Can i do wood therapy on myself

What is all the Hype About Wood Therapy Body Contouring?

Back in June 2019, I wrote a blog on my experience with wood therapy body contouring and I STILL get questions almost every day about it! I find that wood therapy isn’t super “mainstream” so there’s still a lot of mysteries about what wood therapy is, how it works and whether or not it’s effective.

So, I thought it a good idea to answer the top 10 questions that I get asked about wood therapy body contouring for you guys! Please keep in mind, I’m no expert, so if you’re thinking about starting wood therapy for yourself, it’s best to ask the professionals first!

1. What is wood therapy?

In short, wood therapy uses a number of different wooden massage-like tools to help break down fat and cellulite. The wooden instruments are used to apply direct pressure to “problem areas” and essentially naturally eliminate excess body fat. The wood therapy we know today is actually based on an ancient Oriental wood manipulation that dates back hundreds of years!

2. Are Wood Therapy and Body Contouring the same thing?

Not really. They are technically two different types of treatments but have basically the same goals. Wood therapy helps to break down your body fat while body contouring helps to tighten your skin and improve elasticity. There is a wide variety of different body contouring therapies, some more surgical in nature than others, but that’s a whole different blog post, my friends!

3. Does Wood Therapy Work

This is a tough one because everyone’s body responds differently to certain therapies. There are also other factors like age, weight, and frequency of treatment to consider as well. But for me, I found it both super relaxing and helpful! I would typically go once a week after working out with my trainer because I found it really helped with loosening my tight muscles and helping to naturally rid my body of toxins.

You can also check out my other blog post to learn more about My Experience with Wood Therapy Body Contouring!

4. What are the Benefits of Wood Therapy?

There are a large number of benefits to getting wood therapy, which is why I made it a regular part of my workout and self-care routine. In addition to being super relaxing and stress-relieving, wood therapy can help with:

Loosening tight muscles
Breaking down cellulite and burning fat
Naturally eliminating toxins in your body
Speeding up your metabolism
Stimulating blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
and more!

5. Is Wood Therapy Safe?

Since wood therapy is a 100 percent natural, non-invasive holistic massage treatment, it is generally considered safe. However, as I mentioned you should always consult with your doctor or massage therapist prior to beginning any new treatments just to be absolutely sure that this type of treatment is right for you!

6. What Does Wood Therapy Feel Like?

I used to laugh because I would think about it kind of feeling like Chase running his toy trucks on my body only a little more relaxing and with nice smelling candles and spa music! I experienced a bit of discomfort during my first few sessions because it was a new feeling for my body and also you have to work with your massage therapist to figure out the appropriate amount of pressure to apply (kind of like a regular massage too).

But after a while, I really just felt so relaxed both during and after my sessions. This natural way of implementing repetitive movements with the wooden tools to manipulate the stubborn areas of fat is surprisingly satisfying.

One of the strangest experiences was the feeling of the Vacuum Swiss Cup that they use to suction fat from areas of your body and transfer it to the lymph nodes, helping you to tone, and reduce cellulite. It feels kind of like someone is trying to give you a giant hickey!

7. Does Wood Therapy Hurt?

I’m not gonna lie, when I first saw some of the wooden instruments they use, I thought they looked like something straight out of Christian Grey’s playroom haha! But after feeling them on my body, I promise they’re not that bad!

As for the massage itself, the first few sessions that I had were a bit uncomfortable because I had more cellulite around the back of my legs and bum which required a lot of pressure to work out. But after going for a few weeks, I noticed that it became more relaxing and enjoyable and definitely felt more like your average spa massage.

8. How long does it take to see Results?

This is another tricky one because it all depends on how often you’re willing to go. But typically, you’re able to see a small difference right after your first treatment. But most people really start to see the effects between their third and fifth treatments.

9. How Long Do Results Last?

Wood therapy is most effective as an ongoing treatment, similar to how regular massage therapy works. The more consistent you are with it, the more noticeable and longer-lasting the effects will be. However, the results that you experience will usually stick around for about three months after your last session which is great. So don’t worry if you miss a session or two, your progress won’t be lost!

10. Can You do Wood Therapy At Home?

Theoretically, yes you can do a wood therapy massage at home. You can even buy a number of different wood therapy instruments on Amazon. However, since at-home sessions aren’t being performed by a registered massage therapist, you likely won’t get the full benefits of a professional wood therapy session. Just like there’s a HUGE difference between the massages you might get from your spouse or partner and the ones you get at a spa. While they’re great for relieving some stress and can be pretty romantic, they’re not likely to provide you with long-term relief.

Have You Experienced Wood Therapy Body Contouring?

If you’ve had some wood therapy body contouring sessions, I’d love to hear about your experience! Feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me on social media!

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Purported benefit

Since wood therapy is a massage technique, it may be safe to assume that you will experience the benefits of a massage, such as relaxation and alleviation of tight muscles.

It may even reduce the appearance of cellulite. When done correctly, massage therapy can support lymphatic drainage, which may reduce cellulite’s appearance, at least temporarily.

Massage can also help stretch and elongate skin tissue, which may also make the skin appear smoother.

There is, however, no evidence that you can maintain these benefits long term or that utilizing wooden tools enhances them.

Wood therapy doesn’t typically combine agents, such as creams containing retinoids or caffeine, with massage. These topical agents might provide better results than wood therapy or massage alone.

Other topical preparations may also help prolong benefits when you combine them with massage. These include herbal preparations that contain ingredients, such as turmeric, black pepper, and ginger.

These ingredients reduce inflammation and promote lipolysis, a process that breaks apart fats in the body.

Is it effective?

Researchers haven’t scientifically proven wood therapy to be effective for the treatment of cellulite.

However, massage may have benefits for cellulite reduction. Since wood therapy is a type of massage, it may also be beneficial for reducing the look of cellulite, at least temporarily.

What to expect

If you wish to try wood therapy, make sure you use an experienced practitioner.

People have reported that the wooden tools can be painful, especially if the massage therapist is inexperienced.

For this reason, it may make sense to avoid having wood therapy done on your face or very sensitive areas of the body.

The practitioner will use a variety of wooden instruments. Some of these look like highly textured or grooved rolling pins. Others have a contoured shape or look like bells.

A practitioner will use the bells as suction devices.

To achieve any benefit, you may be required to have treatments done several times a week over 3 to 4 months. Some practitioners indicate that at least 10 to 12 sessions will be required before you can see any results.

Often these sessions will combine multiple sculpting techniques and may last 1 hour or longer, depending on your tolerance level.

Prices will vary considerably by geographic location. Typically, you can expect to spend at least $150 per session. You can also purchase wood therapy kits to try out at home.

Buy a wood therapy kit online here.

Other ways to reduce cellulite

Cellulite can be stubborn, but there are proven methods you may wish to try to remove it. They include:

Coffee scrubs or creams containing caffeine. Topical treatments alone will not affect the look of cellulite since the ingredients they use need to penetrate the skin deeply. Coffee scrubs or creams containing caffeine, when you combine them with massage, may reduce the look of cellulite temporarily. They do this by stimulating lipolysis, increasing circulation, and reducing the water content of the skin.
Topical creams containing retinol. Retinol with massage may reduce cellulite by increasing collagen production and by thickening the outer layers of skin.
Radiofrequency. The radiofrequency technique delivers thermal energy to the subcutaneous layer of the skin via topical electrodes. It increases tissue temperature, triggering lipolysis, and stimulating collagen production.
Acoustic wave therapy. This noninvasive treatment utilizes pressure waves to break up the fibrous bands of connective tissue that pull down the skin and cause cellulite to form.
Laser treatment. There are several types of laser treatments for cellulite. Laser treatments are noninvasive or minimally invasive. They use targeted laser energy to break up fibrous bands under the skin. Some also thicken skin. Skin that has cellulite tends to get thinner, so this treatment may be beneficial.
Subcision. This procedure exists under the brand name Cellfina. It is a medical procedure by a board-certified dermatologist who inserts a needle under the skin to break up fibrous skin tissue bands.
Vacuum-assisted precise tissue release. A board-certified dermatologist also carries out this technique. They will use a device that contains small blades and cuts fibrous bands of tissue under the skin.

The bottom line

Wood therapy is a massage technique that uses variously shaped wooden tools.

Practitioners of wood therapy claim that it has a multitude of benefits, including the reduction of cellulite. Research hasn’t tested or proven this claim, however.

Since it’s a type of massage, wood therapy may have benefits such as relaxation. It may also help support lymphatic drainage, reducing the look of cellulite.