What Do I Wear to my First Massage? - Massage FAQs
So glad you asked! Here is the very short answer: As long as you are covered by the sheet when we return to the room, the details are a matter of your comfort.
If you come to our shop, you will likely hear this: When I leave the room you will disrobe to your level of comfort.Everything from completely clothed to completely nude is normal, and anywhere in between is fine. You will be draped modestly during the entire massage. That means you will be covered with a sheet and blanket during the massage, and we will only uncover the portion of the body we are working on. If you would like to SEE how we keep you covered at Solaris Massage, watch this helpful Massage Draping time lapse video below:
Some folks snicker when I say that "completely clothed" is normal. One of my favorite clients of all time heard the above speech on his first visit. When I returned after giving him time to get ready, I found that he had removed only his shoes and lay there in his button up flannel shirt. This was his level of comfort. I did a different sort of massage through clothing, but we were both comfortable.
The important thing to remember is that no matter what you are comfortable with, draping will be used. I can't speak for all states, but in Missouri, draping is mandatory. Massage is about warming the muscles, so in addition to modesty, the sheets and blankets we use help preserve the heat in your tissues. So using a drape is for your modesty, helps provide therapeutic warmth, and is required by law.
So even if YOU are comfortable WITHOUT a drape, we can’t work on you without it. I have run across a few clients who claim that it is “very American” to be so concerned with privacy and modesty. Well yes, that's where we are.
When we say "you will be draped modestly" what do we mean? Well, we use a sheet and a blanket or a towel to cover your body, and generally, uncover only the part of the body we are working on. This means that when we work on your arms, the sheet will be just below the collar bone. For the front and back of the legs, we uncover the leg up to about where a swimsuit would hit. For the back, we pull the drape back to the level of the waistline. If we wouldn't see it on an American family beach, we don't see it in the massage room.
Some people feel more comfortable wearing a tank top or sports bra during their session. About half of our clients wear their underpants during the massage, the other half don’t. Some of the work we do might be a bit less fluid, (if we are working around a tank top or bra) but your comfort is more important than our convenience. Underneath the sheet, whether you leave your underwear on (or not) is up to you. However, there are some reasons you might want to leave them on.
If you are having IT (iliotibial) band issues, your hamstrings are tight, and/or you are hoping your massage therapist will do lots of assisted stretches, leaving your drawers on makes it easier for the therapist to move your leg around without an uncomfortable breeze.
If you prefer that your massage therapist work on your glutes through fabric, that’s a-okay. We can do great work through fabric OR avoid any area that you'd rather not have us work on. Just say so.
If you have chilly feet you might leave your socks on during the massage. If you have long hair, putting it in a ponytail or bun on top of your head is helpful. If you don't want us to touch your head, please let us know. Some folks don't want to have to fix their wig, and we understand. A satin bonnet or bandanna can help keep things in place if this is a concern.
So that's it, in a nutshell. If we've missed anything, just ask! Send questions to:
