That’s what she said. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’m a huge fan of the TV show The Office.
Undress to the level of your comfort is what your massage therapist should be telling you as they leave the room to give you privacy. This is an important topic for me because I want people to know that they do have a right to keep whatever clothes on that they want during a massage.
When I get massages, I tend to leave my underwear on, until I am comfortable with the therapist. That is my choice. As a massage therapist, I know that this presents some challenges for the person massaging me, but it’s nothing they cannot handle. As the client, I have to be ok with getting lotion or oils on my underwear.
I have gotten massages in public areas and I certainly didn’t undress. I will say that in those cases, the therapist does have to adopt to you having clothes on and will use compressions much more than normal. The massage is satisfying nonetheless.
It is ok for you to ask the therapist what articles of clothing you should remove. We will tell you what makes sense to us. But, if you are not comfortable, it is ok not to take the massage therapist’s suggestion. Remember, it is only a suggestion.
During a massage, we want you to be as comfortable as possible. Massage doesn’t work well if you are stiff because you are feeling exposed. We need the muscles to be pliable so we can work with them.
I have clients that have seen me for years and still keep certain articles of clothing on. I also have first time clients that remove everything the very first session. Which one are you?