Areas to Avoid: Customizing Your Massage to Your Needs
One of the keys to a great massage is great communication with your massage therapist. Massage therapists have their own strengths and types of massage they specialize in, but creating a great client experience is always at the forefront. While clients often come in requesting a certain type of massage or have a specific spot they would like to focus on, knowing what the client doesn’t want is just as important.
If you’ve visited us for a massage recently, you may have noticed a new section on our intake form for areas to avoid. While we obviously do not touch private areas, there are many reasons why clients may have a specific area they want us to avoid during the massage.
General discomfort with certain areas
Everyone reacts to touch differently, and some parts of the body are sensitive for certain people. A common area that some people avoid are feet. For some, having their feet touched is ticklish and causes them to squirm. Others simply dislike their feet being touched. Another area that some prefer to not have touched is the scalp. For some, the scalp is sensitive, while others might be wearing a wig and prefer not to remove it. Whatever the reason, we are happy to skip any area you would like us to avoid.
Skin conditions or painful areas of the body
Other areas to avoid may stem from injury or ongoing conditions. This could be anything from an acute injury to a bruise or cut that is healing. By increasing circulation and bringing blood flow to the area, massage can help some injuries heal quicker. However, if the area is painful or someone touching it makes you uncomfortable, you can request your massage therapist skip that area. Sometimes skin issues, such as psoriasis or a fresh sunburn, may need to be avoided as well.
Practical needs for the rest of your day
Life is busy, and sometimes you fit in a massage between several other things on the calendar. This can mean that there is no time to wash your hair or reapply makeup. In those cases, it may make sense to skip any facial massage or keep oil out of the hair by skipping the scalp massage. These could be a one-time request based on your schedule that particular day or could be applied to every appointment.
Our new section on the intake form is just one more way we make it easy to communicate with your massage therapist, and you can always talk with your therapist about any areas to avoid at each individual appointment. You don’t have to justify or explain the request either — simply tell us what areas to avoid, and we will honor that request. Remember, great communication with your massage therapist leads to a better massage, so let us know if there’s anything we can do to customize the experience.
