Booking your first professional massage can feel daunting. Questions about what to wear, how much to undress, whether it will hurt, and what happens during the session are entirely normal. This comprehensive guide walks you through every aspect of the massage experience, from preparation to aftercare, ensuring you feel confident and comfortable for your first session.
Millions of Australians enjoy regular massage therapy, and many wish they had started sooner. Understanding what to expect removes the uncertainty that can prevent people from accessing this beneficial therapy. Whether you are seeking relaxation, pain relief, or recovery support, your first massage should be a positive experience that leaves you wanting more.
Before Your Appointment
Choosing Your Massage Type
Before booking, consider what you hope to achieve from your massage. Are you seeking pure relaxation and stress relief? Do you have specific pain or tension you want addressed? Are you recovering from injury or managing a chronic condition? Your goals help determine which massage type suits you best.
For first-timers seeking general relaxation, Swedish massage offers an excellent introduction. The techniques are flowing and gentle, pressure is moderate, and the experience is deeply calming. If you have specific issues to address, remedial massage provides targeted treatment, though techniques may be more intense.
Not sure which type is right for you? Our interactive massage finder quiz provides personalised recommendations based on your needs, preferences, and health status. Taking a few minutes to complete it can help you book the most appropriate service.
Booking Your Session
When booking, mention that this is your first professional massage. Good clinics appreciate this information and may allocate extra time for consultation and explanation. If you have specific health conditions, injuries, or concerns, mention these when booking so the clinic can ensure appropriate therapist allocation.
For your first session, a sixty-minute appointment provides sufficient time for consultation and treatment without feeling rushed. Shorter sessions require focusing on limited areas, while longer sessions may feel overwhelming for newcomers. Once you know how your body responds, you can adjust future booking lengths accordingly.
Preparing for Your Appointment
On the day of your massage, avoid eating a heavy meal within two hours of your appointment. Lying face-down on a full stomach is uncomfortable, and digestion diverts blood flow away from muscles. A light snack is fine if needed.
Stay well hydrated before your appointment. Hydrated tissues respond better to massage and flush metabolic waste more efficiently. Avoid excessive caffeine or alcohol, which can affect relaxation and tissue response.
Shower before your appointment if convenient, though this is not essential. Your therapist works with bodies in all states and will not judge. However, feeling clean often helps clients relax more easily.
Arrive five to ten minutes early to complete any paperwork without rushing. Arriving flustered affects your ability to relax and enjoy the session.
At the Clinic
The Consultation
Your appointment begins with consultation. The therapist asks about your health history, current concerns, medications, and treatment goals. This information ensures safe, appropriate treatment and helps the therapist plan their approach.
Be honest about your health history. Certain conditions require treatment modifications, and your therapist needs accurate information to provide safe care. Do not be embarrassed about any health issues—therapists are healthcare professionals who have encountered virtually everything.
If you have areas you prefer the therapist not touch, this is the time to mention it. Perhaps you are ticklish on your feet, have an injury on one side, or simply feel more comfortable avoiding certain areas. Professional therapists respect these boundaries completely.
Getting Ready
After consultation, the therapist will leave the room for you to undress and position yourself on the massage table. They will explain whether to lie face-up or face-down and how to use any draping sheets provided.
The question of how much to undress causes considerable anxiety for first-timers. The simple answer: undress to your comfort level. Most people remove all clothing except underwear for full-body massage, as this allows comprehensive treatment. However, you can keep more clothing on if preferred—your therapist will work around whatever you wear.
You will be covered with sheets or towels throughout the session. Only the area being worked on is exposed at any time. Professional therapists are experts at draping techniques that maintain your modesty while allowing effective treatment. You should never feel exposed or uncomfortable.
During the Massage
The therapist knocks before re-entering, ensuring you are comfortably positioned and covered. Treatment begins, typically starting with areas that help you relax before moving to more focused work.
Massage involves touch across most body areas, potentially including back, shoulders, neck, arms, hands, legs, feet, scalp, and face depending on the treatment type. If any touch feels inappropriate, say so immediately—professional boundaries are absolute.
You may experience a range of sensations during massage. Relaxation massage should feel pleasurable and calming. Therapeutic work on problem areas may involve intensity that borders on discomfort but should never be unbearable pain. The phrase therapists often use is that it should hurt good—intense but ultimately satisfying.
Communication during your massage is welcome and encouraged. If pressure is too much or too little, speak up. If a technique feels uncomfortable, mention it. If you need to use the bathroom, say so. Your therapist wants you to have a positive experience and relies on your feedback to achieve this.
Some people prefer to chat during massage while others prefer silence. Either is fine—follow your preference and your therapist will match your lead. Some find that talking helps them relax, while others find it distracting. There is no right answer.
Common Concerns Addressed
Will It Hurt?
Relaxation massage should not hurt. The techniques are designed to feel pleasant and promote calm. You should feel like you are floating, not fighting.
Therapeutic massage targeting problem areas involves more intensity. Working through tight tissues and trigger points can feel uncomfortable in the moment, but this discomfort should be productive rather than harmful. Good therapists work at the edge of your tolerance without pushing beyond it. Always communicate if intensity becomes excessive.
What If I Fall Asleep?
Falling asleep during massage is common and nothing to be embarrassed about. It indicates deep relaxation and trust in your therapist. Many practitioners consider it a compliment. You will naturally wake when the session ends, and some clients report that massage sleep feels more restorative than regular napping.
What About Body Functions?
Bodies make sounds and sometimes other responses during massage. Stomach rumbling, joint clicking, and muscle twitching are entirely normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Therapists encounter these constantly and barely notice.
If you need to pass gas, try to hold it if possible, but know that even this happens occasionally and therapists handle it professionally without comment. The relaxation response affects the entire body, including digestive processes.
After Your Massage
Immediate Aftercare
After treatment, your therapist leaves the room for you to dress. Take your time rising—you may feel deeply relaxed or slightly lightheaded. This dreamy state is sometimes called massage drunk and is a sign of deep relaxation.
Drink water after your massage to support tissue recovery and metabolic waste elimination. Avoid intense exercise immediately afterward, as your muscles have just been worked and need time to integrate the treatment.
What to Expect in Coming Days
Some people feel amazing immediately after massage, while others experience temporary soreness similar to post-exercise ache. This soreness typically peaks around twenty-four hours after treatment and resolves within a day or two. Gentle movement and continued hydration help.
If you received therapeutic work on chronic problem areas, you may notice fluctuating symptoms over the following days as tissues adapt. This is normal and usually indicates that productive change is occurring. Significant or lasting adverse reactions should be reported to your therapist.
Building Your Massage Routine
Your first massage is the beginning, not a one-time event. Regular massage therapy provides cumulative benefits that single sessions cannot achieve. Discuss with your therapist how frequently they recommend treatment based on your goals and presentation.
For general wellness, monthly massage sessions help maintain stress levels and catch developing tension before it becomes problematic. For addressing specific conditions, more frequent initial sessions tapering to maintenance frequency often works best.
Explore our comprehensive guide to massage types to understand your options, and consider trying different approaches to find what works best for your body. What feels ideal varies between individuals, and discovering your preferences is part of the massage journey.
Conclusion
Your first massage should be an enjoyable, beneficial experience that opens the door to ongoing therapeutic care. Understanding what to expect removes uncertainty and allows you to relax fully into the experience.
Remember that communication is key—your therapist wants you to have a positive experience and will adjust their approach based on your feedback. Professional boundaries ensure your safety and comfort throughout.
Millions of Australians benefit from regular massage therapy, and many wish they had started earlier. Take that first step, approach it with an open mind, and discover why massage has remained a valued healing practice for thousands of years. Your body will thank you.