What should I wear to get a massage?

Relaxing circulatory massage, sometimes called “Swedish Massage,” works best with the client fully undressed.  The massage therapist never sees you naked.  They leave the room while you get undressed, then you lie down on the massage table, and cover yourself with the top sheet.  After a couple of minutes, before the therapist comes into the room, they ask, “Are you ready?”  When you say, “Yes,” then they enter the room.

You don’t have to get fully undressed, or undressed at all, to enjoy the benefits of massage.  Many people choose to keep their underwear on.  This is perfectly okay, and doesn’t interfere with the massage. Keeping a bra on can get in the way of long, gliding, deep massage on the back, but the therapist can easily work around that.  There are some therapeutic massage techniques that do not require the client to undress at all, and in fact work better when the client is wearing comfortable clothes.  Every massage therapist who works at ASM is trained in techniques that feel great and work well, even when you keep all of your clothes on.

In the context of a traditional relaxing massage with the client undressed under a sheet, the therapist uncovers only those places on your body where they will be working.  They only uncover your arms, your legs, and your back.  They will never ask to uncover your breasts or your genitals.

Sometimes, a therapist will ask permission to uncover the lateral edge of your gluteal muscles (the side of your butt), in order to massage the strong and important muscle group that constitutes the top of your leg and the beginning of your low-back.  They can also massage this through the sheet, or not at all, if you prefer.

Occasionally, the therapist will ask to uncover your abdomen.  For male clients, this is easier, since most men are comfortable going shirtless.  For women, the therapist will offer a “breast drape,” which is either a towel or a pillow case, that they skillfully and unobtrusively use to cover your breasts before uncovering your abdomen.  The abdominal muscles are a strong and important muscle group that is often overlooked.  Abdominal massage can be very beneficial for treating low-back pain and postural issues.

In summary, you can wear whatever you want, a little bit, or nothing at all.  In any case, your interaction with the massage therapist will be respectful and professional.