Tipping is also a way of recognizing a massage therapist's hard and physically demanding work, she says. “When in doubt, tip your massage therapist unless they very specifically say otherwise,” Denney says. But note that some massage therapists will expressly ask you not to tip.

We spoke to two etiquette experts, who suggested leaving a 15% to 20% tip, if you're able. Twenty percent is generous for the massage therapist and easy on the brain, which may be feeling more relaxed than ever after a massage. The math is straightforward. To find 20%, start by finding 10%, then double that amount.

The term masseuse is a French word that refers to a female who practices massage. (Males in the industry were known as masseurs.) However, due to certain unsavory connotations (as well as the need for more gender neutral terminology), both male and female massage practitioners go by the term “massage therapist”.