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Bodywork Blog

How Much Should I Disrobe for My Massage?

11/1/2015

5 Comments

 
Many clients, even those that have been getting massage for years, are unsure exactly how much they should disrobe for their massage.  As with so many things, the answer is that it depends.  The most important thing is for you to be comfortable and able to relax.  It’s also important to remember that no matter you how much you disrobe, during a professional massage, you’ll always be draped with a sheet or towel so only the area being worked on is uncovered.  You can also request that certain areas are avoided during massage.
Many therapists are trained that the amount of clothing you take off defines your comfort zone, and I tend to follow this rule of thumb.  If you leave your underwear on, I take it as a sign that you prefer to have your gluteal area worked through the sheet.  I rarely move or adjust underwear to access the gluteal muscles.
 
My clients are about a 50/50 mix of those that fully disrobe and those that leave their underwear on.  I don’t have many clients that wear anything more than their underwear or are fully clothed.  From a therapist’s perspective, it often doesn’t matter. 
 
The other factor to consider is the type of massage you’ll be receiving and the purpose for it.    If you’re having a full-body relaxing massage without a lot of specific areas with tense muscles, then leaving your underwear on won’t interfere with the effectiveness of the massage.  In this situation, your gluteal muscles can be effectively massaged through a sheet.  But if you have low back and hip or upper leg issues, removing your underwear provides me a wider range of techniques to loosen and release tight gluteal muscles, which are often a factor in low back pain.
 
A few other pieces of information:
Ladies, it’s best if you remove your bra, even if you choose to leave your panties on.  Occasionally, massage oils and lotions can stain delicate fabric.  It’s also more difficult to work the length of your neck muscles with bra straps in the way (many neck muscles attach to your shoulder blade or vertebrate in the mid-back).  Rest assured, your breasts will remain fully draped at all times.
 
Guys, if you want to leave your underwear on, it’s better if you don’t wear the long boxer briefs that fit snugly around your upper leg.  Those make it tough to fully work on your quadriceps, hamstrings, and other leg muscles (remember the comfort zone guideline).  Briefs or traditional boxers are a better choice. 
 
And if you’re more comfortable leaving all of your clothes on, I’m trained in techniques that can be applied while you’re fully clothed.  However, make sure you wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes since I will often do a lot of stretching in this situation.
 
And remember, when in doubt – ASK!  Questions like these are really quite common, and my goal is to make you as comfortable as possible.
5 Comments
Ron Booker link
10/16/2019 08:34:20 am

I found it interesting that you said that gluteal muscles are sometimes responsible for low back pain. One of my friends told me that he was having struggles with back pain, and he wanted to see someone to help him. I'm going to advise him about going with a massage therapist.

Reply
Santa Monica Massage Co. link
1/16/2020 01:31:59 pm

Thanks for the post. Love the rule of thumb for the client defining their own comfort zone based off of how much clothing they shed. Appreciate you taking the time to discuss how to best treat clients with regards to the circumstance!

Reply
Rebecca Gardner link
8/27/2020 10:39:51 am

It was interesting when you explained that the level of clothing we take off will indicate to the massage therapist how comfortable we are with them working certain areas of our body. I've been dealing with a big deadline at work and was thinking about treating myself to a nice massage once everything's finished up at the end of the week. Since this will be a new experience for me, your tips should be really helpful when I decide how much clothing would be best for me to leave on!

Reply
Mia Evans link
8/17/2021 06:32:17 pm

It's great to know that many massage therapists would be trained to let you choose the amount of clothing that you will remove. I hope I can find a therapist that I can feel comfortable with since I am really a conservative kind of girl. I just need this remedial massage for my back because it has been affecting my productivity now and causing me to have delays with what I do.

Reply
Eli Richardson link
11/25/2022 11:19:21 am

It's great that you explained that the type of massage you choose helps you understand what type of clothes you'll need to wear. My wife and I want to get a couple's massage for our anniversary, but she's not very comfortable with the idea of being without clothing with a stranger, so I think your guide will help us. We appreciate your insight on how full-body massages might leave better results without your clothes.

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