what to expect for your first time at our spa

A massage or spa service can seem somewhat intimidating if you've never had one before, but rest assured that Morgan Ford Massage & Spa will make your experience relaxing and stress-free.  

When You First Arrive: If you are new to our spa, you will be asked to complete a brief intake form online before you arrive. If you cannot complete our online form in advance, please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to complete a paper form and have some time to relax and use the restroom prior to your appointment time. This intake form collects all of your pertinent medical and personal information that your therapist may need to give you the most effective therapeutic treatment. The form contains our rules and procedures, including our cancellation policy, and a liability waiver for you to receive services.  If you have not received a link to the form in advance, please give us a call and we can resend it. Please note that unattended children are not permitted in our spa. Please do not bring your children to your appointment. See below for our policies on providing services to minors.

Beginning your session:  At the time for your massage or spa session, your therapist will meet with you briefly in your private room to discuss any ongoing injuries, areas you would like to focus on or avoid, and any concerns.  We have a basket for you to put your folded clothes in, and hangers to hang any other items.  You will undress to your comfort level - normally it is best to remove all clothing on the area(s) you want massaged. Most individuals fully undress or undress to their undergarments, but it is completely up to your comfort level.  You will start on the table between the sheets, and be covered by a sheet and a blanket during the entire service. Your therapist will only expose the particular area that he/she is working on, and you will be fully and modestly covered during the rest of the treatment.  

During your session:  Make sure and communicate with your therapist to let them know if the pressure is too light or too deep, if you are uncomfortable with any procedure, or if you have any other concerns or areas you want focused on.  Our therapists are happy to chat with you if you'd like to talk, or perfectly happy to let you relax in silence. We ask that you silence all cell phones and mobile devices, so that they do not interrupt you or our other guests.  

After your session:  You will be given water to help hydrate and clear the toxins that are released during your session. Your therapist may go over stretches that are suggested to assist with muscle tightness or soreness between sessions, or home care products that will maintain your service benefits until your next session. Feel free to schedule your next treatment at this time, or 24 hours a day here on our website.  

Things to consider if you're coming in for massage: Vigorous massage should be avoided by people with bleeding disorders, low blood platelet counts, and by people taking blood-thinning medications such as Warfarin. Massage should not be done in any area of the body with blood clots, fractures, open or healing wounds, skin infections, weakened bones (such as from osteoporosis or cancer), or where there has been a recent surgery. Although massage therapy is generally safe for cancer patients, they should consult their oncologist before having a massage that involves deep or intense pressure. Any direct pressure over a tumor usually is discouraged.  

For certain medical conditions, massage therapy should be avoided until the condition has subsided. General contraindications for massage or spa services include systemic contagious or infectious diseases, including Covid-19, the common cold, flu, fever over 100 degrees, and surgery with anesthesia within the past 6 weeks. For the following conditions, massage therapy is locally contraindicated (meaning the affected area should be avoided): 

*Acute flare-up of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis

*Deep vein thrombosis

*Aneurysm 

*Local contagious or irritable skin conditions 

*Open sores or wounds 

*Recent surgery 

*Recent burn 

*Varicosities 

*Malignancy  

If you feel like you are coming down with a cold or flu, please call the day before your appointment to reschedule, just to be safe and to avoid charges for same-day cancellation. If you are dealing with a serious health condition, check with your health care provider before seeking massage therapy and make sure you inform your massage practitioner of any health conditions that may affect your services. In some circumstances, you may be asked to provide medical consent from your doctor prior to receiving services. Massage and skin therapy do not constitute medical treatment and are not a substitute for a medical examination or diagnosis.

For services provided to guests who are under age 18, a parent or legal guardian must be present at the location during the service, and sign our intake and waiver form on behalf of the child. In addition, all guests under age 18 will receive services from a licensed therapist who is of the same gender as the child. Guests age 15 and under must have a parent or legal guardian in the room with them during their services. Please contact us in advance to let us know if you will be bringing in your child to receive services, so we can assure we have you scheduled with an appropriate therapist. Not all of our therapists perform services on children. 

In addition to the items that you should expect if you're new to our spa or massage, there are a few other things to take into consideration if you're having a skin care service at Morgan Ford Spas:

Full Body Scrub (Salt, Sugar or Scented):  Do not shave your legs (or other body parts that are to be treated) on the day of your service.  Shaving on the day of your scrub will open up the hair follicles and pores, increasing the chances that the dead sea salt or sugar scrub may irritate your skin.  It's better to save shaving for after your treatment.

Facials:  Arrive with as little makeup as possible.  Your face will be cleansed prior to the treatment; however, excess makeup or eye make up may be difficult to remove or interfere with your facial treatment. Check out our time lapsed facial video >>>

 
Waxing:  Hair should be a minimum of 1/4" in the area to be waxed (about the length of an average eyelash).  If hair is in excess of 1/2", we recommend trimming it to 1/2" or less, to make your waxing treatment more comfortable.  Excessively long hair can cause the wax to "pull" and may lead to a painful experience.  You may also want to purchase GiGi topical anesthetic spray (available in our spa or on our website) to apply 20 minutes prior to your appointment.  This product contains 4% Lidocaine, which numbs the skin and makes waxing less painful.

We use a 6 step waxing process, including cleansing the area, applying a prep oil to keep the wax from sticking to your skin, powdering the area (for larger areas), wax application, Azulene oil application to remove any wax residue, and application of Finipil post-wax lotion to prevent ingrown hairs and sanitize the area.

We use a beeswax-based soft wax which is removed with a cloth strip, and a beeswax-based hard wax which maintains its flexibility and does not require the use of cloth strips for removal.  Your particular waxing technician may use one or both types of wax, depending on the body part being treated.