Red flags or AIO?
UPDATE TO THIS 1/6/2025: He called me and told me to drink water and then said he would refund me in full. This occurred after I texted him that I was in pain and I knew about his license being expired since April.
I know this is a common topic, but I don’t get massages often, so I want to know if this is normal. I am female and I went to a male massage therapist. He has great reviews online. I went to him once and I was a little sore in some parts, but he did massages at the base of my scalp and behind my ears and it was SO bruised, it caused my healthcare coworkers to gasp. I thought that maybe it was my fault for not communicating that the pressure was too intense. So yesterday, I went back for a second time, for a 2 hour appointment and told myself that I would just communicate better. This 2 hour massage was the most painful massage of my life. And I told the guy MULTIPLE TIMES. He told me that he wanted me to feel like I was on cloud nine when I walked out of there (I did not, I just felt sore). At one point, I said “That really hurts” and he replied with “I know, I’m such a big meanie beating you up like this.” This gave me the ick, but I kept going. When he got to my legs facing up, he massaged my left inner thigh and it felt like he was 2 inches from my crotch, but he wasn’t on it, so I said nothing. Then on the right, he worked (painfully) on my inner hip for a long time and acknowledged that he was close to my crotch and that he was trying to be respectful. And I was draped enough, so I shook it off. Today, I woke up, and no part of me felt like I was walking taller. I’m sore to the touch and I’m sore when I move and I just don’t know what is normal. I told him when I started that I wanted a massage for stress relief, but it was so stressful the whole time. I was in such pain on the table, I was sweating. No part of it was relaxing in anyway and today, I’m in a lot of pain. So, is this normal or am I overreacting?