What to do before a massage at home

Before a massage at home, eat something light at least an hour before, shower, clear a space about the size of a single bed, and tell the therapist about anything on your body or in your health she should know. She brings the table, the linen and the oil; you bring the hour. Everything else is detail, and the detail is below.

What to eat before a massage

Light, and not in the last hour. A heavy lunch sits badly when you lie face down for 60 or 90 minutes, and a completely empty stomach can leave you light-headed when you get up at the end. A small meal one to two hours before is right. Drink water through the day, but not so much just before that you spend the session thinking about the bathroom.

Skip coffee in the hour before if you want to fall asleep on the table, which is rather the point of the relaxing massage.

What not to do before a massage

• Do not book a wax or a sugaring for the same day. Freshly waxed skin is tender and oil on it stings.
• Do not spend the afternoon in the sun. Sunburn and massage do not mix.
• Do not drink alcohol beforehand. It thins the response to pressure and leaves you dehydrated.
• Do not take a strong painkiller to "get through" firm pressure. If you need a painkiller to tolerate a massage, the pressure is wrong for you, and you will not be able to tell her when it is too much.

What to know before a massage: the room

You do not need a spare room. The therapist's table is roughly the length and width of a single bed, and she needs a step of space around it to work. A bedroom with the bed pushed slightly aside, a study, or the quiet end of a living room all serve. What helps:

• A cool room. Set the air conditioning before she arrives, because you will be under a sheet and she will be working.
• Good ventilation and no strong cooking smells.
• Low light, or a lamp instead of the ceiling light.
• Quiet: phone on silent, the television off in the next room, children and pets settled with someone else for the hour.
• A clear route from the door to the room for the table, which she carries folded.

If you are in an apartment, add the building, gate or parking instructions to your booking notes so she reaches you on time. If you are in a villa, a note on which entrance to use saves her a call.

What to wear

Whatever is easy to take off and put on again. You undress to the level you are comfortable with, in private, and you are covered by a sheet throughout; only the part being worked on is uncovered. Many women keep underwear on. Tie long hair up loosely or bring a clip, and take off jewellery, especially bracelets and rings, before she starts.

What the therapist brings

Everything for the massage: a folding table, a fresh sheet and blanket, a face cradle cover that is used for you only, towels, and the oil. The sheet and face cradle cover are single-use items on our menu, opened for you and discarded or laundered after your visit; the rest of the hygiene protocol is public. A spare towel near the room is useful for wiping oil off your feet before you walk on tiles.

What to tell her before she starts

A short conversation before you get on the table is normal and useful. Tell her:

• Where you are tight, and where you would rather she did not work.
• How much pressure you like, and that you will say if it is too much.
• Any skin condition, rash, cut, bruise or sunburn, so she can work around it.
• Any allergy, especially to nuts, since many massage oils are nut-based; tell us in the booking notes as well, and she will change the product.
• Any medical condition, recent surgery, injury or medication. If you are pregnant, read massage during pregnancy: what to ask first; there is no pregnancy massage on our menu, and your doctor's view comes first.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you are unsure whether massage is right for you, ask your doctor before you book.

Can I get a massage when sick?

Better not. With a fever, a heavy cold, a cough or a stomach bug, your body wants rest, and a massage can leave you feeling worse rather than better. Move the booking: each booking can be moved once without charge as long as you do it more than 24 hours before the visit, and a cancellation more than 24 hours ahead returns the deposit. Inside 24 hours the deposit is kept, so decide as early as you can.

A mild sniffle with no fever is your call. If lying face down blocks your nose, ask her to spend more of the time with you on your back or side.

Can I get a massage on my period?

Yes, if you feel like it. Some women find a massage eases the ache in the lower back and legs; others would rather not be touched at all for a day or two. Both are normal. If you go ahead, tell her if you want the abdomen and lower back left alone, and lie on your side if face down is uncomfortable.

After the massage

Get up slowly. Sit on the edge of the table for a moment before you stand, then drink a glass of water. Keep the rest of the evening quiet if you can. Oil left on the skin is fine overnight, and a warm shower in the morning takes care of it. After a deep tissue massage you may feel mildly sore the next day, as after exercise; that fades on its own.

What you can book

Both of our massages are on the massage page: the relaxing massage, 60 minutes at light to medium pressure over the whole body, and the deep tissue massage, 90 minutes of firm work on the back, neck and shoulders. If you are choosing between them, Swedish vs deep tissue massage sets out the difference. The Quiet Hour package adds a classic pedicure after the relaxing massage in the same visit; it is listed with the packages.