Lymphatic Drainage Massage in Marylebone, London

MLD uses very light, slow, rhythmic strokes targeting the superficial lymphatic vessels — pressure is roughly 30 mmHg, much lighter than deep-tissue massage. Stroke direction follows the lymphatic drainage pathways towards the regional nodes. The goal is fluid mobilisation, not muscle release. A deep-tissue massage in the same area would actually push fluid the wrong way.

Most surgeons clear MLD from 24 to 72 hours after surgery, depending on the procedure. We never start without explicit clearance — the timing matters and we follow your surgeon's recovery plan. Bring the post-op letter or recovery instructions to your first session.

Most aesthetic-surgery recovery protocols use 6 to 10 MLD sessions over 4 to 6 weeks — frequency front-loaded to the early window. Larger procedures (full-body liposuction, abdominoplasty, large breast reductions) may need 10 to 15 sessions. We agree the plan with you at intake.

No — MLD has clear contraindications including untreated heart failure, untreated renal failure, active deep-vein thrombosis, active malignancy in the area being treated without oncologist sign-off, and acute infection. Anyone with these conditions needs medical clearance before any MLD work. We screen for these at intake.

We treat both, with appropriate scope. Primary or secondary lymphoedema management is best run under the lead of a vascular consultant or specialist lymphoedema team; we deliver the MLD component within their care plan. Lipoedema is conservatively managed across the four pillars (MLD, compression, anti-inflammatory nutrition, graded movement) and we lead on those that fit our scope.