Your First Massage at NOVO Therapy: What to Expect

If you’ve never had a professional massage before, it’s completely normal to have questions.

What do I wear?

How much do I take off?

Am I supposed to talk?

What if the pressure is too much?

And perhaps the most basic question of all: “What am I actually meant to do?”

The good news is that there really isn’t much you need to do.

You turn up. We have a chat. You get comfortable. I do the work.

But knowing what to expect beforehand can make that first appointment feel much easier, so here’s how it works at NOVO Therapy.

We start with a conversation

Before I start massaging anything, we’ll have a consultation.

This isn’t an interrogation and you don’t need to arrive knowing the anatomical name of the muscle that’s bothering you.

“It’s somewhere around here and it feels horrible when I turn my head” is perfectly useful information.

We’ll talk about what has brought you in, any areas you’d particularly like me to focus on, how you want the treatment to feel and anything relevant from your health information.

This is also when you can ask questions.

If you’re unsure whether the treatment you’ve booked was the right choice, tell me. If you’d rather spend most of the session on your back and shoulders, tell me that too.

The booking is the starting point. The consultation is where we make it yours.

Do I need to do anything before my massage?

Not much.

Complete your consultation form before you arrive so I have time to review anything relevant, and avoid having a very heavy meal immediately before your appointment. Come along clean and comfortable, and give yourself enough time that you aren’t rushing through the door at the last second.

If there’s anything in your health history that you’re unsure about, include it on the consultation form. I’d rather check something beforehand than discover it when you’re already on the treatment table.

What do I wear for a massage?

This is probably one of the biggest questions for anyone who hasn’t had a massage before.

The simple answer is: you’ll be given privacy to get ready for the treatment, and your comfort comes first.

For a standard Swedish Massage, most clients undress to their underwear, but only to the level they are comfortable with. Other treatments can be a little different, so I’ll explain what is appropriate before I leave the room. There shouldn’t be a moment where you’re standing there wondering what on earth you’re supposed to do next.

During the treatment you’ll remain appropriately draped, with only the area being worked on uncovered.

And if there’s an area you don’t want included, that’s absolutely fine.

You are always in control of what you’re comfortable with.

How much pressure should a massage have?

There isn’t a correct pressure that everybody should tolerate.

Some people love firm massage. Some people absolutely do not. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and even then the right pressure can change depending on the area being worked on.

Your shoulders might happily tolerate more pressure than your legs. One side of your back might feel completely different from the other.

That’s one of the reasons I don’t use exactly the same pressure everywhere.

Massage also doesn’t need to become an endurance test to be worthwhile.

So if I ask how the pressure feels, I genuinely want the answer.

You’re not offending me by asking me to go lighter.

Or firmer.

You’re helping me give you a better massage.

Do I need to talk during the massage?

Only if you want to.

There is no massage etiquette rule requiring 60 minutes of polite conversation.

Some clients chat. Some start chatting and gradually go quiet. Some barely say a word from the moment the treatment begins.

All of those are fine.

Obviously, I’ll check in where I need to — particularly around pressure, comfort or positioning — but if you’ve come in because you want an hour where nobody expects anything from you, I completely understand the appeal.

You are also absolutely allowed to fall asleep.

I won’t be offended.

What if I’m self-conscious?

More people worry about this than you might think.

Bodies come in every possible shape and size. People have scars, stretch marks, body hair, acne, loose skin, areas they’re uncomfortable with and parts of themselves they don’t particularly like.

None of that is remarkable from my side of the treatment table.

I’m concentrating on giving you a good treatment and making sure you’re comfortable.

You do not need to lose weight before getting a massage. You do not need to shave. You do not need to look a certain way.

You just need to turn up as yourself.

What if something is uncomfortable?

Say something.

Please.

This applies to pressure, positioning, temperature, music, an area being worked on or anything else that affects your experience.

I would much rather adjust something in five seconds than have you spend the next 20 minutes thinking, “I wish he’d stop doing that.”

A massage should be collaborative in that sense.

I bring the training and the treatment techniques. You bring the only person’s feedback that matters about how it actually feels: yours.

What does the massage itself feel like?

That depends on what you’ve booked.

A Swedish Massage can be flowing and deeply relaxing while still including more focused work where you want it.

A Hot Stone Massage introduces heated basalt stones alongside hands-on massage, bringing warmth into the treatment and creating a very different experience.

More specialist treatments have their own techniques and structure, so there isn’t really one single experience called “a massage”.

The right treatment depends on what you want from it. If you’re not sure, the Which Massage Treatment Is Right for You? guide breaks down the different options without expecting you to know all the terminology first.

And what happens afterwards?

You get a little time to get yourself together rather than being expected to leap straight off the table and back into the world.

How you feel afterwards varies from person to person and from treatment to treatment. A lot of people mainly notice that they feel relaxed, while others simply enjoy having had an hour where they could switch off and pay some attention to how their body was feeling.

You might decide there and then that you’d like to book again.

You might come back in six weeks.

You might simply go home thinking, “That was exactly what I needed,” and book whenever you feel like it.

There isn’t a compulsory treatment schedule. If you already know you’d like to make massage part of a regular routine, NOVO Therapy also has packages and monthly memberships — but there is no pressure to decide that on your first visit.

Where will my massage take place?

Your appointment takes place in NOVO Therapy’s private, home-based treatment room in the southside of Glasgow. If it’s your first visit, the Contact page has the location, directions and ways to get in touch if you need anything before you arrive.

Nervous about booking your first massage?

If you’re looking for your first massage in Glasgow, you really don’t need to know all the answers before you arrive.

That’s part of my job.

Choose the treatment that sounds closest to what you’re looking for, book the amount of time that feels right, and we’ll talk through the rest when you get here.

If you’re mainly wondering how much time to book, my 30, 60 or 90 Minute Massage guide explains what each appointment length realistically gives us time to do.

And if you’re completely stuck, you’re always welcome to get in touch with NOVO Therapy before booking.

I’d much rather answer a question than have you avoid getting a massage because you’re worried about asking it.