Three Things to Consider for Summer Massages

by Pallas Hutchison

Summer on Cape Cod means long days at the beach, clam bakes with friends and amazing sunsets. Adding massage seems like a no-brainer. However, during the summer months, there are a few things to consider when scheduling a massage.

• Sand: Tiny sand particles aren't always visible on the skin. Once oil is applied to the skin, brushing off the sand becomes all but impossible. That relaxing massage suddenly becomes a rough exfoliation treatment to endure instead of enjoy. Make the time to get in a quick shower between leaving the beach and coming in for a massage.
  
• Sunburn: Above and beyond all the reasons your skin needs sun protection, coming in for a massage with a sunburn could end up as a painful or disappointing experience. If a quick hug can irritate a sunburn, imagine the discomfort caused by 60-minutes of constant friction. Massages can be adapted to avoid the area(s) with too much sun exposure but that could also mean leaving out your favorite part of the massage. If you do forget to reapply the sunscreen and end up looking like a lobster, you will be much happier rescheduling your massage.
  
• Spray tan: Massage involves friction. Friction will remove some of the dead skin cells from the outer layer of skin – this is the layer that the spray tan gets applied to. A good spray tan will end up looking patchy on the areas you want the focused work. With a bad spray tan, the resulting look is something akin to a tie-dyed Oompa Loompa. For the best results, come in for your massage just before you get the spray tan applied.