhythmic, compressive strokes along lymph vessels, they can clear out congested lymph nodes in different parts of the body.

To illustrate it, she compares a lymphatic massage to a sink. "If you were a sink, the drain would be your lymph nodes and the pipe would be the lymphatic system," she begins. "If the drain gets clogged, the sink becomes full of water and trash, and nothing will flow into the pipe. When we do lymphatic drainage massages, we clear those drains and release the toxins that get stuck in the body and release both inflammation and water weight."

Morellato says that the two biggest benefits are reducing water retention and detoxifying the body. Faria adds that regular lymphatic massages can help increase in blood circulation, stimulate the digestive system, boost our immune systems, speed up surgery recoveries, and can even minimize PMS symptoms, such as headaches and pelvic pains.

"Of course, the lymphatic drainage massage became very popular for aesthetic reasons," she adds. "Once you do them often, the muscles show more, the skin feels tighter, and the person appear thinner." On top of that, Morellato says they can also improve the appearance of cellulite.

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If you want to give it a go, try the technique out on yourself by following Faria's steps.

However, if you'd rather go to a specialist to get a lymphatic massage, that's always an option. Morellato just urges that you find a therapist who understands the lymphatic system anatomy and physiology, adding that it's very important. Plus. she says it should never be painful or cause bruising of any type — if it does, seek someone new.

Additionally, places such as the Body Roll Studio in New York City have beech wood rolling machines that mechanically guide clients through full body lymphatic drainage massages.

As with most treatments, it's not a one-and-done situation. "The key is consistency," adds Ashley LaCambria, general manager of Body Roll Studio. She recommends two to three sessions a week for at least six weeks for the best results.

For optimal results, Faria says to maintain a good diet and exercise routine, and LaCambria adds that staying hydrated is very important. "Lymph is 95% water, so for it to easily move around the body, you should stay super hydrated before, during, and after your session," she explains.