There are many reasons why a massage therapist might be wearing Massage Gloves.
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Intra-oral massage – Intra-oral massage is a specialized type of massage therapy that can aid in the relief of jaw problems such a TMJ dysfunction.
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Contagious disease – If you have a contagious skin disease such as ringworm, massage is contraindicated, meaning that you should receive medical treatment by a doctor and be fully healing before seeking massage. However, if the infection is localized, meaning it’s only on a small part of your body (such as a fungal infection on the feet), the therapist can choose to avoid the area and work using gloves for extra protection.
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Broken skin – If you or the therapist has broken skin, such as a cut on the finger, it’s best for the massage therapist to wear gloves. This decreases the chances of any cross-contamination from their blood or yours.
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Cancer treatment – Chemotherapy is actually transferrable through skin-to-skin contact. Massage therapy can be a wonderful therapy to provide to people with cancer, but if you have recently gone through chemotherapy treatment, you should inform your massage therapist so they can wear gloves so they won’t receive any of the chemo by massaging your bare skin.
When you hear the words “Cut Resistant Gloves”, what comes to mind? If you picture thick, chainmail gloves, you’re not alone.
However, many of today’s most cut-resistant gloves are just the opposite – thin, form-fitting and very comfortable. Yet, they can still repel blades. How is that possible?
Cut resistance meets Geometry 101
To understand the science behind cut resistance, picture a triangle with each point representing one element of cut-resistant technology: strength, hardness and rolling action. These three elements form the basis of cut-resistant technology.
On their own, each provides a base level of cut resistance, but once you start combining them, that’s when the cut resistance truly starts to add up.
To combine cut-resistant elements, you have to start at the very beginning – the yarn. Looking closely at HPPE Cut Resistant Gloves it will appear to be made with only one yarn, but it’s actually a three-ply yarn that has been engineered to combine several elements into one.
Strength
The strength element refers to the inherent strength of the material used to produce the yarn. In terms of protective gloves, both para-aramid and high-performance poly ethylene (HPPE) are considered very strong fibers.
If those names sound strange, you’re probably more familiar with their brand names, such as Kevlar (para aramid) and Dyneema (HPPE). Although these fibers are extremely strong, on their own they typically produce gloves with an ANSI Cut Level 2, which is not very cut resistant; however, when combined with other elements from the cut-resistance triangle, they can produce yarn that offers the highest levels of cut resistance.