ARE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A MALE MASSAGE THERAPIST?

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  • Oliviamarie05
    Oliviamarie05 Posts: 528 Member
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    I've never had a massage from a male because my favourite places only have female therapists.. As long as I'm getting a massage, I don't really care if it's from a female or male. Don't see what the big deal is.
  • togmo
    togmo Posts: 257
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    I always thought I would be but I have had a few massages now by men and they were all fine. It is a little awkward I find in the first minute or two but after that it is ok.

    I actually find massages given to me by really hot females more uncomfortable. I can't relax as much as I can with anyone else and I kinda feel dirty, like they know I have had naughty thoughts at some point...
  • cpiton
    cpiton Posts: 380 Member
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    Not at all.
    But my daughter is studying to be a massage therapist, so I go to her now. :) There's a male student in the class above hers that is often requested by customers at the school. Even more than the female therapists.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I'd be fine with it. I had a massage from a woman who was gay one time, she was totally professional and wouldn't have thought otherwise. (she was a friend's girlfriend and training to be a massage therapist and needed people to practice on which is how I knew she was gay because I wouldn't ask those kinds of questions if I went for a professional massage)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    It depends on the person and for many different personal reasons. If a massage therapist can't understand that, then I would not feel comfortable with them. But, for every person that does not feel comfortable with a male massage therapist, there is another person that does feel comfortable, and some people don't feel comfortable with a female massage therapist. So, I would not worry about it. I have had male massage therapists in the past. Also, a person's comfort level or what they need from a massage therapist can change many times throughout their life (and again for different reasons). Sometimes massage therapy has a component for dealing with trauma. Sometimes people just prefer to work with someone of their own gender (for various reasons). But very rarely would those reasons be personally about you (even the person making the choices knows that).
  • mteague277
    mteague277 Posts: 145 Member
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    I don't know as I have never had one done by a man (just by chance, though). I guess I would have to have one first to know if it would make me uncomfortable or not. My husband wouldn't be bothered by it at all, so it would be up to my own discretion. I feel like I might prefer it only because I like really intense massages and I feel like a masculine hand may just be better at that.
  • cakebatter07
    cakebatter07 Posts: 814 Member
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    No, as long as he is professional and knows what he's doing.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Nope. I look for competence not gender.

    Although I admit being disappointed at RAGBRAI one year when the massage therapist I got wasn't the really sweet woman I'd been talking to but the big guy that sweated on me. Yuck.

    I could go for a deep tissue one right now.
  • araromi2
    araromi2 Posts: 111 Member
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    Nope, I used to be really shy about my body but once I got over that self esteem hump it didnt matter whether I had a male or female therapist.We all have to make a living and eat somehow!
  • Submariner5
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    I'll only see female therapists. For me, the point of the massage is to relax, and I don't think I could do that with a male therapist - no matter how skilled or professional they might be.

    Most of my doctors are female, too. If given a choice of professionals, may as well pick who I feel most comfortable with - whatever the reason.


    Me too!

    It is wonderful that you have the freedom to choose professionals of your own gender. I feel like if I asked to have a doctor of my own gender or to have my kids moved into a class with a male teacher that I would be labeld as a misogynist and accused of sexual discrimination.
  • mteague277
    mteague277 Posts: 145 Member
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    I'll only see female therapists. For me, the point of the massage is to relax, and I don't think I could do that with a male therapist - no matter how skilled or professional they might be.

    Most of my doctors are female, too. If given a choice of professionals, may as well pick who I feel most comfortable with - whatever the reason.


    Me too!

    It is wonderful that you have the freedom to choose professionals of your own gender. I feel like if I asked to have a doctor of my own gender or to have my kids moved into a class with a male teacher that I would be labeld as a misogynist and accused of sexual discrimination.

    Asking your kids to be moved into a different class because you prefer a different gender teacher IS gender discrimination. Asking for a female massage therapist or female doctor is completely different considering they do full body exams. It is 100% socially acceptable for a man to ask to see a male doctor or male masseuse. No one would bat an eyelid at that. In fact, my husband prefers a male doctor rather than a female doctor. And I completely understand why!
  • rgugs13
    rgugs13 Posts: 197 Member
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    I've never had a male massage therapist, but I don't think I would mind at all. I don't get many massages (sad) but when I do, I need the masseuse to get pretty deep into the muscles because I have some really awful knots under my shoulder blades and down my back I've had for about 10 years now. Takes quite a bit of force to work on those!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,012 Member
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    Not at all. I have had both as long as they do their job well that is what matters
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Not at all. My massage therapist is male. He's also blind. Not joking about the last line. My husband goes to him too. You don't have to take your clothes off for the massage. He's open to massages clothed or unclothed. His specialty is Shiatsu. It's a tad painful when he does it but afterwards you feel like a noodle.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    No, I have gotten just as competent and good massages from both men and women.