Massage therapy, school, and PCOS questions

[ion]

There are several things I'm going to touch on, so I'm not sure where would be the best place to post this.

I'm a licensed aesthetician, and I enjoy the massage aspect the most out of everything within my scope of practice. This has left me feeling like I've chosen the wrong path, so I've decided to look into going to massage school.

The downside is that I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This was something I struggled with in aesthetics school because of my excess male pattern facial hair, as well as my excess body hair. I'm not talking a few stray black coarse hairs, but full-on male pattern body hair. So to say I'm self-conscious would be an understatement. In aesthetics, it got to a point of where I didn't have to regularly be touched by others because I was doing my clinical work on outside clients, but massage seems different.

I've searched the forums on body hair, and how most MTs don't care about body hair at all, but this seems to mainly be in regards to men. What about excess hair when it's on women, especially face, back, and stomach? I've got a serious problem that can only be solved by taking some heavy duty and adrenal gland straining medications that aren't suitable for me at this current time (trying to conceive).

I can and do wax my body (or have it waxed), but the hair has to have time to grow. Being as I will be in school for months, this would be pretty difficult to do without having that awkward growing phase.

Am I just letting this hold me back for no good reason? Most of the people I went to school with were semi-professional about my man hair growth, but it was awkward at the first touch and I could feel their apprehension.

Also, what are you experiences with women with PCOS in practice? I see discussion of doing abdominal massage. This is something I would dread and agonize over, not because of my jiggly hairy bits, but because of the potential for excruciating pain due to enlarged and awkwardly placed ovaries. I know for the sake of others learning, I might just have to grin and bear it. Can I opt out of certain areas being treated on my own body while in school? My aesthetics instructors really didn't respect my boundaries when it came to saying, "Hey, I feel very uncomfortable doing/with this."

Whew, sorry so long. Thanks in advance!

 

[Smokie Bear]

Massage therapy, school, and PCOS questions

1. Really, really, really, your hair isn't a problem. As a woman (with average hair growth) who does not shave, I can attest to the fact that nobody gives a crap. All your classmates will be focused on trying to learn whatever techniques they're being introduced to, not the interesting features of your anatomy. If nothing else, you can educate them so that they recognize what they're dealing with when they later have a client with PCOS.

2. As far as abdominal massage goes, if you have a contraindication, your instructor will ensure that nobody works on you in ways that would be harmful. I have a ligament problem that meant some of the joint mobilizations we did in class would have been harmful to me. Not only was it good for my classmates to learn what NOT to do, our instructor taught the class alternative treatments for someone with a similar condition.

3. For the question you didn't ask: if you have really bad periods, go ahead and explain to your instructors as soon as you begin classes. They will be much happier knowing what is going on with you each month, rather than wondering why the heck you're not engaged at your usual level and/or worrying about your health.

Good luck! I have a friend who also started as an aesthetician, and while she did both for a while, she now focuses entirely on massage and is much happier.

Kat

 

[Smoking Gun]

Massage therapy, school, and PCOS questions

Am I just letting this hold me back for no good reason?

Absolutely. Your hair will not make a difference. If anyone is squeamish about a hairy woman it will be a fantastic chance for them to get over it because they will experience it in their professional practice.

What you say about your aesthetics teacher not respecting your boundaries makes me sad. In massage school your teacher should be well trained in ethics and respecting people's boundaries, although of course a classroom environment is not the same as a therapeutic environment and you will have to speak up for yourself. If it's causing you excruciating pain, you shouldn't have to endure it so someone else can learn. On the other hand, if there are times when there is no pain present (though the touch it self may feel uncomfortable) I would suggest you go through this as a learning process for yourself. If you are going to work on the abdomen's of your clients, it will help you a lot to know how it feels in your body. I see again and again in massage classes that the areas that students don't want to have worked on for themselves are the areas where they are lacking in skill and confidence when working on clients.

If you have areas you don't want to have worked on due to pain, just discuss this with your teachers and classmates. That shouldn't be hard to work around.

 

[YA!]

Massage therapy, school, and PCOS questions

Thank you both for your insightful answers. I wholeheartedly appreciate them.

I've had a lot of internal conflict about this hair issue. Aesthetics school was traumatic for my self-esteem. I tried to use my condition as a learning tool, explaining that they definitely will have clients with PCOS. Lo and behold, there was one client who came in for a facial, and after she had left the clinic floor, my classmate said, "Oh my God. That was so disgusting. That woman had a BEARD!" This was just my personal experience in school, and it has me a little spooked.

This time around, I am extensively reviewing, researching, and interviewing schools in order to avoid my experience in aesthetics. I've been focusing on schools that require things like letters of recommendations, interviews, essays, proof of professional massages, etc, to make sure that the school is also being selective and not just interested in money.

I think, as my husband says, I just need to accept it and move on. Now that I've typed it out and shared it with other people, it seems silly that I'm letting something like body hair keep me from pursuing my dreams. Fear and insecurity in my own body probably won't be too helpful if I'm trying to go out there and massage someone else's body anyway.

Thanks for the note about the periods. Mine can be bad and it hadn't crossed my mind to share what's happening with my classmates and instructors.

 

[teebee]

Massage therapy, school, and PCOS questions

I just want to chime in and encourage you as well. Like the others said already, you need have no worry about body hair; my experienced was that the people who put themselves through massage school are those that are truly concerned with helping other feel good not only physically but mentally as well, and generally are, or become fascinated with the anatomy of the body. Massage school isn't about learning to rub on rich, beautiful people, but teaching the students what they need to know in order to help people of all types feel more comfortable in their bodies.

The school you choose should have a good ethics class that will help students, that may not be quite as aware of the different body types out there, learn how to sensitively work with folks who may present with different conditions whether they affect the bodywork, or not.

My own classroom experience; being part Italian I have no lack of body hair where I'd prefer not to, and never shave above my knees. One palpation class, I was the only person wearing shorts and we were working on the thigh muscles. Guess who got picked as the demo? The TA rolled my shorts up *really* high and proceeded to outline my muscles in colored markers. I could feel my face turning beat red, but when I got the courage up to open my eyes and peak, I saw everybody listening in raptured silence as she talked and some even taking pictures with their cell phones! Soon, my hairy legs took a back seat to my over blown pride in my leg muscles, lol! :grin:

You will see bodies of all types in massage school, and I have to say I never once felt like I or my body was being judged by anyone! I hope you will keep us updated in your journey. Best of luck!!! t006