Nuru Massage is perhaps not a “normal” massage, yet it’s still a treatment that uses regular massage techniques, and hence general massage precautions and contraindications apply. The latter are of great importance to observe, but in this post we’d like to stress some specific safety aspects with regard to Nuru Massage.
Pregnant Women
Pregnant women should not receive or give a body-to-body Nuru Massage. It’s contraindicated because of the use of highly slippery Nuru gel; there’s simply too much risk involved in making an unfortunate slip, slide, or glide (by either the receiver or giver) and subsequently hurting the abdominal area.
Choosing the Right Gel
It’s best to choose a Nuru gel that has natural ingredients in order to avoid allergic reactions.
Nevertheless, even from natural compounds you can have an allergic reaction, so always inquire what type of Nuru gel is used and if you doubt, test it first on a patch of your skin. Leave it for five minutes on your skin and see if all is okay.
Also keep in mind that oil-based Nuru gel (in contrast to water-based gels) can damage latex condoms, so before using a condom one should cleanup well. Alternatively, you can use polyurethane condoms, which can handle oil-based lubricants.
Mutual Consent
To ensure a safe and enjoyable Nuru Massage the question of reaching consent needs to be addressed in order to avoid embarrassing or even traumatic experiences.
Consent in Nuru Massage is about agreeing on what’s exactly about to happen in the session, and particularly about agreeing on what the boundaries are with respect to sexual acts. Think of acts like mutual toch, kissing, or sexual intercourse, etc.
Hygiene in Nuru Massage
Cleanliness of both the receiver’s and giver’s body and of the massage location is of great importance for hygienic reasons, that is, to not receive or transfer pathogens (a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease).
Nevertheless, some STIs (sexually transmitted infections) such as syphilis, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus can spread through genital skin-to-skin contact, which may be a risk in Nuru Massage if the genitals come into contact with each other. Hence, using a condom, even if there will be no sexual intercourse, is advised.
Mind that HIV infection can only happen when the HIV virus spreads through transfer of bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids. When receiving a commercial (professional) Nuru Massage it’s advised to use a condom and not engage in kissing, which prevents exchange of these fluids hence making the risk of HIV very low.
Massage Surface
A professional Nuru Massage practitioner will typically provide an appropriate and safe surface (i.e. bedding) on which to perform the session.
Mind that Nuru Massage is often carried out on a double-sized air mattress on the floor, which keeps things safe if one would slip away. Yet, if done on a normal (elevated) bed it would likewise need a double-sized or king-size bed (with a waterproof protection placed on it), not only because of the space needed to perform the massage, but also to avoid tumbling onto the floor if one would accidently slip away.
For those who want to have a do-it-yourself session at home, please check out our posts Nuru Massage for Couples and Nuru Massage Kits & Necessary Materials to have a safe and secure experience.
Hydration
You will lose a lot of fluids during a Nuru session, so it’s important to keep water nearby to stay hydrated during and after the massage to have a pleasant experience.
Choosing a Professional Nuru Massage Provider
If you opt for a professional i.e. commercial Nuru Massage session, make sure that you choose a reputed and trusted service provider. You can read more about this in our post Choosing Your Nuru Service Provider.
Receive occasional news about our new eBook and Video Workshop publications.