Massage Draping Options

Massage draping is all about your comfort. A light cotton sheet covers your body so that you feel warm and can relax fully into the massage. Sheets should always be freshly laundered and have a crisp feel for maximum enjoyment. Your masseuse should keep several extra sheets on hand in case he spills oil or you want additional draping. You can let your masseuse take control of the draping entirely, but just like with other parts of the massage, communication is the best way for him to understand what you like.

Tight Draping

• Tight draping means that you're tucked in without much air or space between your body and the sheet. The fitted sheet on the table is always a tight drape, but tight draping around your body can offer a feeling of security and retain the warmth from the rubdown. Some people prefer a tight drape because they are modest and want the sheet to protect parts of the body that aren't being rubbed from view. Your masseuse may start with a tight drape and rub you through the sheet at first to loosen especially tight muscles or warm you slowly in winter, too.

Loose Draping

• Loose draping is most common because it allows the masseuse simple, professional access to your muscles without worrying about your drape too much. It also allows you to move with the masseuse as your body relaxes and realigns. Loose draping may involve simply spreading the sheet over your body and peeling it back to expose only the areas that are being worked. It may also involve lightly tucking the sheet under your torso and leaving a fair amount of air and space between you and the sheet, anyway. If you like a loose drape, but you want it adjusted, just ask.

Minimal Draping

• Minimal draping is comfortable for some people who like the feeling of air on their skin or who may suffer from claustrophobia. Minimal draping usually entails a folded sheet or towel being placed over the hips and buttocks if you are on your stomach and over the torso for women on their backs or across the hips for men on their backs. Minimal draping may also offer modesty during massages when several areas of the body are being worked at once, such as during a four- or six-hand massage.

No Draping

• No draping means that there is no sheet covering your body during the massage. This may be because you have chosen to keep certain undergarments on during the massage, so there's no need for a sheet. It may also be because you prefer the air on your skin or are being worked on by more than one practitioner at a time, such as an acupuncturist and a masseuse or two masseuses. No draping whatsoever is somewhat unorthodox and unlawful in some states, but if you and your masseuse are comfortable with it and it's legal, it's fine. An offer of no drape by a reputable masseuse is not an offer to cross professional boundaries.