What is “Dry Brushing”? A Guide to Your New Breast Cancer Self-Care Obsession.
DISCLAIMER: All information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Always consult your healthcare team before beginning any new self-care activity or practice.
If you're like many people, you might have heard the term dry brushing before (or maybe not?!) but you're not sure what it is or what it can do for you.
Don’t worry. That's why I'm here.
Today, I’m going to share an overview of dry brushing that will help you understand what the fuss is all about and decide if this easy, portable self-care practice is for you.
What Is Dry Brushing?
Traditionally, dry brushing is the practice of sweeping a stiff bristled brush over your body when, you guessed it, your skin is completely dry.
Like many self-care activities, dry brushing has roots in multiple cultures dating back to the ancient Egyptians and Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and has been used for centuries among Greek, Roman, and Chinese cultures.
And also like many other ancient self-care activities, it sees a resurgence from time to time, becoming trendy for a time.
While the most common tool for dry brushing is a wooden brush with firm natural bristles - like boar hair - different peoples have their preferences and would rely on all types of exfoliating materials such as loofah sponges or silk gloves.
So what exactly makes this popular self-care practice keep coming back into fashion?
Let’s find out!
What are the health benefits of dry brushing?
If dry brushing sounds a little odd, I get it.
It’s easy to see why we brush our hair (gotta get rid of those tangles!) and our teeth (no one wants mossy green fangs), but our BODIES? What’s the deal?
I put together a list of the most relevant benefits below to break it down for you so you can easily understand how this seemingly silly practice might be your new favorite self-care obsession.
Benefit #1. Skin Exfoliation
Most people don’t give enough thought or credit to the importance of skin.
Not only is it the largest organ system in the human body, but it is directly responsible for much of our overall health and wellbeing.
After all, in the simplest terms, it keeps the outside out and our insides in.
Given that our body is perpetually working to maintain a delicate balance called homeostasis, our skin is the main barrier to bacteria, virus, infection, and other potential harmful substances that we prefer to keep out of our body and blood stream.
This means that our skin INTEGRITY, or how healthy our skin is, plays a key factor in our total systemic health.
Exfoliation, when used appropriately, sloughs off dead skin cells supporting cellular turnover, reducing clogged pores and stimulating natural skin oil (called sebum) production.
While not the only part of proper skin care, exfoliation sets the stage for moisturizing, resulting in smooth, healthy skin.
Dry brushing, when done properly, is a great way to exfoliate your skin and doesn’t require water or a shower like many other types of skin care exfoliants.
Benefit #2. Lymphatic Support
The lymphatic system is a critical piece of the body’s natural detoxification system and a key player in your immune system.
This intricate network of delicate vessels, nodes, and ducts, work together with your cardiovascular system to move and balance the fluid in your body as well as filter out harmful substances that may be carried in the bloodstream.
Despite its importance in our body, the lymphatic system has a disadvantage compared to other organ systems because it does not have its own natural pump to rely on.
Unlike the cardiovascular system, which utilizes the heart to continuously circulate blood throughout our bodies, the lymphatic system relies primarily on physical activity for stimulation.
This means it is our muscle movement, our breathing, and other subtle internal processes that help to move fluid into the lymphatic vessels which then carry this fluid called “lymph” to lymph nodes which clean and process the fluid as well as produce new white blood cells which fight infection and other diseases (including cancer!).
Dry brushing, when done properly, can help manually stimulate this same process, encouraging the flow of lymph fluid to the proper channels.
Benefit #3. Self-Care Confidence
“Self-care confidence” is a term I coined through nearly 12 years of working with women impacted by breast cancer as an oncology massage and manual lymphatic drainage therapist and through my own experience as a breast cancer survivor.
One thing that almost every person who has received this diagnosis knows is that breast cancer takes more from us than just breasts and hair.
It tries to steal our choices, our agency, and ultimately our confidence in knowing our bodies and how to care for them.
As patients we are constantly under the care of others, and while this is helpful for a time, we need to learn to be independent again when it comes to our bodies so that we can show up for ourselves and reestablish the way we live in our skin.
When done properly, dry brushing is an easy, accessible activity that can become a safe, effective, and relevant self-care practice and help you feel more connected to your body and more in control of how you care for yourself.
A Note About These and Other (Potential) Benefits
If you look up “dry brushing” on the internet you are likely to find dozens of articles and YouTube videos offering you an end to cellulite and wrinkles as well as improved circulation. While dry brushing may offer short term increased blood flow, and might even help to smooth fascia with time and consistency, the lasting benefits are unlikely and all depend on the technique used.
Truthfully, there are no actual studies to support any claims about the benefits of dry brushing.
The reason I am comfortable offering the ones listed above is because of the physiological plausibility of these benefits.
This means that while dry brushing hasn’t been scientifically studied and proven, based on the science we do know, we can draw the correlation between the activity and the benefit.
Additionally, I have witnessed and experienced these benefits among my clients and myself, thereby providing anecdotal evidence to support these specific benefits.
Why is dry brushing helpful if you’ve had breast cancer?
I always say that the thing about self-care is it not only needs to be effective but it needs to be relevant to your needs.
Add in a breast cancer experience and it also needs to be safe and appropriate for your body and what you’ve been through.
Dry brushing, when done in a way that is tailored to your body and your experiences, has many relevant benefits and plusses.
Let’s start by taking those benefits from above and relate them to someone who’s been through breast cancer.
The health benefits:
IMMUNE SUPPORT: People who’ve had a breast cancer experience may be at decreased immunity thanks to treatments like radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other medications. Dry brushing can help stimulate the lymphatic system which supports your immune system.
SKIN HEALTH: Being immunocompromised means it’s important to pay extra attention to skin integrity to help reduce chances of skin breaks that can allow for bacterial infection or external skin infections such as cellulitis that can quickly become systemic.
LYMPHEDEMA RISK: Almost every person who receives a breast cancer diagnosis will end up with some level of risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema and dry brushing can help stimulate lymphatic flow, reducing the chances of a lymphedema flare up.
LYMPHEDEMA MANAGEMENT: If you are already living with lymphedema, when done in the appropriate way, dry brushing can help to move lymph fluid and reduce swelling in the affected area, including arms, hands, breasts, and the trunk of the body.
Want to know more about how breast cancer affects the lymphatic system? I wrote this article called “Breast Cancer’s Best Kept Secret” to get you started.
Other benefits:
Cancer makes SO many things hard. But dry brushing doesn’t have to be:
Some of the upsides of dry brushing are:
You only need one (or maybe two) brush(es) and your own body!
You can make it fit almost any budget as dry brushes range in price from very inexpensive (less than $5) to $100+ (reminder: it is rare that an expensive brush is worth the price!)
Brushes only have to be replaced at your discretion based on regular use.
You can take your brush with you anywhere you go including when you travel.
You can do as much or as little of your body at a time as you like so it can fit your schedule.
You can turn it into a self-care ritual with music, candles, a bath, and your favorite lotion.
Once you learn how to do it safely you’ve got a practice that will last for life!
Tips for Dry Brushing Success
Here are a few tips to help you get started and maximize your results with a dry brushing practice:
First, know your body and your needs.
When you’ve had a breast cancer experience it is likely that you may need to modify or adapt your self-care practices to meet your specific needs.
This is especially true with dry brushing.
In order to make this practice safe, effective, and relevant to your life in survivorship you need to understand how your body has been impacted by breast cancer.
The most common way is through the removal of lymph nodes and/or damage to lymph vessels through radiation treatment.
While sometimes necessary treatment protocols, these procedures compromise the lymphatic system which can result in secondary conditions like breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Before you begin a dry brushing practice you need to get educated on how to do it in a way that is right for you, not the average person.
Next, choose your brush.
This is where a lot of my clients get hung up.
It doesn’t SEEM that complicated right? Just hop on Amazon or ask the Great Google “what dry brush should I buy?”
But not only will this method leave you with a hundred different options to choose from (some of which will leave you with sticker shock) but you might end up with a brush that isn’t actually RIGHT for you.
Treatments like radiation and chemotherapy and the effects of hormone suppression or premature menopause can leave skin thin or easily irritated.
A coarse bristled brush like traditionally used and recommended may not be in your best interest if your skin has been affected through your treatment.
A brush that is too rough could actually scratch skin and cause more harm than good.
The good news is that there are LOTS of brushes out there than can be used instead of a fancy “dry brush” that will be more effective for your needs.
I have a formula for choosing your brush that includes the brush type, the bristles, and your budget.
When choosing a brush, keep in mind:
The brush type - does it have a handle? A hand strap? What are your needs?
The bristle type - do you need firm or soft bristles? Is boar or goat hair or synthetic better?
The price point - your budget is an important factor. Your brush does not need to be expensive.
Want more guidance on how to choose a dry brush if you’ve had breast cancer? Download my free PDF quick guide “How to Choose A Dry Brush: A GUIDE FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS & THRIVERS!
Finally, learn how to use your brush safely.
If I told you to take a dry body brush and brush it over your skin I’m sure you could do just that.
But if you want to make sure you are getting the right benefits out of your dry brushing practice - remember, we’re going for a safe, effective, and relevant practice if you’ve had a breast cancer experience - then you need to know how to use your brush in a manner that is right for you.
Most tutorials online are designed for someone who has a “healthy body”.
While I don’t consider every person with a breast cancer diagnosis to be unhealthy by any means - I personally never considered myself sick even when I was first diagnosed - these tutorials assume you don’t have any conditions or health issues that could cause dry brushing to be contraindicated (not indicated = not safe).
How you use your brush also depends on your goals - are you focused more on exfoliation or lymphatic support?
Education is one of the most powerful tools you can use to take your power back from breast cancer.
It’s also crucial to ensure your safety and well-being when it comes to any new self-care practice or activity.
Ready to start dry brushing? Let’s go!
I hope you found this article informative and the free “How to Choose a Dry Brush” quick guide will make this first step a little less overwhelming.
If you take anything away, I hope you can see that dry brushing can be a wonderful self-care practice, even if you’re living with a breast cancer diagnosis.
If you’re like me though, you might want more direction and guidance on exactly how to turn dry brushing from an idea into an actual tool in your self-care toolbox.
One of the things I hear often, even from people who have had a dry brushing routine for many years, is that once breast cancer came calling they weren’t sure how to modify their routine to be safe and effective based on the changes to their bodies.
That’s why I created an online workshop called “Brush to Body: Dry Brushing for Breast Cancer” so that you can claim your self-care confidence when it comes to this simple and effective practice.
In one hour you will build on what I’ve shared here and walk away knowing:
how to understand if your lymphatic system has been impacted by your breast cancer treatments and exactly where on your body you need to careful
how to set goals and intentions around your dry brushing routine so that you get real benefits from your practice
how to select the brush(es) that are going to be most beneficial to your goals without breaking the bank, including specific examples of brush styles and price points
how to use your brush safely and effectively so that when you pick up your brush you feel excited and ready to use it (there’s more to it than you might think!)
how and when to make your dry brushing practice fit your schedule - whether it’s a few minutes in the morning or a luxurious ritual before bed
plus get direct access to me for all of your dry brushing Q&A!
My mission at As We Are Now is to take what I have learned about the body and breast cancer through both my professional and personal experiences and turn it into practical, actionable, and relevant self-care education so that you can feel more confident making informed decisions in your day to day life and take back your power from breast cancer.
Will dry brushing be your next step towards self-care confidence after breast cancer?
I hope this post has been helpful!
Any questions? Comment below or shoot me a DM on Instagram and don’t forget to check out my previous posts here on The Sunday Self-Care Chronicles!
NOTE: The Sunday Self-Care Chronicles and all content written for Amy Hartl, LMT and As We Are Now LLC is written from my perspective as a cis-gendered white woman. Because this is my lived experience and what I know and can speak to, and because MOST people diagnosed with breast cancer are assigned female at birth (AFAB), I often use terms like “she, her, woman, etc..” However I recognize that breast cancer does not discriminate by race, by gender assignment or expression, or any other label or identifier that we use in our society. Therefore, this space, my free content, and my online services are all available to you, whoever you are, if you are living with a breast cancer experience.
I am also well aware that many people who are diagnosed with breast cancer will never see an end to treatment. For those still living with breast cancer, especially metastatic breast cancer, life “after” or “beyond” breast cancer may refer to diagnosis vs. an end to treatment but I use this language interchangeably and invite you to apply it how you will to your personal experience.
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