Table of Contents
The short answer
Choose by what you want from the session, not by the name on the menu. If you want to rest and have never had a massage, book a Swedish or a relaxation massage. If particular muscles feel tight and you like firm pressure, book deep tissue. If scent helps you switch off, book aromatherapy. If it is your feet and lower legs that are tired, book reflexology. If it is your neck and shoulders after a day at a desk, the 30-minute head and shoulder session covers exactly that and nothing else.
All of these are on the spa and wellness page of IHR Dream Cleaning, which brings the sessions to homes in Abu Dhabi. The full-body massages are published at AED 199 for 60 minutes and AED 279 for 90 minutes, and the figure is the same for Swedish, relaxation, deep tissue and aromatherapy. The technique you choose does not change the price, which removes one common reason for picking the wrong session: there is no cheaper or dearer massage here, only the one that fits.
Nothing in this guide is medical advice. Massage is for comfort and relaxation, and a section near the end lists the situations in which you should ask a doctor before booking.
Three questions that settle the choice
Most people can choose in a minute by answering three questions honestly.
What do you want to feel like afterwards?
There are two broad aims. One is rest: you want to lie still for an hour, let your breathing slow and get up calmer than you lay down. The other is work on particular muscles: your shoulders feel like a board, your lower back is stiff after a long drive, your calves are tight after a run. The first aim points to relaxation, Swedish or aromatherapy. The second points to deep tissue, or to a Swedish massage with firmer attention on the areas you name.
If you want both, say so. A therapist can spend most of a session on general, flowing work and part of it on one stubborn area. That request is easier to honour in 90 minutes than in 60, because focused work is slow.
How much pressure do you actually enjoy?
Pressure is the thing people misjudge most. Light pressure moves the skin and the surface of the muscle. It is soothing, and you could fall asleep under it. Medium pressure is what most people mean by a good massage: you can feel the muscle being worked and it is pleasant throughout. Firm pressure sinks into the muscle slowly and can produce a strong, slightly tender sensation on tight spots, the kind people call a 'good hurt'.
A useful test is your breathing. Under the right pressure you can breathe slowly and keep your jaw, hands and shoulders loose. If you catch yourself holding your breath, clenching your teeth or bracing against the therapist's hands, the pressure is too much for that muscle today, whatever you asked for at the start. A muscle that tenses against pressure is being fought, not eased, so more is not better.
The whole body, or one area?
A full-body session covers the back, shoulders, neck, arms, legs and feet in one sequence, and it needs at least 60 minutes. If only one area bothers you, a shorter targeted session can be the better use of your time: 30 minutes on the neck, shoulders and scalp, or 30 to 60 minutes on the feet and lower legs. Our guide to choosing between 30, 60 and 90 minutes explains what fits into each length.
The sessions side by side
The table sets out the six single-person sessions on our pages. The pressure shown is the usual starting point. On every session the therapist adjusts it to what you ask for.
| Session | Usual pressure | What it is | Tends to suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxation | Light | Gentle, flowing full-body strokes with oil | Unwinding and quiet time |
| Swedish | Light to medium | The classic full-body sequence: gliding, kneading, circling | A first massage; general tension |
| Aromatherapy | Light to medium | Gentle Swedish technique with a scented oil blend | People who relax through scent |
| Deep tissue | Firm | Slow, sustained pressure on specific muscles | Long-standing tight areas; regular exercisers |
| Foot reflexology | Medium, focused | Pressure on points of the feet, plus the lower legs | Tired feet and legs |
| Head and shoulder | Medium | Neck, shoulders, upper back and scalp, seated | Desk workers short of time |
Length and published price
Every price already includes VAT. A figure marked 'from' is a starting price for a session with one therapist, confirmed before the session, and the massage prices are on our price list.
| Session | Length on its page | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Relaxation, Swedish, deep tissue, aromatherapy | 60 or 90 minutes | AED 199 or AED 279 |
| Foot reflexology | 30 to 60 minutes | From AED 199 for 60 minutes |
| Head and shoulder | 30 minutes | From AED 99 |
Swedish massage: the classic full-body session
Swedish massage is the style most people picture when they think of a massage, and most other Western techniques grew out of it. It is built from a small set of strokes used in a deliberate order. Long gliding strokes with the palms and forearms spread the oil and warm the muscle. Kneading lifts and squeezes the muscle, much as you would knead dough. Small circular movements with the thumbs or fingertips work around the joints and along the muscles beside the spine. Some therapists add light rhythmic tapping, or a gentle shake of an arm or a leg.
The pressure is light to medium and the pace is steady. Each area is warmed with gliding strokes before any kneading, which is why the session never feels abrupt. You lie on a table under a sheet or towel, face down for the back and the backs of the legs, then face up for the front of the legs, the arms, the neck and the shoulders. Most people get up feeling pleasantly heavy and a little sleepy.
Our Swedish massage page describes it as the classic choice for first-time clients and for gentle full-body relaxation, and that is the right way to see it. It suits you if you are new to massage, if you are not sure how much pressure you like, or if you want the whole body covered evenly instead of one area worked hard. It is also the sensible session to book for someone else, because it asks nothing of the person receiving it.
It is the wrong choice only if you already know that you want strong, slow pressure on particular muscles. A Swedish massage can be made firmer, but its strokes are designed to cover ground, not to stay on one knot for several minutes.
Relaxation massage: the lightest of the full-body sessions
A relaxation massage uses the same family of strokes as a Swedish massage with a different aim. The therapist is not trying to work the muscles at all. The strokes are longer and slower, the pressure stays light unless you ask for more, and the sequence is arranged so that nothing interrupts the feeling of settling down. On our relaxation massage page the session is described as gentle and full-body, with flowing movements, essential oil and pressure set to your comfort.
The honest difference between the two is one of emphasis. A Swedish massage includes more kneading and leaves you with the sense that the muscles have been worked. A relaxation massage is closer to being soothed. If you sit at the lighter end of the pressure scale, mark easily, or simply want an hour of quiet at home with nothing demanded of you, choose relaxation. If you want to stand up feeling that your back and legs have had some attention, choose Swedish.
It tends to suit people at the end of a heavy week, people who want to wind down in the evening, and anyone who finds firm massage unpleasant. It is not designed for a muscle that has been tight for months. Light strokes feel good on such a muscle and change very little, and it is better to know that before you book than to be disappointed afterwards.
Deep tissue massage: slow, firm work on specific muscles
Deep tissue massage is a different way of working, not a harder version of the same thing. The strokes are slow and the pressure is sustained. The therapist uses thumbs, knuckles, the heel of the hand, the forearm and sometimes an elbow to sink gradually into a muscle, then moves along it or holds still on a tight band. The aim is the deeper layers of muscle and the connective tissue around them, in the areas you have named. A deep tissue session therefore often covers less of the body than a Swedish one and spends longer in each place.
It feels intense in a controlled way. On a tight spot you may notice a strong, dull tenderness that eases as the therapist holds the pressure. That sensation should stay within what you can breathe through comfortably. Sharp, burning or shooting pain, or anything that makes you flinch, is a reason to say 'lighter' at once. Mild soreness for a day or two afterwards is common, much like the day after unaccustomed exercise. Our guide on whether deep tissue massage is supposed to hurt covers pressure, soreness and aftercare in full.
Our deep tissue massage page lists the session for athletic recovery, long-standing back and neck stiffness and care after workouts, and asks you to tell the therapist your pressure preference. It tends to suit people who exercise regularly, people whose work holds them in one posture for hours, and people who have had massage before and found the lighter styles pleasant but not enough.
It is a poor choice for a first massage, for anyone in pain from a recent injury, and for anyone who dislikes strong sensation. Deep work on a body that is bracing against it achieves little. If you are unsure, book Swedish, ask for firm pressure on the areas that need it, and see how you feel the next day. You can move to deep tissue next time with a much clearer idea of what you are asking for.
One session will not undo stiffness that has built up over years, and no massage should be booked as treatment for an injury or a medical problem. If pain is new, severe, or comes with numbness, tingling or weakness, see a doctor before you see a therapist.
Aromatherapy massage: a gentle massage with a scented oil
An aromatherapy massage is a light-to-medium, Swedish-style massage in which the oil does part of the work. Essential oils are concentrated extracts taken from plants. A few drops are diluted in a plain carrier oil and that blend is used for the massage, so you smell it and have it on your skin at the same time. The technique itself stays gentle, because the point of the session is calm and strong pressure would work against it.
What changes the experience is the scent. Smell is closely tied to mood and memory, and many people find that a scent they like helps them settle faster than touch alone. That is as far as an honest description can go. An essential oil is not a medicine, and an aromatherapy massage should not be chosen to treat anything.
Our aromatherapy massage page offers lavender, eucalyptus or chamomile blends, and choosing the blend is part of the session. If you are not sure which you would like, our guide to choosing between lavender, eucalyptus and chamomile compares the three.
Choose aromatherapy if scent already matters to you. If you light bukhoor or a candle to change the feel of a room, you will probably enjoy it. Think twice if strong smells give you a headache, if you have asthma, a fragrance allergy or very reactive skin, or if you are pregnant. In those cases tell us when you book, so that the blend can be changed or left out, and consider a relaxation massage with a plain oil instead.
One practical point for homes that run the air conditioning with the windows shut: a scent lingers in a closed room for some hours. That is pleasant if you like it and tiresome if someone else in the household does not, so pick the room with that in mind.
Reflexology and head and shoulder: the shorter, targeted sessions
Two sessions on our pages leave the full-body sequence aside and put all their time into one region. Neither needs a massage table, and you stay dressed for both.
Foot reflexology
Reflexology is pressure applied with the thumbs and fingers to specific points on the feet, worked through in a set pattern. It comes from the traditional idea that points on the foot correspond to other parts of the body. That idea is not a basis for diagnosing or treating anything, and a careful therapist will not tell you what a tender point 'means' about your health. What you can fairly expect is simpler. The feet carry your weight all day, they are rarely touched with any care, and firm, methodical pressure on them is deeply relaxing.
On our foot reflexology page the session covers the feet and lower legs, runs 30 to 60 minutes and is aimed at tired feet and legs after long periods of standing. It can also be added to a full-body session. A comfortable chair or sofa is enough, with trousers that roll to the knee. If you have diabetes, circulation problems, a foot injury or are pregnant, say so when booking. We explain separately how a foot massage differs from reflexology.
Head and shoulder relief
The head and shoulder session is 30 minutes on the upper back, neck, shoulders and scalp: the areas that tighten when you spend the day looking at a screen. It is given seated on an upright chair, so it needs very little space. Because it is short and concentrated, it suits people who want one area dealt with and have no wish for a full-body session.
It does not replace one. Thirty minutes is not long enough to reach the lower back or the legs, and if tension runs through your whole back a 60-minute Swedish or deep tissue session is the better booking.
Combination massage: mixing techniques in one session
A combination massage is not a separate technique. It is a session in which the therapist uses more than one: typically Swedish strokes over the whole body, with slower and firmer deep tissue work on one or two areas that need it. In practice most good massages are combinations already, because a therapist adapts to what the hands find.
The way to get one is to ask for it clearly. Book the session that matches most of what you want, then say when booking, and again before the session starts, something like: 'medium pressure overall, but please spend extra time on my shoulders and go firmer there'. Give the areas, the pressure for each and anything to avoid.
Three combinations come up often. The first is Swedish with focused firm work on the neck and shoulders, which suits desk workers who also want to relax. The second is a full-body session with reflexology added for the feet. The third pairs a scrub with a massage: a Moroccan bath followed by a relaxation or aromatherapy massage in the same visit. The order in which treatments should follow one another is covered in our guide to planning a home spa day.
Two people can also book together. A couples massage is two therapists working side by side in the same room, and each person can have a relaxation or a firmer style. If you want a different treatment for each person, say so when you book.
When to ask a doctor before booking
Massage suits most healthy adults, but it is hands-on work on muscle and skin and it is not right in every situation. Ask your doctor first, and tell us when booking, if any of the following applies to you.
- You are pregnant. Ask your doctor or midwife whether massage is suitable at this stage and which positions to avoid.
- You have had surgery or an injury recently, including a sprain, a muscle tear or a fracture.
- You have, or have had, a blood clot, or you take blood-thinning medicine.
- You have a skin condition, a rash, sunburn, an open wound or an infection in the area to be worked on.
- You have a fever or feel unwell. Move the booking: a massage will not help, and you may pass the illness on.
- You are being treated for a serious illness, such as a heart condition or cancer.
- You have diabetes or poor circulation and are booking a foot session.
- You have asthma or a fragrance allergy and are booking aromatherapy.
What to tell the therapist on the day
Our pages ask you to mention injuries, pregnancy, recent surgery, allergies and areas to avoid before the session starts, and to state your pressure preference outright. Pressure is easier to set at the beginning than to correct halfway through.
A therapist is not a doctor and will not diagnose anything. If something noticed during a session worries you, such as a lump, swelling you cannot explain, or pain that does not behave like muscle soreness, take it to a doctor.
What each session asks of you and your room
Because these sessions come to your home, the practical side can decide the choice as much as the technique. The table shows where you are during each session, what you wear and how much floor it takes.
| Session | Where you are | What you wear | Space needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxation, Swedish, aromatherapy, deep tissue | Lying on a massage table | Undressed to your comfort, under a sheet | About 2 m by 3 m |
| Couples massage | Two tables side by side | As above | Room to walk round both tables |
| Foot reflexology | Seated on a chair or sofa | Dressed, trousers rolled to the knee | The seat and a little floor in front |
| Head and shoulder | Seated on an upright chair | Dressed, collar loosened | The chair and a little space behind |
When the practical side decides it
If you cannot clear the floor for a table, or you would prefer not to undress, the two seated sessions are the natural choice and need no apology. If you dislike the feel of oil on your skin, say so when you book and ask whether the session can be given through the sheet or through thin clothing. It is less fluid that way, and it suits lighter pressure better than deep work.
The table sessions also ask for a room that stays private and quiet for the whole booking. If your home cannot offer that at the hour you want, a 30-minute seated session is easier to protect from interruption than a 90-minute one.
Common questions
Which massage is right for a first-timer?
A 60-minute Swedish massage at medium pressure. It covers the whole body, it shows you how you respond to being worked on, and it gives you a reference point: next time you will know whether you wanted lighter, firmer, longer or more time on one area. Tell the therapist it is your first massage. A good one will check in more often and explain what is coming, such as when to turn over.
Is Swedish or deep tissue the better choice for a stiff back?
It depends on how long the stiffness has been there and how you take pressure. For stiffness that arrived this week, after a long drive, a bad night or a day of lifting, a Swedish massage with firmer attention on the back is usually enough. For tight bands you have carried for months, and if you are comfortable with strong pressure, deep tissue is the session designed for it.
If the pain is sharp, runs down a leg, or comes with numbness or weakness, neither is the right first step. See a doctor.
Can I change the type once the therapist arrives?
Pressure and focus, yes: those are agreed at the start of every session and can be adjusted throughout. A different treatment or a different length is best requested before the appointment, because it can affect the time set aside and, for aromatherapy, the oils that are brought. Ask as early as you can and it will be confirmed if it is possible.
How often should I book?
There is no rule, and nobody needs a massage on a schedule. A monthly session is a common routine for general relaxation. People working on one tight area often book closer together for a few weeks and then spread the sessions out. After firm work, leave a few days before the next session so that any soreness has gone.
What if I pick the wrong one?
Very little is lost. Say so in the first few minutes: 'this is lighter than I hoped' or 'this is too much for me' is all the therapist needs to change course within the session you booked. Then book differently next time. It often takes a session or two to find the style and pressure that suit you.
How to book
Choose the session on the spa and wellness page, pick the length, and book online or in the IHR Dream app with your address and preferred time. Sessions run every day, 8 AM – 8 PM. The price is confirmed before you pay, and payment is by card online.
In the notes, name the treatment you have chosen, the pressure you like, the areas you want attention on and anything the therapist should avoid. Our guide to how a home massage session works covers the room, the preparation and what happens on the day.
Services in this article
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- Is Deep Tissue Massage Supposed to Hurt? Pressure, Soreness and AftercareSpa and wellness · 18 min read
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