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Draping a man's chest
For the past 3 years I have seen more and more massage schools teach that a man's chest must remain covered. The draping is taught as being the same for men and women. Does anyone know where it comes from? I don't find it in any regulations. I have been told that Massage Envy requires this. Are they now determining how massage is taught?
I would really like to know where this comes from. Seems silly to use a towel over a man's face when at the end of the massage he can pull off the towel, pull on his pants and walk outside shirtless. And since some states (Texas & New York) have equality laws allowing a woman to be topless wherever acceptable for a man, are both now required to be top covered for massage to avoid allowing women to not be top covered?
I hope someone can explain this. I am really perplexed.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on
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lol, just saw I wrote face instead of chest above. No censorship intended just written too late at night after a long day of massage.
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Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on
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Fantastic! Our society is getting even more Puritanical. This is not progress. I can't explain it, Daniel, other than "we" are getting more uptight as a society. It's ridiculous. On my Forearm Dance video (I think it's in the 2nd one), Val explains how to do the massage with the legs covered because some spas require that. Insane! It's so limiting for us as MT's and in my experience most clients are not that uptight.
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Legs!!! So what are we supposed to work on? I'm glad I am self employed.
Has anyone ever had a man ask to have his chest (and now legs) covered? Of course if someone asked they can be massaged fully clothed. After all it is about client comfort. But required??
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I am glad I'm self employed too!
I have a male client who would be happier with just his groin covered; he gets overheated very easily. Many times I just scrunch up the sheets in an appropriate way.
I have a client who was initially very uncomfortable about her cellulite. I did myofascial release on her for enough sessions that she figured out that I could help her with her sciatica and that I really wasn't bothered by cellulite! So she eventually was willing to take her clothes off. She still will stay fully dressed if she has to go somewhere after the session and doesn't want oil all over. I have developed a hybrid of massage/MFR/heated bamboo that I use in that situation, with her and other clients who prefer to stay clothed.
Thankfully it can be about client comfort and I don't have someone telling me what I can and can't do!
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on
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I have noticed that since being out of school, i have stopped (by no fault of my own) in doing ab work and so I find that now I too have the man's chest covered. but it's strictly because i stopped doing ab work. not sure why either, since i always enjoyed doing it and having it done to me. just a side note I thought i'd add. my guess is if you're doing ab work in your routine, then your male client wouldn't be draped up to the chest. so maybe the real question is how many are doing ab work? :)
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Lisa what about Thoracic work? I do that at least as much as Abs. Thoracic work makes deep breathing easier and loosens up the shoulders anteriorlly.
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Permalink Reply by Frank J on
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The last I heard Tx law was to cover a man's chest. They must have changed their law.
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I don't believe TX has a law regarding draping. I believe it's left up to the discretion of the client and therapist.
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Kraft on
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Who said that Massage Envy requires it?
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State laws rarely require draping without the choice of using or not. These are more found in archaic local laws. But why the sudden surge in schools teaching to keep a man's chest draped? At least it is so in Southern California. Is this happening nation wide? and why? How about those working for Massage Envy where some have told me it is to follow the protocols from there in order to graduate prepared Therapists for the chains.
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Jonathan, I was told that by an MT who had worked at one nearby. I have not asked ME, I am asking here. I have also been told the local chain Burke Williams requires draping the male chest. I am looking for an answer. Personally I find it quite annoying to have a towel draped on my chest to work my abdomen. I also didn't like the massage because it avoided the chest work which I expect to receive, as I have for the past 40 years anywhere I was massaged.
As I mentioned initially, I pose the question because I am finding more and more grads from California schools who were taught it as a "requirement" of massage.
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It is interesting for sure. Maybe the schools are teaching it as a CYA/liability kind of thing. I had a friend who worked for Massage Envy in Colorado a couple of years ago who didn't have to drape men's chests... My guess would be overall that it's a liability issue, but who's enforcing the policy - would be interesting to know.
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