Piercings and Tattos for practicioners

Hello Poplar
I've found massaging someone with piercings okay just need to be aware so you don't catch the piercing.I have received many massages from male/female with tattoos and piercings never an issue for me.During my lomi lomi training two of the students had naval piercings nobody took any notice.

It would certainly put me off if the massage therapist had tattoos.

Can I ask you, Nobody, why would it put you off?

Is it for "hygiene" reasons? because people with tattoos/piercings do have to be careful about their hygiene (at least in the beginning), given that a tattoo or a piercing is a wound. No one would like it to get infected.

or is it purely aesthetic?
most people nowadays do have tattoos, of some sort, how much would be too much for you?

Thanks

Interesting topic.

Tattoos and/or piecings wouldn't put me off, but, then I've got both. If you wanted to work in highend spa's or similar, they wouldn't the best thing to have on display (due to the clients judgement, spa image etc.).

On the other hand, I've massaged a woman who had a bodysuit of tattoos that were simply stunning. Top to toe in orchids & Japanese artwork, this young lady works in the music industry and was staying @ a high end private members club.

It all depends on the individual. My advice would be keep piercing and tattoos to a visual minimum when working or choose an area where bodyart isn't an issue. ie the creative set not the bankers.

I wouldn't care if my therapist was covered in bodyart even modifications, all I care about is their skill and if they know their stuff. Enough judgement!!!

Cheers, Sue

Agree with Sue on this one. Some clients (and clinics/agencies) don't care what you look like as long as you're good at the job, others are more old school & prefer minimal make up, no jewellery, hair tied back & therapist whites.

Really depends where you see yourself working. Also worth checking with the training schools you're considering as some have dress codes for students.

Hope that helps

thanks for your answers..

I will check with the school, I am thinking of going with the Wilbury School in Brighton. After all it is Brighton so I am thinking it should be ok.

I run a training school and I wouldn't have a problem with a student enrolling with tattoos or piercings unless they were new and not healing, infected or in a place that would make it awkward for another student to practice on them. I would like to think that anyone with these would show some common sense when booking. Also I would like to think that any of the other students on the course wouldn't judge that students choice of body art, if they did i would deal with that situation if/when it came about.

If my massage therapist had one or two tattoos, it wouldn't necessarily put me off. If they had tons of tatoos all over the place, especially ones around the neck, I think it might actually bother me. To a lot of people tatoo = rebel. A person who does not respect authority....I just think people with tons of tatoos look awful and I can't imagine why someone would do that to themselves.

The last sentence of ace88's posting sums up my view. It seems paradoxical to be reading that 'a tattoo or a piercing is a wound' in a thread on a site named healthypages.co.uk.