A curved spatula, a grooved roller, a row of cubes, a Swedish cut... This paraphernalia of wooden tools looks just like kitchen utensils.
In reality, these massage accessories are used to practice maderotherapy, a body treatment that is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in aesthetic institutes.
Celebrities are fans of it, too, like Gwyneth Paltrow, who recently shared a photo of her own kit of wooden objects to try out this method at home.
“I just ordered this set from Amazon.
I am very fond of maderotherapy since I went to Costa Rica.
Apparently it's good for cellulite,” the actress wrote in commentary to a photo posted as a “story” on her Instagram account on June 23, as reported by the
Daily Mail
.
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A draining and toning massage
As Gwyneth Paltrow points out, this technique originating from South America is mainly used by those who wish to eliminate their cellulite and "smooth" their skin.
“Maderotherapy boosts blood and lymphatic circulation in order to unclog lymphatic tissue and target fat cells,” explains Sarah-Line Attlan, founder of the Lymféa studio in Paris.
This is why this relaxing massage is so often acclaimed by those who suffer from water retention or the feeling of heavy legs.
The treatment is often associated with the application of a draining or toning oil beforehand in order to intensify its benefits.
“Unlike rolling palpation, we are not going to relax the skin, on the contrary, we are going to firm it up and sculpt it.
We work on its texture by targeting aqueous cellulite as well as orange peel skin or cellulite,” continues the expert.
She specifies that "each tool is used on specific areas and has a different function: some that of draining, others of toning or breaking up the fat deposits".
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In order to obtain optimal results, maderotherapy is carried out in the form of a cure of at least seven 50-minute sessions, at the rate of one massage per week, working one or more areas (stomach, legs and buttocks, arms).
From the first session, the legs deflate and the feeling of heavy legs is reduced.
After four to five appointments, the skin is smoother and toned.
To maintain the effects, it is advisable to resume the cure six months later.
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A moment of relaxation
If the accessories used during the treatment can be scary at first sight, "maderotherapy is absolutely not painful and does not leave bruises on the skin when it is well practiced", assures Sarah-Line Attlan, who insists on the that it must be a moment of relaxation and that the beautician "must not touch the bony part".
It is ideal for example after a sports session, to relax the muscles after exercise.
Finally, if there are no particular contraindications for carrying out this treatment (apart from those with blood circulation problems), expectant mothers must avoid the belly area from the third month of pregnancy.