After a sedentary stretch — a lot of desk time, a long-haul flight, the days before a period — legs can feel heavy and ankles can look puffier. For most people that is everyday fluid pooling, and an unhurried hour of light, repetitive massage is a reasonable way to look after yourself when you feel like that. That is the most common reason people book manual lymphatic drainage with me that has nothing to do with surgery.
If swelling is only on one side of the body, comes on suddenly, or you have a diagnosed circulatory or kidney condition, see your GP first — a massage is not the place to work out why something is swollen.
The same technique, without the surgical context
The hands-on work here is the same manual lymphatic drainage I use in my pre- and post-operative course — light, rhythmic, skin-stretching strokes that follow the lymphatic pathways rather than pressing into muscle. What changes is the reason you are booking: there is no operation involved, no surgeon's plan to follow, and no consultation required first. My certificate for this technique is an ABT-accredited qualification in body manual lymphatic drainage, pre and post surgery (Associated Beauty Therapists), completed in London in 2026.
This is a wellness treatment, not a medical one. I do not treat conditions and I make no claims about what a session will do for you.
Who books it
Most wellness-drainage clients are dealing with everyday fluid retention and heavy-feeling legs — people who sit all day, people on their feet through a shift, frequent flyers, and people who notice it in the run-up to their period. Others just want a massage that is calm and light rather than deep and firm. If your real issue is muscle tension and stress, a Swedish massage will serve you better, and I will say so.
Better as a routine than a one-off
A single session is a pleasant hour, but in my experience people get more from lymphatic drainage when they treat it as a routine rather than something they try once and judge — a slot every few weeks, or a short run of weekly sessions during a period when they feel they need it.
If you want to work that way, the studio's new-client introductory packages bring the per-session price down. Ask me about them when you book, as they are introductory pricing rather than a standing rate.
In the room
Sessions run about an hour, one-to-one with me, in the same treatment room each time, and there is no rush at either end. The pressure is much lighter than most people expect — it should feel repetitive and calming, never painful — and I work mostly over the legs and abdomen, and the arms if that is where you tend to hold fluid. I speak Portuguese and English, and I go over a short health questionnaire with you before we start.
If you want drainage as part of something longer, the 90-minute Signature Body Treatment sets a drainage section alongside body sculpting and a relaxing finish.
If you've recently had surgery
If you have had surgery in the past few months, this is not the right starting point. Post-operative drainage follows your surgeon's plan, and I need their written clearance before booking you in — that side of the work, and the consultation that comes first, is on the pre- and post-operative lymphatic drainage page.
Price & booking
A single manual lymphatic drainage session is £60 for 60 minutes. You can see how it sits alongside everything else on the full treatment list and book through the bookings page. To arrange a time, message me on WhatsApp on 07889 809678 and say which day works.
- Ella Beauty Studio
- Unit 1 & 2 Oak Square, Stockwell Green, London SW9 9JF — inside Beauty Desire
- WhatsApp / phone 07889 809678
- Wednesday and Sunday, by appointment only
- Serving Stockwell, Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Oval