What to Expect at Your First Professional Massage
Most people arrive at a first massage with a fair idea of what they want and a vague worry about the etiquette. The worry is unnecessary. Here is the shape of a typical hour so that nothing on the day is a surprise.
Before you arrive
You will normally book by phone or message. The therapist will ask what you would like, how long, and whether there is anything they should know about: a recent injury, a bad back, pregnancy, skin conditions, medication. Answer honestly. A therapist who knows about your stiff shoulder will spend time on it; one who does not will avoid the area because they cannot tell what is safe.
Eat lightly rather than immediately beforehand, and arrive a few minutes early. There is no need to shower first unless you are coming from the gym, though it is polite to.
The consultation
Every professional treatment opens with a short conversation and usually a form: contact details, medical history, what you want from the session. It takes five minutes and it is not a formality. It is how the therapist decides what to do and what to avoid, and it is your chance to say what you want — firm or gentle, a particular area, somewhere you would rather not be touched.
The rate and the duration were agreed when you booked and should not change now. If they do, ask why before the session starts.
Undressing and draping
The therapist will leave the room while you undress to your underwear (or fully, if you prefer, for an oil massage) and lie on the couch under a towel or sheet. You will be covered throughout except for the area being worked on; this is called draping and every trained therapist does it. If you would rather stay partly clothed, say so. For Thai massage, shiatsu and Indian head massage you stay dressed.
Say if the room is cold or the couch uncomfortable. Both are easy to fix and neither is a complaint.
During the massage
A full body session usually starts face down with the back, then legs, then turns you over for the front of the legs, arms, shoulders, neck and sometimes the scalp and face. A thirty-minute back massage stays on the back, neck and shoulders.
The most useful thing you can do is talk about pressure. “That is perfect”, “a little firmer”, “too much there” — the therapist wants to hear it and will adjust immediately. Some discomfort in a tight spot is normal during deep tissue or sports work; sharp pain, holding your breath or bracing against the pressure is not, and means it should ease off.
Otherwise you do not need to do anything. Talk if you like, stay quiet if you prefer, and do not worry if you fall asleep. It happens all the time.
Afterwards
The therapist leaves the room for you to dress and usually offers water. Drink it. You may feel loose, slightly light-headed, very calm or, after deep work, a little tender for a day; all of that is normal. Avoid alcohol and hard exercise for the rest of the day if the session was deep.
A good therapist will tell you what they found and what they would suggest next: a different treatment, stretches, another session in a fortnight. Take the advice or leave it; there is no obligation to rebook.
If something is not right
You can stop a session at any point, for any reason, without explaining yourself. A professional would far rather hear it than have you lie there uncomfortable. If anything about the treatment was unprofessional — the premises, the conduct, the pressure ignored — leave and report the listing. We review every report within 24 hours.
Choosing before you book
If you have not decided on a treatment yet, our guide to choosing the right type of massage matches common complaints to the session that fits, and booking a massage safely covers the checks worth making first.