Curlywurly82
Well-Known Member
hi, i believe the 20 mins to every four hours is for younger workers (can't remember whether that's under 18s or under 21s). For everyone else it is every six hours i believe.
Exhausted from doing too much massage - how much is acceptable
- Thread starter andrea27
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Help Support SalonGeek:
hi, i believe the 20 mins to every four hours is for younger workers (can't remember whether that's under 18s or under 21s). For everyone else it is every six hours i believe.
FlawlessBeauty
Well-Known Member
I was also going to recommend that you take up pilates, as it strengthens the core muscles and so helps to strengthen the back.
I would definitely speak to your employer and explain the situation. I'm sure you can come to a decision that suits both of you.
Perhaps they could help you to train in hands-free massage or the treatment the other therapist is doing.
I used to work for a salon that gave me massages all day because a lot of people requested me. Of course it's nice to be wanted, but my body couldn't handle it. After 3-4 weeks, my back started twinging one day...by the time i got home i could barely get out of my car. I couldn't sit by myself, stand, get in the bath, out of bed, etc and every couple of minutes i got a strong pain. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strain and spasms. I was told to take a week off work and to keep taking ibuprofen.
My boss was very pissed off and told all the other staff that i was faking it. Needless to say, this really annoyed me and within a couple of months i quit.
I now do no more than 4 full body massages per day (75mins each) or 6 back massages.
I would definitely recommend ibuprofen as it reduces pain and swelling.
Good luck x
I would definitely speak to your employer and explain the situation. I'm sure you can come to a decision that suits both of you.
Perhaps they could help you to train in hands-free massage or the treatment the other therapist is doing.
I used to work for a salon that gave me massages all day because a lot of people requested me. Of course it's nice to be wanted, but my body couldn't handle it. After 3-4 weeks, my back started twinging one day...by the time i got home i could barely get out of my car. I couldn't sit by myself, stand, get in the bath, out of bed, etc and every couple of minutes i got a strong pain. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strain and spasms. I was told to take a week off work and to keep taking ibuprofen.
My boss was very pissed off and told all the other staff that i was faking it. Needless to say, this really annoyed me and within a couple of months i quit.
I now do no more than 4 full body massages per day (75mins each) or 6 back massages.
I would definitely recommend ibuprofen as it reduces pain and swelling.
Good luck x
That is what I understood it to be as well, having said that I think it totally unfair, even after 6 hours, to expect someone to massage for that length of time. I'm not beauty trained but common sense should prevail surely
from Debbie's HTC Sense
hippy-chick
Well-Known Member
Do you want to be working in this trade this time next year? if so, invest in your career by investing in yourself.
You cannot be doing this to yourself, its not on. You are going to ruin yourself for future work.
It is not fair that you are doing all of this alone, you must speak up.
i would also get booked onto a hands-free or advanced massage course as quickly as possible, or a good lomi lomi massage course. On these courses you should be taught how to use your forearms and elbows to massage with.
I do a lot of massage, its my main therapy, but the most i do is 6 and thats not every day.
Once I got booked to do an office block, I did 12 Indian head massages one day and 13 the next. I was then off work for 2 weeks whilst my hands recovered. Was it worth it, hell no. Would I do it again, hell no.
I once went to the GP and explained that my hands/wrists throbbed, he prescribed me high doses of ibuprofen for a short space of time to get the inflammation down and told me to LISTEN TO MY BODY. If it tells me I'm tired LISTEN AND REACT.
Good luck with talking to your boss, its not easy but you will not be able to do this for much longer and think of the irreplable damage you are causing yourself.
a full time therapist has a 7 year shelf life..........I've been doing this 18 years but NOT on a full time basis. with being self employed, if i have a busy day, I make sure the next day is quieter.
If you are in pain after being at work then that is not an ideal situation, act on it now before its irreversable.
You cannot be doing this to yourself, its not on. You are going to ruin yourself for future work.
It is not fair that you are doing all of this alone, you must speak up.
i would also get booked onto a hands-free or advanced massage course as quickly as possible, or a good lomi lomi massage course. On these courses you should be taught how to use your forearms and elbows to massage with.
I do a lot of massage, its my main therapy, but the most i do is 6 and thats not every day.
Once I got booked to do an office block, I did 12 Indian head massages one day and 13 the next. I was then off work for 2 weeks whilst my hands recovered. Was it worth it, hell no. Would I do it again, hell no.
I once went to the GP and explained that my hands/wrists throbbed, he prescribed me high doses of ibuprofen for a short space of time to get the inflammation down and told me to LISTEN TO MY BODY. If it tells me I'm tired LISTEN AND REACT.
Good luck with talking to your boss, its not easy but you will not be able to do this for much longer and think of the irreplable damage you are causing yourself.
a full time therapist has a 7 year shelf life..........I've been doing this 18 years but NOT on a full time basis. with being self employed, if i have a busy day, I make sure the next day is quieter.
If you are in pain after being at work then that is not an ideal situation, act on it now before its irreversable.
Quite right, we all have different levels of energy and need to work to them. When I was 19 I worked on cruise ships and often did 9 hours of massage a day. I absolutely loved it and it made me exremely fit and strong.
Now that I am quite a few(!) years older than that there is no way that I could even cope with half that amount without keeling over!
Talk to your boss and I'm sure he/she will understand but you may also have to alter your couch height. posture and technique If any of these are not right even one massage will give you back problems.
Pinktooth21
Well-Known Member
I know exactly what u mean, in my second salon I went to work there expecting to be trained up in beauty - instead, for 6 months straight all I did was massage all day everyday. Eventrually I left and it was the best thing I did - at the end of the day ; we are therapists and our job is to provide treatments but we have to look after ourselves aswell. Even now in the salon I work in , when I started - I did a massage on a few clients and cos I know in good at doing it and the other staff know I'm good at it they all assumed I like doing it and booked me up all the time to do massage - so I just had to tell my manager I'm not happy with it. I get that I'm not gonna be happy with every treatment I do but there needs to be some sort of balance - and it's not acceptable that I'm doing massage constantly and nothing else when I need to practice and work on improving other treatments. I know it's tough but seriously it I best if you mention it to the management and say your unhappy with it. How fair is it that you have to go home with back pains and sore wrists...the whole point in being in a salon is to provide the beat treatment and obviously If there are treatments your not so good at then you need to practise those more - not just do the same ****ty jobs nobody else wants. That's so unfair ! Sorry I get really upset and mad talking about massage - because I was taken advantage of when I started doing massage I now hate it I mean HATE it ! I don't want anyone else to feel the way I did, and experience the things I did - hope I helped <3
Pinktooth21
Well-Known Member
Oh and another thing - about those American clients that don't like air conn- tough titts !
When I do massage now I have the air con on - not necisarrily cold but I know I get light headed smelling certain essential oils and obviously we sweat - so the air con has to be on. Too bad if there cold - throw on a blanket !
MAKES ME SO MAD >;(
When I do massage now I have the air con on - not necisarrily cold but I know I get light headed smelling certain essential oils and obviously we sweat - so the air con has to be on. Too bad if there cold - throw on a blanket !
MAKES ME SO MAD >;(
Thank you, your replies have been a real eye opener for me. I know for 100% now that this cannot carry on like that. I will definately speak up, I am only a newbie in the industry and want to have a long career ahead of me.
I don't want to ruin my body so I will definately speak to my employer about reducing the number of massages I am doing.
I am happy to do the no hands massage training but even then I just don't really want to be doing 7-8 massages a day. I guess it's differrent in every salon. Unfortunately the one I work at is focusing on massage a lot so I might decide to look for another job. I will give it some time and see if it changes.
I don't want to ruin my body so I will definately speak to my employer about reducing the number of massages I am doing.
I am happy to do the no hands massage training but even then I just don't really want to be doing 7-8 massages a day. I guess it's differrent in every salon. Unfortunately the one I work at is focusing on massage a lot so I might decide to look for another job. I will give it some time and see if it changes.
I soo wish there was at least an air con in the treatment room! It gets so incredibly hot! Really not pleasant working conditions.
Pinktooth21
Well-Known Member
There needs to be air - conn or a vents or something. And your right about the speaking up, u should. Even in my new salon my manager Said she wants to send me on elemis massage training where you don't use tour hands - but i just had to tell her straight - the issue isn't that I find massage boring or I'm sore r anything - the issue is I just don't want to do it as i know thats all i will be doing -and I do to want to go on training to learn a new massage technique then come to work and be booked up to do massage that I don't enjoy doing anyway - then because I don't enjoy the treatments, I won't enjoy the job and as I won't enjoy the job I'll end up leaving. So to me it's logical - there's no point...sorry I did have a moral to this story but I think I have forgotten it
Sarah-Jean
Well-Known Member
Your employer has a responsibility to make sure you are not injuring yourself in the workplace. Definitely speak to her about it...
Rhiannon1408
Well-Known Member
At my last job (at very well known spa group) the air con was broken. We had treatment rooms over the saunas and no windows. It was horrendous! We asked the general manager when the air con would be fixed and she replied with 'how long is a piece of string'.
I totally understand how you feel hun, good luck with talking to your employer.
Rhiannon x
makeupartistzoe
Well-Known Member
4 full bodies I think would be my limit.... u mentioned it was because of a cheap deal lasting 3 months....groupon perhaps?! You need to book 15 mins with your boss and tell her/him you cannot be expected to do that amount of massage as it hurts you...simple...I would ask to cap the massages at 4 per day. The clients would prefer to wait for an amazing massage from a fresh therapist who is loving their job rather than an exhausted one. And running cheap deals is only good if you upsell or they return and pay full price. Suggest to your boss that you can do a half price pedi/ file and polish between each client...if you have already paid for a cheap massage and extra £15 upgrade on the day wont seem like anything but keep money coming in, you busy and motivated but also give you a chance to be refreshed and rest, and also chat to the client about rebooking with you.
If they seem reluctant, tell them you are thinking of leaving there and then...then ur boss and the other girl will have to sort it out.....re reading that it sounds like blackmail-lol! But u have to think about your health, that the bottom line...
If they seem reluctant, tell them you are thinking of leaving there and then...then ur boss and the other girl will have to sort it out.....re reading that it sounds like blackmail-lol! But u have to think about your health, that the bottom line...
jacqueline
Well-Known Member
It is difficult when you work for someone else but 16 full body massages in two days is way way too many, imo. 5 minutes and a glass of water is not the way to go either, you need time to recover inbetween clients. What about writing up notes etc, how can you do all that in no time at all?
My own limit is 4 a day if I have too as I specialise in Deep Tissue but even if it was regular massage 4 would probably be my limit but I wouldn't be doing these every day. I take at least 30 minutes between clients sometimes longer but I appreciate it is my spa so I can do that. However, saying that I would never back to back my therapists like this.
Also what about the client that has massage number 8 on the second day are they going to receive the best of you, no. Whoever is booking in all these massages for you is motivated by one thing by the sounds of it.
You will burn out quickly if you keep going like this, you will be left with ongoing problems. You must speak up.
My own limit is 4 a day if I have too as I specialise in Deep Tissue but even if it was regular massage 4 would probably be my limit but I wouldn't be doing these every day. I take at least 30 minutes between clients sometimes longer but I appreciate it is my spa so I can do that. However, saying that I would never back to back my therapists like this.
Also what about the client that has massage number 8 on the second day are they going to receive the best of you, no. Whoever is booking in all these massages for you is motivated by one thing by the sounds of it.
You will burn out quickly if you keep going like this, you will be left with ongoing problems. You must speak up.
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Thank you all for your great advice and kind words. I really hate these cheap deals because we got so booked up that we won't be doing anything else for the next few months! I still have a backache today. I will make it clear to my employer that I am not happy to work this way anymore - I had to suffer on my days off because of all the massages that I did!
I work in a health club/spa so alot of our clients want massage. At first it was fine but then it wasn't!! Not only do you physically ache, but it gets quite repetitive and boring doing massages all day and you start to fall out if love with it and then your work standards will fall. Then the client doesn't get the same level of massage that the previous clients have had and that's not fair on them.
Once I told manager that he understood more and now I only do a maximum of 2 hours a day of massage!!! And we're fully booked all day every day. Turns out sometimes clients want other treatments other than massage
Speak to your manager, if it doesnt change.. Leave
Once I told manager that he understood more and now I only do a maximum of 2 hours a day of massage!!! And we're fully booked all day every day. Turns out sometimes clients want other treatments other than massage
Speak to your manager, if it doesnt change.. Leave
Pinkbunny28
Well-Known Member
Hope u got it sorted?
I was wondering...is there a law or regulation to say how many hours massage max we can do in a day? x
I was wondering...is there a law or regulation to say how many hours massage max we can do in a day? x
Hi, I haven't been doing that many massages since then. Still doing 4-5 most days and have also done lots of research on how to have the correct posture while massaging. I must say I haven't had a backache since then.
However, I still know that doing this many massages long term is not good for my body. Massages get really boring to do if you do so many in one day. Unfortunately the salon I work at specializes at massages and I don't see this changing so I am very much thinking of leaving in the near future.
Thank you for getting back to me and asking how I got on.
However, I still know that doing this many massages long term is not good for my body. Massages get really boring to do if you do so many in one day. Unfortunately the salon I work at specializes at massages and I don't see this changing so I am very much thinking of leaving in the near future.
Thank you for getting back to me and asking how I got on.
PS: There is no regulation that say how many massages are you allowed to do in one day. It's very unfortunate as so many therapists working is spas/salons have the same problem and are damaging their health.
Pinkbunny28
Well-Known Member
Well I'm glad it's better even though still not perfect. It's sad that we have to suffer to live essentially x
