Table Shower Massage: Before or After the Massage?
A table shower massage is a massage with a table shower attached to one end of it. The table shower itself is short: you rest on a padded table in a fully tiled private room while warm water falls over you and the therapist works an exfoliating cloth across your back, legs and shoulders before you turn over. The question most people have is which end of the massage it belongs on.
The direct answer: take it before the massage if you want warm, clean skin for the oil work, and take it after if you want to leave without oil on you. At 205 Spa in Saddle Brook it can be taken before or after any massage, and you decide at the front desk. This guide covers both orders, what the full visit looks like, how the tiled room is kept clean, and how to ask for it.
Before the massage: warm up and clean skin for oil work
Taking the table shower first prepares the body for the massage. Warm water running over the back and legs loosens the surface muscles, and the exfoliating cloth clears sweat, lotion and dead skin so the massage oil glides instead of dragging. Many people find that a deep tissue or hot stone session feels deeper when the muscles are already warm from the water.
The before order suits people coming in from work. If you have driven in on Route 80 or finished a shift on your feet, the water is a clean line between the day and the table. You arrive wound up, you leave the tiled room warm and quiet, and the massage starts from there. The only trade off is that you finish the visit with oil on your skin, which the time to rest after the session helps with.
After the massage: rinse off the oil and close the session
Taking the table shower after the massage is the practical order. Oil based sessions such as Swedish, deep tissue, aromatherapy and four hands leave oil on the skin, and the table shower takes it off. You walk out clean, your clothes stay clean, and you can go straight to the car, to dinner or to a late shift.
The after order also works as a finish. The massage loosens the muscles, then the warm water and the cloth give the skin a last pass before you dress. If you would like the warmth first and the rinse last, you can ask about both ends, though most guests pick one.
What the full visit looks like
A table shower massage visit has four parts: a short conversation, the massage, the table shower on whichever end you chose, and time to rest and rehydrate. The order below shows the after version, which is the most common at 205 Spa.
- Check in at the front desk, say which massage you want and that you want the table shower after it. No appointment is needed, though calling ahead holds a room.
- A short conversation with the therapist about sore spots, injuries and the pressure you like.
- The massage in a private treatment room with fresh linens. Oil based sessions undress to comfort with draping.
- The table shower in the fully tiled private room: padded table, warm water, the exfoliating cloth across your back, legs and shoulders, then you turn over.
- Dry off with fresh linens, dress, and rest in the relaxation area with water before you drive.
| Massage | Oil | Usual table shower order |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish massage | Yes | After, to rinse the oil |
| Deep tissue massage | Yes | Before, for warm muscles, or after |
| Four hands massage | Yes | After |
| Hot stone massage | Yes | Before, since the stones already warm the body |
| Shiatsu or Thai massage | No, clothed | Optional, before, for the warmth |
Sanitation in the tiled private room
The table shower room at 205 Spa is fully tiled and private, and that is the sanitation answer. Tile and a drained floor can be washed down between guests. The padded table wipes clean, the exfoliating cloth is fresh for each person, and the linens you dry off with are fresh too, the same as in every treatment room.
Privacy is the other half of safety. You undress in private, you are draped on the table, and the only other person in the room is your therapist. The door stays closed. If you have cuts, sunburn, a rash or recent waxing, skip the cloth that day. Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure under treatment or who is pregnant should ask their doctor before a warm water treatment and the massage with it.
How it is listed on the menu and how to ask
On the 205 Spa menu the table shower is its own line on the services page, and it is added to a massage at the front desk. Pricing is by phone or in person, so call ahead or ask when you arrive. There are no memberships. You pick the massage and the length, and you say which end the table shower goes on.
Three things are worth saying at the desk. First, the massage style, since clothed styles such as shiatsu do not need the rinse. Second, the pressure you want, which the therapist will confirm again in the room. Third, whether you need dry hair for work, so the therapist can wrap it before the water starts. If the tiled room is in use when you walk in, the desk will tell you whether starting with the massage makes more sense.
Benefits of adding the table shower
The benefits are clean, exfoliated skin, warmer muscles going into the massage, and a calmer finish coming out of it. Exfoliation is the clearest. The cloth lifts dead surface skin, and the water carries it away, so skin feels smoother for days. Warm water is a mild form of hydrotherapy, and studies suggest it can ease perceived muscle tension and help people feel relaxed. Many people find the massage goes deeper on warmed skin.
Table shower vs other hydrotherapy
A Vichy shower is the closest relative. It uses a bar of several shower heads over the table and is mostly a rinse after a scrub or wrap at resort spas. A table shower uses one fixture and the therapist works the cloth the whole time, so it is a scrub as much as a rinse. A steam sauna heats the body without water running over it, and at 205 Spa the steam sauna can be added to a visit as well. For the full explainer, read what a table shower is.
Can you do this at home?
Not the lying down part. A rain shower head and a scrub mitt cover the water and the exfoliation, but the padded table under running water is what makes it a treatment rather than a shower, and that needs a drained, tiled room.
Common combinations at 205 Spa
The most common combination is a Swedish or deep tissue massage with the table shower after. Regulars who come in tight from a commute often flip it and take the water first. The packages on the packages page work with the table shower too.
- Body and Foot combo: a 30 minute body session plus 30 minutes of foot reflexology, with the table shower before the body work.
- Massage and Facial combo: an hour of bodywork then 30 minutes of facial care. Take the table shower between them so the oil is off before the facial.
- Couples Spa Package: in the private couples room. Ask the desk how the tiled room is scheduled for two people.
- Four hands massage: two therapists, oil based, and the table shower after is the usual finish.
Across the wider spa world, table showers also rinse off body scrubs and wraps. At 205 Spa the pairing is with the massage, which is where the time and the benefit are.
Book a table shower massage in Saddle Brook
205 Spa is at 205 N 6th St in Saddle Brook, between Midland Avenue and Market Street, where Routes 80, 17 and 46 meet. We are open every day from 9 AM to 11 PM, walk ins are welcome, and there is free parking on site. Call 201-368-5244 to hold a room, or come in and pick any massage on the menu with the table shower before or after it.
Questions readers ask
Which order do most people choose for the table shower?
After the massage, so the oil is rinsed off before they dress. People who arrive tight from a commute often take it first for the warmth.
Do I need the table shower with a shiatsu massage?
No. Shiatsu is clothed and uses no oil, so there is nothing to rinse. Some guests still take the table shower first for the warm water.
Can I take the table shower both before and after?
Ask at the front desk. Most guests pick one end, and the desk can tell you what the room schedule allows that day.
Do I bring anything for a table shower massage?
No. Fresh linens, draping and the exfoliating cloth are provided. If you need dry hair afterward, ask for a towel wrap before the water starts.