Brazilian born beauty and massage therapist, Cleuza, owner of Lirio Therapy, has lived in the UK for more than 16 years and has more than a decade’s worth of experience in the industry.
“I trained in Brazil before coming to the UK as British citizen,” says Cleuza.
“I started massage therapy when I finished studying shiatsu massage in Brazil. I decided to do a massage course in the UK, followed by training in beauty therapy.”
“Because it is cold here and it can be a bit depressing for many people, I wanted to find a way to help cheer them up,” says Cleuza.
“I started giving massages to friends, and they told me that I was very good at it. I enjoyed doing it because it made people a lot happier and I could see how many people in the UK needed massage for back pain, joint pain and help to deal with negativity around them) etc.”
Such is her passion for massage and other beauty therapy treatments, such as laser lipo, cavitation and laser hair removal that Cleuza’s clients praise and gratitude for her work speaks for itself.
One of her many happy clients is a doctor, Jane, from southeast London. “I had body contouring treatment with machine tensing, and toning the muscles with ultrasonic cavitation,” she says.
“After 10 sessions the results were visible and I have gone down two dress sizes since! It smoothed my ‘love handles’ and reduced the appearance of cellulite [on my body], which was quite a welcome result as I was going to Bali on holiday,” she adds. That’s the benefit of a good massage, something Cleuza prides herself on giving time and time again.
“People pay for the massage and if you don’t do it properly and waste their money, it doesn’t give them relief,” she says. “I want people to feel better, so I make people feel relaxed and give them a strong massage, especially finance people, doctors, bodybuilders, bankers etc because they are often very stressed.
“I’ve worked with two professional footballers, an actress at the Shakespeare Theatre, who I’ve helped many times. I do sports massage, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage and hot stone massage. Deep tissue massage is good for stiff necks, back pain and is good for bodybuilders and those who work on computers.
“Swedish massage is great for those who just need a massage because it is soft. Hot stone massage gives very deep relaxation and is good for back pain and circulation, as well as stress relief,” adds Cleuza. Massage therapy and hands massaging One of her success stories comes from Sonia, from London.
“I have experiencied stress a long time ago, and the only thing that did help me a that time was massage. For this reason, I know how important the professional’s ability in a understanding what is going on with you and your body, and how to tackle the main points of stress.
“I highly recommend Ms Santos’ skills in massage. She has already reached an incredible level and is an enthusiastic professional who is interested in taking more courses to broaden her natural skills and strong intuition. Laser lipo Laser Lipo, also known as Strawberry lipo has become increasingly popular in recent years, as people look for alternative procedures to losing weight that do not require therapy. This is a treatment that Cleuza has also been providing at Lirio Therapy since 2011.
“I started doing cavitation and radio frequency together. Some clients come as much as twice a week for this. Some clients can drop two dress sizes in six weeks. I have to stay on top of what is going on in the beauty industry and have to do improvements, as there are new treatments coming out all the time. Laser lipo is popular because it helps break down the fat and helps people feel much better about themselves.
“I am planning to have another 10 sessions this year before my next beach holiday,” adds Jane. “It’s just a top up as the effect of treatment lasts for a long time.” Cleuza’s aim to help as many people as possible means that she keeps her prices affordable for all budgets.
“I made enquiries about similar treatment in a few Central London clinics – as I work in London it would have been more convenient,” says Jane. “But the prices [in Central London] were unaffordable, whilst Cleuza charges a reasonable amount.”
Lirio Therapy is a one-stop shop for so many massage and beauty treatments already, but Cleuza is also looking for new ways to meet the needs of her clients. “Laser hair removal will be my next level of learning,” she says, always looking for the next big thing.