Massage – Do I wear underwear? Yes or no?
You’ve never had a massage before or maybe you’ve had a few or maybe you are seeing a new therapist. After the pre-massage consultation where the therapist has determined your health and relaxation goals for the session, they’ve breezed from the room with the throw-away comment “please get undressed to your comfort level and get under the towel”. You are now faced with the dilemma that can haunt you for the entire time you are on the table for your massage underwear off or underwear on?
The vibe from the massage therapist has given you no clues and you do not have an answer to the question “do you wear underwear for massage?”.
You wonder ….will they think I am a prude if I leave them on or will they think that I am a pervert if I take them off?
The reality is that if they haven’t given you a clear direction, then a professional therapist simply does not care which decision you make. They want you to be as comfortable as you can during the massage.
For some clients, that means taking everything off and that’s ok; others feel more comfortable with underwear on and that is equally as ok.
Massage Underwear On
Some therapists will provide instructions such that, for example, they request that you keep your underwear on. Even if you prefer to be massaged nude, as a massage client, it is your responsibility to respect the therapist’s request that you wear underwear.
Ultimately as one therapist has put it to me:
“My table….my rules”.
Massage Underwear Off
If the therapist does not provide clear instructions and you prefer not to wear undies, I suggest just going ahead and taking everything off. If the therapist required you to wear underwear during a massage, they will tell you and leave the room while you put your underwear back on before beginning the massage.
My client base is predominantly female (probably around 3/4 of the massages I provide are to women). Some of the women I massage wear underwear, some don’t (and some may change their decision from one session to the next); similarly, some males wear underwear and others don’t. The decision for my mobile massage service is generally up to you.
For me, one advantage of providing massage to a client who is not wearing underwear is that it leads to a better flow for the massage. Too often, a massage therapist will compartmentalise a session: “first I work the back, then I work the hips, then I work the legs”. Wearing underwear encourages this type of approach as there is a physical barrier preventing flow.
Without underwear, then the massage can be more fluid and the therapist can link the back to the hips and the hips to the leg, working across joints to be more holistic.
Please note professional therapists will use a drape – even if you are comfortable with undraped massage, most therapists are not.
However, always be mindful as well as the therapist having boundaries then so do you. If your preference is receive massage underwear on then that is 100% your right. You should never be forced or even encouraged to take off more than you want to.
“Your body…your rules”
One slight caveat to this is that some forms of massage such as Hawaiian massage (Kahuna or Lomi Lomi) are traditionally performed naked with just a small drape so that the therapist can freely perform the long flowing strokes that are integral to this type of massage. In this case, a therapist may suggest that you take everything off.
One reason why the issue of massage underwear or no underwear should not be that much of a deal is that a professional therapist drape their clients.
Whilst sometimes images such as that shown here are used to promote undraped massage, the reality for massage in Australia is that a towel drape will be used. I know that some “European type” massage recipients are comfortable without a towel but a drape offers a barrier so that you can relax during the session.
I have written a post about massage etiquette in Australia which answers some questions in addition to “do I wear underwear for a massage?”.
If you wish to make a booking with me then the decision of undies off or undies on is yours. I am generally comfortable if you prefer to be nude (although there are situations that I may request that underwear be worn). If you prefer to wear underwear, then that is totally respected.
For female clients then if you are not totally sure about whether to be naked or not for a first appointment with me then I’d probably lean towards recommending that you leave your underwear on. You can always have a sans-knickers massage for any follow-up appointments.
If you have any questions then please give me a call on 0434 631 987.