In recent years, demand has only increased for the Brazilian body-shaping lymphatic drainage massages that many A-list celebrities swear by. The popular technique promises to have many benefits, from creating a more sculpted appearance to reducing puffiness and bloating to improving circulation to even boosting the immune system.
But there's a reason why a lot of the masters behind the highly sought-after massage happen to be Latinas. Here, we're taking you through the storied history behind the practice and how it rose from a wellness technique that was birthed in Europe to a go-to spa offering across the world. The most well-known lymphatic drainage massage was developed in by Emil and Estrid Vodder , a Danish couple who originally worked as massage therapists in Cannes, France, in the s, and went on to develop and publish their research on the massage technique.
Emil Voddler taught his method across Europe throughout the '50s, and it eventually made its way to the Americas. Perez predicts that the technique made its way to Brazil around the s, before popularizing in other Latin American countries like Colombia. Once people got wind of the benefits, people within varied Latinx communities started putting their own spins on the technique.
After years of receiving training in the lymphatic drainage technique, Perez combined her knowledge and created her own signature method, which is known as the Massage High Definition MHD and includes sculpting tools that reduce the appearance of cellulite, and smooths tissues while enhancing the body's immune system.
Perez describes the lymphatic drainage massage as "manual therapy that facilitates the reabsorption of the interstitial fluid water and other substances outside of the cells back into the lymph and blood circulation. Guerra explains that her massages help clear unwanted toxins.
