ADVERTISEMENT
What were you thinking, lying naked on the table without pulling the sheet up? That's what I asked myself as I walked out of my first massage recently. It wasn't until I got to work the next day and told my coworkers about my appointment that I realized there was a whole lot more I should have known before going in.
I'm 22 and suffer from chronic back pain, so most people are surprised to find out I'd never had a massage. But I was always convinced they’d be too soft to remedy any soreness I was experiencing, so I got by on Icy Hot patches. Eventually, I was fed up with my back issues and bad posture, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa, hoping it'd be my saving grace.
Now, I'm no spa newbie — I've gotten facials before, sat in steam rooms, paid too much for fancy pedicures — but a massage was foreign territory. I was Cady Heron on the first day of school, completely lost throughout the service. By the end of the hour-long appointment, I was loose-limbed and relaxed, but slightly embarrassed by how unprepared I was.
To ensure you never get stuck frantically texting your roommate about whether or not to go commando, I asked Christian Davies, spa director at La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, everything you need to know before your first treatment.
ADVERTISEMENT