Massage treatment is a logical control of the body’s soft tissues, including manual involved procedures. For example, applying fixed or portable pressing factors, holding, and moving muscles and body tissues.
This procedure needs some sensitive techniques. Among the entire do’s and don’ts,’ one crucial question is “what to wear to a massage?”
In this article, we will talk about all the ins and outs of this question. Before going to that, let’s first know how a massage works.
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How Does Massage Work?
Massage works through the response of the involuntary nervous system, causing physiological changes. There are two types of response which are achieving relaxation response and mechanical response.
Massage builds the bloodstream to focus on muscles, accelerating the conveyance of the supplements that they need to work appropriately while discarding metabolic waste that can cause agony and defer recuperation.
General Advice on What to Wear to a Massage?
There are many tips to wear a dress before going for a massage. Here are some simple tips that will help you to get the best out of your massage session.
1) Try to wear as little as possible:
It is always better to wear as little clothing as possible before going for a massage session. If you are wearing too much or if your clothes are too tight, it can make your massage session more uncomfortable for both of you and the therapist.
Most of the masseuses or therapists advise their customers to wear as little clothing as possible.
2) Wearing underwear to a Massage:
It is always good to wear underwear to a massage session. Apparel that provides maximum comfort is best for this purpose. Also, choose clothing that is not too tight. Wearing underwear to a massage session can help in protecting your privacy, if you are wearing too much clothing, it can hamper the massage session to some extent.
It is always good to wear undergarments that are comfortable and also fit well. But wearing underwear is not mandatory. It only brings you more comfort and safety.
3) Wear loose clothing:
It is always better if you wear loose clothing that doesn’t press against your skin. The more the pressure on the body, the more difficult it will be for the therapist to give you the massage.
Wearing loose clothing also helps in making your session more comfortable, you can even wear layers of clothing if you require them. It is always better to consult with the therapist before coming for a massage session so that you get maximum comfort.
4) Remove Accessories:
It is always better if you remove all the accessories before you come for a massage session. Some of these accessories might obstruct the therapist’s way and can even be a hindrance to the massage process.
Remove all your jewelry before going for a massage session as it can cause discomfort and might even damage the tissues.
So, remove your rings and other accessories that can press into your skin or cause discomfort during a massage.
Wearing Advice For Specific Massage Type
Therapist’s Clothing
The wearing apparel of both the massage therapist and the receiver is vital as they both need to relax and focus during the session.
The therapist needs to have the flexibility to provide the massage. Clothing with non-flexible gestures can reduce work performance.
They are asked to wear professional clothes, which are comfortable to wear and provides the client with a soothing motion.
Some types of massage also need the therapist to be barefoot. Any kind of jewelry is discouraged, as it can end up hurting the client. Also, it can depend on the client’s requirements.
What to Wear to a Massage (Men & Women)
The wearing apparel of a therapist doesn’t depend on the gender of the client; it mostly depends on the client’s nature.
Some types of massage need the therapist to have specific body parts bare. If the client is comfortable, the therapist can wear anything professional.
Sometimes the therapist uses a bare hand or foot to rub massage oils to stimulate a specific trigger point, and sometimes, they can even wear gloves to avoid any direct physical contact.
Client’s Clothing
The clothes that a client should wear to a massage mainly depend on the type of massage. Specific types of massage need specific exposed areas and specific body gestures.
We will be discussing this category-wise in the following sections.
What Do You Wear for a Full-Body Massage?
The therapists are always careful about securing your modesty. They’ll not ask to take off any clothing that is not comfortable for you. In most cases, to keep your pants on or to remove all your clothing is your choice to make.
It would be best if you remembered that even in cases of full body massage, the delicate parts are avoided. So if any client wants to go without large pieces of clothing, they can still be wearing underwear.
How much body part is shown depends on the comfort zone of the client. There are different types of robes to wear on the massage table to protect clients’ comfort zone.
What to Wear to a SPA Massage
The dress code varies depending on the place of the spa. But most of the spas try to give their clients as comfortable options as possible.
Always try to have some standard clothes depending on your choice of spa. You can be wearing your gym cloth or carrying them with you after your massage is done.
During the massage, the clients are provided a robe. If you’re not comfortable wearing them, you can carry your own robe. A robe with comfortable material can enhance your spa experience.
In case of the foot wearing, the spa allows anything comfortable for the client. In this race, slippers and flip-flops have been winning for a long time. Sometimes, the spa provides complimentary footwear too.
What to Wear to Registered Massage Therapy
RMT (Registered Massage Therapy) is mainly performed by licensed massage therapists. These therapies are done to relax and cure acute and chronic conditions by providing deep tissue massage.
An RMT center is highly professional; people working here need to attend a 2-3 years recognized program. So, any client who is visiting the place will be trying to wear clothes in a more formal way in which people feel comfortable.
The wearing of the place will depend on the specific massage point. If the message is targeted to the upper body only, the client can wear any pants that keep the proper blood flow, and the upper body clothing should be loose and accessible.
Sometimes, if the targeted zone requires a full body massage, the client can go for a full robe. But it has to be made sure that the body’s blood flow is not disturbed in any condition due to clothing. If the restriction of blood flow is needed, the therapist will have access to the necessary equipment.
What to Wear to a Swedish Massage
Swedish massage can also be counted as therapeutic massage. It involves point massage & different types of kneading strokes to release tension. It also helps to relax muscle increasing flexibility. It can be recommended as a sports massage too.
In Swedish massage, it’s entirely ok to be naked. Once again, if someone is not comfortable, they can go for undergarments. If that is also not, they can go for light accessible clothing.
What to wear to a back massage?
For a back massage, you need to wear something that’s comfortable and easy to take off. You can wear a dress, shirt, or anything that is easy to take off and put back on.
The choice of clothing is yours, depending on what you find most comfortable. But it is good if you choose clothing that gives easy access to the body.
First massage what to wear?
The first time you go for a massage, it is always better to ask the therapist what kind of clothing they require you to wear. It will give you a better idea and also help the therapist enjoy his/her job.
You can always wear layers of clothing for your first massage session, which can help if you are not comfortable with it.
Try wearing light clothing like shorts and a t-shirt, this will give maximum comfort to your therapist as well as you.
What to wear to a prenatal massage?
During pregnancy, you might not be comfortable in too many clothes, so wear something that is loose and comfortable.
Wear yoga pants or maternity jeans, this is comfortable for you and also gives your therapist easy access to the body. But in some cases, depending on massages that are required, it is good to wear something that is easy to take off.
Before coming for a massage session, always make sure you know what’s needed. Also, knowing your body and what makes you feel comfortable is very important, so try different things before coming for a massage session.
What Should Not Do Before Massaging?
There are several things that you should not do before a massage:
- Don’t be unhygienic.
- Don’t hide any injury.
- Don’t drink alcohol or smoke any weed or anything that disrupts the nervous system.
- Don’t walk in a massage center without proper research.
- Don’t wear anything that can harm you or the therapist during the massage.
- Don’t be late for the appointment.
How to get a massage therapist to touch you?
For some people, asking for a massage can be embarrassing. But if you are uncomfortable with it, you can try and relax yourself first. Clear your mind and think about things that you like or something that makes you happy.
Relaxing will help you get the best possible massage.
If you are not comfortable asking for things during the massage, you can try different kinds of sensory tools to attract your attention. These include blindfolds, music, etc.
If you are a beginner and nervous about asking for a massage, you can try different kinds of eye masks or earplugs. These will help you relax and you can request the therapist to give specific massage techniques so that you get the most out of your massage session.
Massage is all about the pleasure of touching and being touched, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you wear a bra in a massage?
During a massage session, it’s not advised to be fully clothed or to remove your clothing altogether. But what is focused on is relaxation.
In most cases, a bra is rigid and hampers the blood flow. If it’s possible to wear a comfortable bra with no cords, then one can wear it.
In Conclusion
Sometimes people are embarrassed about their clothing in a massage session. “What to wear to a massage?” feels like a tough question. But if you hold on to the article, you can have your answer.
The primary goal is to be comfortable and feel relaxed. Now you can choose what you’re wearing for a massage easily.
