Exfoliate, Drain Lymph, Increase Circulation and Reduce Stress
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This article explores the profound role of skin in personal and medical contexts, particularly regarding Type 1 Diabetes. Exploring its symbolic significance and potential healing properties, this article introduces dry skin brushing as a therapeutic practice, emphasising its benefits and proper application for holistic well-being.
I have been fascinated by skin for a long time. My skin has been the main battleground for my Type 1 Diabetes, receiving probably in excess of 50,000 injections over the years. It has carried the bruises, it has always willingly received the syringes, the needles, the blood test prickers, healing after every single one. But that’s not what fascinates me about it.
What fascinates me about the concept of skin is more symbolic than actual. It fascinates me how the skin acts as a boundary between me and the external world, between my internal thoughts and outer reality. It delineates what makes up me and everything that exists outside that sphere. It clearly shows what is ‘me’ and what is ‘not-me’.
However, the skin’s role of protector is also balanced by a role of mediator or translator. It feeds sensory information about the outside world to inform my internal perceptions and also acts as a way to connect with others through touch. So, perhaps rather than delineating the ‘me’ from the ‘not-me’, does it not in fact balance on the line between the two?
Paul Langerhans: Islets of Langerhans and Langerhans cells
I suspect that there is something about the skin that entices me in, which remains as yet undefined in my mind. I believe that it plays a role in healing Type 1 Diabetes in a way that I cannot yet clearly understand. It is purely an intuition right now.
So the man that discovered insulin cells also discovered a type of skin cell. A connection, although yet undefined, is apparent between the skin and the pancreas.
The Role Of My Skin
However I come to understand the role of my skin in my life, I know without doubt that it needs looking after. My skin is the largest organ of my body (yep, it’s an organ!). In adults, skin can have a surface area of around two metres squared and can account for approximately 16 percent of total body weight.
Skin performs many functions in the body, including:
- Protecting the body from hot and cold so as to maintain a constant body temperature
- Protecting us from microbes, irritants and allergens that can cause diseases or disequilibrium i the human body
- Eliminating toxins through sweating and shedding dead skin cells
- Reducing fluid loss through acting as a container for all bodily fluids
Main Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing
Dry body brushing is really beneficial for the skin and supports many of its main functions. The following benefits are of particular note for me in my healing journey:
Exfoliation
Dry skin brushing enables the body to shed dead skin cells more effectively. This unclogs the pores of debris and also enables the body to sweat more effectively, which enables the body to eliminate more toxins naturally. Therefore, it is important to bath or shower immediately after dry body brushing to ensure that the loosened skin cells do not remain on the skin surface.
Lymphatic System Drainage
Brushing in the direction of the flow of the lymphatic system further increases the drainage of the system. As I discussed in my blog post on ‘Rebounding’, the lymphatic system does not have its own pump and relies on the body’s movement to work effectively. Dry body brushing is another form of such movement, which promotes the flow of lymph in the body.
Increased Circulation
A side effect of Type 1 Diabetes can be cold hands and feet. This is often caused by poor circulation. Poor circulation can lead to a host of complications, including cardiovascular disease and neuropathy. Dry skin brushing (gentle enough to not harm the skin surface) can improve circulation.
Stress Relief
Like massage therapy, dry skin brushing can reduce stress in the body through the therapeutic effects of touch. High stress levels are found in, amongst others, those who are experiencing a fight-or-flight response, which I have argued may be what Type 1 Diabetes actually is.
Optimising Vitamin D Levels
Our skin is our most effective organ for creating vitamin D in our bodies. I have already discussed at length the need to have optimum vitamin D to heal Type 1 Diabetes. Removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin enables more of the skin to be exposed to sunlight for vitamin D to be produced.
How To Dry Skin Brush
I have spent some time trying to find the best description of how to body brush. After all, if I’m going to do it, I want it to be effective!!
I spent a great deal of time looking at different resources. The one I liked the most was a YouTube video by Kelly from ‘Cancer Rehab PT’. Not only is she an expert in physical therapy but she is also focussed on healing the body (of cancer). Her video is also easy to understand:
A lot of people recommend that you should dry body brush towards your heart. However, Kelly suggests in this video that you should brush in alignment with the flow of the lymphatic system in order to enable the system to drain more effectively. That makes much more sense to me!
Choosing My Body Brush
I tried several different body brushes before landing on the one I now use. The first two I tried were handheld with a strap across the back of the brush. Whilst they were effective, I struggled to reach across the whole of my back area. I then bought a third, which had a long handle. But that had synthetic fibres and felt harsh on my skin. The handle was also detachable but that just caused the bristle brush to fall off when I used it!
Eventually, I found the Cactus Long Handle Body Brush by The Body Shop. It has natural bristles (made of cactus!) and feels very ergonomically designed. I felt it was good value and is serving me well.
Remembering to Body Brush
Okay, so I think the most challenging part of this new behaviour for me was finding a way to make it a habit! In the end, I ended up hanging a hook in my bathroom, right by my shower and put my body brush on it. So, every time I go to the shower, I see it. So far, it seems to be working!
Caring For My Body Brush
My body brush is likely to be a receptacle for a lot of the dead cells that it brushes off my skin. Over time, these cells are likely to build up and result in me purely brushing more dead skin back onto my body! To avoid this, I wash my brush in filtered water after every brushing session. Then, once a week, I wash it out with my (toxin-free, natural) shampoo and leave it to dry.
I suspect that, even with these clean9ing practices, I am likely to need to replace my brush fairly frequently to avoid brushing any remaining debris onto my skin.
Can I Body Brush In The Shower?
I did wonder if it was possible to just whizz around with my body brush whilst in the shower. Whilst it is physically possible to body brush with wet skin, it is not advisable. When the skin is wet, dead skin cells congeal on its surface. Brushing then does not remove these cells so detoxifying benefits on the skin’s surface are greatly diminished. Of course, it would still have an impact on the lymphatic system beneath the skin.
Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
