Wood therapy is a massage worked with shaped wooden tools rather than with the hands alone. I warm the skin first, then work a smooth wooden roller and curved, contoured pieces firmly along the thighs, hips, buttocks, abdomen and upper arms, in a repeated sequence that runs the same direction each time. A wood therapy massage is one of the treatments people search for most before they find the studio, so here is a plain account of what it actually is.
What it does, and what it doesn't
The work is meant to stimulate circulation in the area and to work on the texture and appearance of the skin, done regularly rather than once. I want to be straight about the limits: it is not a way to lose centimetres, and I will not promise a change in measurements, in fat, or in cellulite, or a result by a date. What I can tell you is what a session involves and how the clients who get the most from it tend to use it.
My training for this is an ABT-accredited certificate in Body Sculpture Massage and Wood Therapy (Associated Beauty Therapists), completed in London in 2026, covering the sculpting-massage sequence, the safe use of the wooden tools, bamboo, silicone cups and a roller, and the contraindications that decide when the work is not appropriate.
What a session feels like
The pressure is firm — most people find it strong but comfortable, somewhere between a sports and a deep-tissue massage — and you can ask me to ease off at any point. Because the tools are worked hard along the skin, some temporary redness in the treated areas afterwards is normal and settles on its own.
Before we start I go through a short health questionnaire, so I know about circulation problems, recent surgery, pregnancy, skin conditions or anything else that changes how I work or means we should not go ahead that day. After that you are on the table for the hour, in a quiet room, one-to-one with me. I speak Portuguese and English.
Wood therapy or body sculpting massage?
The two treatments cost the same and share the same aim. Wood therapy uses the wooden tools; body sculpting massage is the same firm, contouring sequence worked mostly by hand, and gentler on sensitive skin. If you have never had this kind of firm work before, that page sets out how to choose between them — most people start with the hands-only version and add the wooden tools later.
A routine, not a one-off
A single session is a firm, thorough massage, but the people who are glad they booked treat it as a routine — a regular slot over a stretch of weeks or months, alongside their own exercise and habits. The studio's new-client introductory packages bring the per-session price down for that; ask me about them when you book, as they are introductory pricing rather than a standing rate.
Wood therapy is also built into the 90-minute Signature Body Treatment as one section of a longer appointment, for people who want to come in less often but stay longer.
Price & booking
A single wood therapy session is £65 for 60 minutes. You can see how it sits next to everything else on the full treatment menu, and book a time on the bookings page. To arrange a session, message me on WhatsApp on 07889 809678 and tell me which day suits you.
- 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