What Soft Hands You Have...

“You must have soft hands”

Another common phrase I hear from a client. It makes sense, right? I am constantly applying lotion to my hands so I must have silky smooth skin. This is not true. For one, the lotion we work with is specific for Massage Therapy. It is meant to glide on the skin and will take time to absorb. As Massage Therapists we will wash our hands at least twice per client--before we re-enter the room to begin the massage, and immediately after the massage. We must wash our hands with an antibacterial soap and warm water. No matter the season, we will never have soft hands.

The really neat thing is that our hands are superhero sensitive! We can astound you with our knot finding abilities through even the densest tissue! One of my instructors demonstrated how he could find a piece of hair under a piece of paper. It seemed unbelievable at the time because as students we were in the infancy of developing our sense of professional touch. We have strong grips and although I might not be good in a fistfight, if I can get close enough to squeeze someone into submission, watch out!

We are frequently asked by our boyfriends to open jars (unless he works out) . But, if the jar has some sort of ridging on it, it will feel like glass under my hands and I will be rendered helpless in its presence because my hands are so sensitive. Also, my fine motor skills, such as holding a pen in my hand for a length of time can be tiring to the muscles. The larger muscle groups are so over developed that the finer ones have lost their touch. It’s easy to tell which hand is the strongest, as it will have a larger thenar (thumb pad). Yes, mine is bigger than my boyfriends...even if he works out ;)