As a massage therapist, your hands often say more than your words; greeting a new client with a warm handshake, adding expression with gestures, the gentle placing of towels and linen and, of course, the giving of a massage. As tools, they work hard for you.
With a little care and commitment every day, these tools will see you through many years as a professional massage therapist.
Clean
Second only to your smile, your hands will be the feature your clients focus on to form an initial impression of you. It may seem obvious, but ensure your hands and nails are always scrupulously clean, with nails cut short. Wash hands in warm, not hot, water and a non-drying soap.
Smooth
Endless washing can strip hands of natural oils so it is important to moisturise regularly. There is nothing quite as uncomfortable as a massage from a therapist with dry, cracked and rough skin on their hands. An instant softening treatment for hands can easily be made at home. Mix together a teaspoonful of oats, a little olive oil and one drop of lemon essential oil. Massage well into dry hands and rinse. Use this as a gentle exfoliant on hands twice a week.
An added bonus of using a high quality, cold-pressed oil for your massages is that it will keep your hands well-nourished and smooth. Top this up with regular use of a hand cream containing natural, skin softening ingredients and an SPF to help prevent signs of premature skin ageing.
Strong
After hours practising massage as a student or giving massages from 9-5 as a therapist, your tired hands will benefit greatly from some stretching and strengthening exercises. It is central to your work that you maintain flexibility and dexterity in all the joints of your hands.
Basic stretches that can be incorporated into your day take just a few minutes and can be done anywhere. All stretches should be done at a slow, controlled pace.
Wrist stretch – Place both palms together as in a prayer position. Slowly bring wrists down, keeping palms together. Ease palms apart slowly to feel a stretch in your fingers. Release by moving your wrists upwards.
Fan stretch – Holds hands up, fingers together, palms facing forwards. Fan out your fingers and thumbs, hold for 2 seconds and slowly release.
Finger flexor stretch – Place right hand on a flat surface with fingers relaxed. Using the fingers of your left hand as a ‘scoop’, gently lift the right thumb up and back, supporting with light pressure and hold for two seconds. Release and repeat with each finger. Repeat for the left hand.
Hand exerciser – Similar to a squidgy rubber egg, these can be purchased from any good sports retailer. Simply squeeze the exerciser to improve hand strength or roll between the fingers to increase dexterity.
‘Helping hands with a little self-care’
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