As 2025 comes to a close, we’re revisiting the finest stories Fashionista shared this year (at least according to our editors). The following was initially published in September.
Lymphatic drainage treatments, products, and tutorials have suddenly become ubiquitous. Just toss a gua sha in nearly any major U.S. city, and you’re likely to find a spa offering its unique version of a lymphatic massage or facial. The practice of lymphatic drainage, known for its de-bloating and circulation-boosting benefits, has existed in Brazilian, Danish, Indian, Chinese, and even ancient Egyptian cultures for generations; however, American consumers have recently begun to appreciate its advantages on a larger scale.
Introducing: The Tox, a chain of studios that presents its own streamlined approach to the practice, alongside a complete product line to assist clients in their at-home endeavors. Its (literally, legally) trademarked method — “The Tox Technique” — is described by the company as “a distinctive fusion of lymphatic drainage, body sculpting, and holistic detoxification.” And business is thriving.
Founder Courtney Yeager established The Tox in 2019 after facing challenges with her own health. Having worked in fitness and wellness for years, around 2012, “I just started feeling bad,” she reflects. “With two young kids, I was working 15- hour days nonstop, and my digestion has always been problematic. I was always seeing gastro doctors even as a child.” She began exploring the lymphatic and digestive systems, looking for nearby treatments in Los Angeles, where she resided at the time.
Through regular lymphatic and body sculpting treatments, she experienced tangible benefits but desired more from the services. “There were different aspects of the treatments I enjoyed, but no one was combining them all,” she tells Fashionista. “So we began to integrate all these varying modalities — from lymphatic massage to digestive treatments, to body contouring and body sculpting — crafting a cohesive technique.”
In April 2019, The Tox launched its first location in Los Angeles, serendipitously timed just before Coachella. The rest was left to the powerful algorithm: “I posted [news of our opening] on Instagram, and immediately we had every celebrity in our DMs wanting to visit,” Yeager shares. “It really took off organically, solely through social media…I believe the influencers and celebrities essentially built our brand for us.” To this day, Yeager notes, the company hasn’t engaged in paid social marketing. (The Tox’s before-and-after images — which the studios provide to every client — effectively communicate the results.) Yeager mentions Paris Hilton and Lily Collins as supporters, adding, “If you name a celebrity, they’ve likely visited.”
Yeager stresses that The Tox is not a spa. “I would compare it to the atmosphere of a nail salon regarding the noise level,” she states. (In contrast to individual rooms, most The Tox locations use curtains to section off treatment areas.) “We don’t view ourselves as a spa. We see ourselves as a studio. I wanted it to be a community space where clients feel embraced.”
With a black-and-white branding scheme and lively music, The Tox’s locations do share similarities with fitness studios in many respects. Its hallmark treatments also differ from those typically offered at most spas: The 60-minute “Master Tox,” for example, shapes and massages the body to “enhance metabolic rate, remove excess toxins, and aid with water retention,” according to brand information. There’s also an extended 90-minute version, a standalone sculpting facial, and a specialized pregnancy option for expectant clients between 13-37 weeks (with physician consent).
“The Tox technique is a blend — it’s not solely lymphatic. It includes body sculpting and digestive elements. Thus, you’re activating your lymph nodes while also stimulating your digestive tract with every single motion,” Yeager explains. The founder refrains from providing “specifics about the timing of the strokes” for the proprietary technique but notes that “It plays a vital role in the outcomes we achieve.”
Yeager welcomes competition as the awareness and desire for lymphatic drainage treatments increase. “In cities like New York and L.A., everyone is discussing it, but there’s still much education to be provided,” she comments. “I always say competition is beneficial, and it’s wonderful that there’s greater recognition of these treatment types.”
The founder believes The Tox distinguishes itself through its emphasis on education and a particular focus. “We aren’t merely a service on a service menu; this is our specialization,” Yeager states. “Our technicians aren’t performing one treatment each week at a spa. They are executing five to six treatments every day they work.”
