Endermologie vs lymphatic drainage vs wood therapy
Endermologie is a machine treatment: suction lifts the skin and motorized rollers move it. Manual lymphatic drainage is a light massage done by hand. Wood therapy uses wooden rollers and cups. Only Endermologie carries an FDA clearance about cellulite, dated January 2000. Karisma Esthetics offers Endermologie at $150 a session and wood therapy, but not manual lymphatic drainage.
Published · Written by Kay Woodson · Results vary.How do the three methods compare?
Three treatments that often get lumped together online. They differ in the tool, the touch and the paperwork behind them.
| Endermologie | Manual lymphatic drainage | Wood therapy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool | An LPG device with a motorized head | The therapist's hands | Hand-held wooden rollers, cups and paddles |
| How it works | Suction draws in a fold of skin, two rollers move it along | Light, rhythmic strokes that guide fluid toward the lymph nodes | The provider rolls and presses the wooden tools over the body |
| Main reason it exists | Cosmetic: the look of cellulite and body contour | Medical: mostly lymphedema, such as after breast cancer surgery | Cosmetic, sold for shaping and cellulite |
| FDA record | 510(k) K990445, January 18, 2000 | A hands-on technique, no device to clear | No 510(k) found for maderotherapy tools (FDA database search, October 29, 2026) |
| Published studies on cellulite | A few small studies with mixed results | Cleveland Clinic does not list cellulite among its uses | None found on PubMed (search run October 29, 2026) |
| At Karisma | Yes. $160 first visit, $150 after | Not offered | Yes, see the wood therapy page |
Sources for each row are listed at the bottom of this page.
Endermologie: a machine, a body suit and a narrow claim
LPG, a French company, built its first devices to make a hand technique called skin fold rolling more consistent. Its 510(k) file with the FDA explains the idea: vacuum lifts the skin into a fold, and two motorized rollers mobilize it. The Cellu M6 is one of the models named in that January 2000 clearance.
The cellulite wording the FDA accepted is short and careful: the device "temporarily reduces the appearance of cellulite." The same file also lists relief of minor muscle aches and a temporary improvement in local circulation. It says nothing about lymphedema, fat loss or detox, and neither does Karisma.
You wear Endermowear, LPG's white body suit, for every body session. At Karisma the suit is $45 and a body session is booked as 60 minutes. LPG's own FAQ describes a starting phase of 2 sessions a week for a month, then one session a month.
Manual lymphatic drainage: light hands, a medical history
Cleveland Clinic describes manual lymphatic drainage as a gentle massage that uses light pressure to move excess fluid toward the lymph nodes. A session usually starts near the nodes in the neck and armpits. Its main medical use is lymphedema, the swelling that can follow breast cancer surgery, and it is also used for lipedema and some other conditions.
It is not for everyone. Cleveland Clinic lists blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, cellulitis or another infection, fever, heart disease, kidney failure and a history of stroke as reasons to avoid it. After liposuction, a tummy tuck or a BBL, book drainage only with your surgeon's clearance.
In Florida, massage of the body falls under the Board of Massage Therapy. The state licensing FAQ says a facial specialist, a registration that takes at least 220 hours of training under section 477.0201 of the Florida Statutes, may massage the head, face, scalp and neck, and that other massage needs a massage therapy license. Ask any drainage provider for that license number. Karisma does not offer manual lymphatic drainage.
Wood therapy: popular online, thin on evidence
Wood therapy, also sold as maderoterapia or maderotherapy, uses shaped wooden tools instead of hands or a machine. It is popular on Instagram and TikTok, where before and after videos travel fast.
The research has not caught up. A PubMed search for maderotherapy and for maderoterapia, run on October 29, 2026, returned zero studies. That does not prove it does nothing. It means no one has published a trial you can read, so any promise about fat or cellulite rests on the provider's word.
Is Endermologie a kind of lymphatic drainage?
No. Both are sometimes sold with talk of moving fluid, but one is a device and the other is a hand technique with a medical purpose. If you have diagnosed lymphedema, your physician and a lymphedema-trained therapist come first, not a cosmetic device.
Which one feels gentler?
Drainage is built around light pressure. With Endermologie, LPG says the settings are adjusted to each person's skin sensitivity. Tell your provider during the session if anything feels like too much.
Which one fits what you want?
- Smoother-looking thighs, hips or buttocks for a season: Endermologie is the option of the three with an FDA-cleared cellulite claim. Results are temporary and vary. See LPG Endermologie in Melbourne, FL.
- Swelling after surgery: ask your surgeon what they want and when. Drainage by a licensed therapist is the usual request. Any body treatment waits for their clearance.
- Painful, swollen legs or fat that sits the same on both sides: see a physician first. Read lipedema vs cellulite before booking anything cosmetic.
- Curious about wood therapy: ask the provider which study supports the result they promise, and what training they hold.
Questions people ask about these three
Is Endermologie better than lymphatic drainage?
They are not built for the same job, so one is not better across the board. Drainage is a gentle hand massage with medical uses such as lymphedema. Endermologie is a cosmetic device session aimed at how cellulite looks.
Does wood therapy break down fat?
We could not find a published study showing that it does. A PubMed search on October 29, 2026 returned no trials of maderotherapy.
Does Karisma offer lymphatic drainage or wood therapy?
Wood therapy, yes: see the wood therapy page. Manual lymphatic drainage, no. Karisma also offers LPG Endermologie for the body, $160 for the first visit with the consultation and $150 per session after. Kay would like to add a machine-based lymphatic massage one day, but it is not offered today. She will tell you if another provider suits your goal better.
How many Endermologie sessions would I need?
There is no fixed number. LPG's FAQ describes 2 sessions a week for the first month, then monthly. The cost and sessions guide shows what a series adds up to.
- FDA 510(k) summary and indications for use, K990445, LPG Therapeutic Massager/Vibrator, decision January 18, 2000, checked October 29, 2026
- Lymphatic Drainage Massage, Cleveland Clinic, updated September 19, 2024, checked October 29, 2026
- LPG frequently asked questions, checked October 29, 2026
- Section 477.0201, Florida Statutes, specialty registration, 2025 statutes, read October 29, 2026
- Cosmetology FAQ, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, checked October 29, 2026
- openFDA 510(k) database search: maderotherapy, maderoterapia, wood, no wood therapy device found, October 29, 2026
- PubMed search: maderotherapy, 0 results on October 29, 2026
- Karisma Esthetics booking page, GlossGenius