Dr. Dot

Stein was born and raised in Manchester, Connecticut.{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Al |date=May 16, 2016 |title=Dr. Dot, masseuse to the stars |url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2016/05/16/dr-dot-masseuse-to-the-stars/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Hudson Reporter |language=en-US}} She is of Swedish and Italian ancestry.{{Cite magazine |last=Primi |first=Michelle |title=Un tocco rock |language=Italian |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=http://www.drdot.com/pictures/press/original/pdot146.jpg}} According to Stein, her Swedish ancestors fled Sweden to Blackpool, England then to New England/America."{{Cite news |last=Gizowska |first=Anna |date=March 16, 2003 |title=A life in the day: Dr Dot, masseuse to the stars |language=en |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/a-life-in-the-day-dr-dot-masseuse-to-the-stars-xm2ptd5v9h6 |access-date=May 7, 2022 |issn=0140-0460}} {{subscription required}} She moved to Dover, New Hampshire at the age of ten. Since her father was in the Navy, Stein moved often and attended fifteen different schools before graduating from Rockville High School in 1985.

She started massaging at the age of five; Stein's mother encouraged her to bite her since she was not strong enough to give a good massage.{{Cite web |last=Karydes |first=Megy |date=March 28, 2018 |title=There's a Psychological Reason This Biting Masseuse Went Viral--and Your Startup Can Use It |url=https://www.inc.com/megy-karydes/psychological-reason-biting-masseuse-went-viral-your-startup-can-use.html |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=Inc. |language=en}} Her "hippie" parents taught her massage techniques followed by more formal training.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Craig |date=January 4, 2013 |title=What's the rub? Celebrity masseuse tells all |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/01/04/massage-therapist-to-the-stars/1758463/ |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}} Her parents would also take her to concerts from a young age, including several Grateful Dead ones. Following her parents' divorce, Stein started to sneak into concerts, but then began offering her massage services in exchange for concert tickets and backstage passes. At age 15, her first clients were Def Leppard.{{Cite web |last=Warrington |first=Ruby |date=September 2, 2015 |title=The Go-To Massage Therapist for the Stones, Katy Perry Expands Her Empire |url=https://observer.com/2015/09/the-go-to-massage-therapist-for-the-stones-katy-perry-expands-her-empire/ |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=The Observer |language=en-US}} Stein commented that she "went to every Def Leppard show and massaged them. I built a network with those people and eventually started massaging bands to get into shows."{{Cite web |last=Galbraith |first=Alex |date=July 22, 2016 |title=Dr. Dot Gets Paid Thousands Of Dollars To Bite Kanye West, David Bowie |url=https://uproxx.com/music/dr-dot-bite-massage-kanye-west-david-bowie/ |access-date=May 8, 2022 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}} Stein traveled with The Stones on three consecutive tours and went on three tours with the Rolling Stones, where she made $2000 per week. She gained a reputation for "having hands of steel." Stein estimates that she has seen at least 3,000 free concerts.{{Cite web |last=Helman |first=Peter |date=July 21, 2016 |title=David Bowie, Kanye West, & Sting Agreed To Be Bitten By This Massage Therapist |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1889561/david-bowie-kanye-west-sting-agreed-to-be-bitten-by-this-massage-therapist/news/ |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}

Frank Zappa gave her the "Dr. Dot" moniker in 1988{{Cite web |last=Izon |first=Juliet |date=June 28, 2017 |title=Kanye West and Lady Gaga Pay This Woman to Bite Them |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kanye-west-and-steven-tyler-pay-this-woman-to-bite-them |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}} in reference to her "expert skills." Stein worked for free until 1994 when Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts convinced her she needed to get paid. Subsequently, Stein went to massage school and became certified. She was trained at a medical massage school in Berlin and received some professional training at the San Francisco School of Massage.{{Cite web |last=Catlin |first=Roger |date=October 18, 1999 |title=Rock 'N' Rub |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-10-18-9910181083-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220515083826/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-10-18-9910181083-story.html |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en}}

Following the birth of her daughter in 1989, Stein moved to Berlin. When Stein first arrived in Berlin, she worked various jobs, including a waitress at an Irish Pub, a cleaning lady, and as a Madonna doppelgänger.{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2010 |title=Dr. Dot: Building an empire one massage at a time |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20100309/25767/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=The Local |language=en-US}}

Stein has a rule about not having sex with her clients. Her one exception was with actor Bruce Willis who she had a brief affair with after his split with Demi Moore. Stein noted, "That was the biggest mistake I ever made."{{Cite web |last=Parry |first=Wayne |date=January 19, 2004 |title=Dr. Dot: Up Close and Personal with Stars |url=https://greensboro.com/dr-dot-up-close-and-personal-with-stars/article_84c1ebf7-9026-52f5-82c7-7aca419a1778.html |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=The Associated Press |publisher= |language=en |via=News & Record}} According to her, the actor threatened to sue her if she published anything about him in the United States.

Stein took a break from massaging and attended the University of New Hampshire from 1987 to 1988 where she studied French and photography.{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Janice |date=October 26, 2014 |title=Star masseuse: Dr. Dot hasn't forgotten Seacoast roots |url=https://www.fosters.com/story/business/2014/10/26/star-masseuse-dr-dot-hasn/36071381007/ |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=Foster's Daily Democrat |language=en-US}}

Stein has built a repertoire of celebrity clients over the years.{{Cite web |last=Avila |first=Theresa |date=July 22, 2016 |title=Celebrities Now Paying to Have People Literally Bite Them |url=https://www.thecut.com/2016/07/celebrities-are-paying-for-massage-and-bite.html |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=The Cut |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Bryant |first=Kenzie |date=July 22, 2016 |title=Justin Bieber Moaned and Someone Bit Kanye: An Unprecedented Week in Celebrity Massage News |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2016/07/justin-bieber-kanye-west-massage |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}} Some of her clients include Katy Perry, Eminem, Courtney Love, Robert Plant, Simon Cowell, David Bowie, Juliette Lewis, Kanye West, and Mariah Carey. To help keep up with the high demand of her services, Stein assembled a team of massage therapists. She named her business Dr. Dot International Massage and Chiropractic Team and the contracted therapists are known as "Dot Bots." Stein employs a staff of over 1,000 across 30 countries. Stein vets and approves each therapist who must be either certified or licensed and have at least one year of experience. Treatment starts at $150 per hour and increases as it gets later in the evening. Stein and her team of masseurs tailor their massages to address common physiological conditions in musicians, such as tendinitis, trigger finger, and myofascial pain syndrome.{{Cite journal |last=Gordin |first=Karina |date=January 25, 2018 |title=Bodywork: Tuning the Instrument of the Soul |url=https://mmd.iammonline.com/index.php/musmed/article/view/555 |journal=Music and Medicine |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=18–21 |doi=10.47513/mmd.v10i1.555 |issn=1943-863X|url-access=subscription }} Stein also provides a mobile spa service that offers facials, pedicures, and manicures.

Stein released her own brand of massage oil made with argan.

File:Ruslana Eisenschmidt(l.) mit Promi-Masseuse Dr. Dot aus New York in Berlin im 90 Grad.jpg.]]

Stein trademarked her Bite Massage in 2017{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87158281&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=United States Patent and Trademark Office |publisher=}} and videos of Stein's massages have gone viral. Stein admits the Bite Massage is her "most controversial" technique. She claims biting someone's back results in better blood circulation. Without adding any oil, Stein bites the client's entire back in a "very fluent motion section by section" and avoids biting any bones. Stein also bites the client's neck, shoulders, and sometimes the glutes. Her bites are large but not enough to break the skin. According to Stein, the bites go deep enough to "tenderize" the back muscles and prepare them for the traditional massage that follows. Stein only offers the Bite Massage to select clients.

Some medical experts have raised concerns about Stein's Bite Massage.{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2016 |title=The Gossip: The next Bond girl (probably) is... |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/848c4b64-c441-435a-a059-1b2ad8be33c6 |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Newsbeat |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Physician Holly Phillips says that "about 10 to 15 percent of human bite wounds become infected by bacteria. There is also the potential for transmission of viruses like hepatitis B." Joshua Zeichner, an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, stated that human bites can transmit infectious diseases and "does not recommend, under any circumstance, being bit by another person."{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Kylie |date=July 26, 2016 |title=Celebrities Are Paying to Be Bitten—Seriously |url=https://news.yahoo.com/celebrities-paying-bitten-seriously-110000854.html |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=Shape |language=en-US}}

During an appearance on This Morning, Stein demonstrated her biting technique on host Eamonn Holmes, first biting his hand then his shoulder.{{Cite news |date=June 29, 2018 |title=Eamonn Holmes gets chomped by bite massage specialist on This Morning |language=en-GB |work=Belfast Telegraph |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/eamonn-holmes-gets-chomped-by-bite-massage-specialist-on-this-morning-37064044.html |access-date=May 7, 2022 |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite web |last=Mozafari |first=Laurence |date=June 29, 2018 |title=Masseuse bites Eamon Holmes on This Morning |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a860556/this-morning-masseuse-bites-eamonn-holmes-paid-200-a-session-to-bite-bums/ |access-date=May 14, 2022 |website=Digital Spy |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2018 |title=Eamonn Holmes getting bit by massause is the strangest thing you'll see |url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/eamonn-holmes-getting-bit-by-massause/ |access-date=May 7, 2022 |website=Heart |language=en}}

In February 2009, Stein flew in to Georgia to treat then-president Mikheil Saakashvili. Stein posted an image of Saakashvili's arm around her on her blog and an account of her trip. Some members of a Georgian opposition group used the photo as a poster campaign against Saakashvili. Russia Today sought to portray Stein's visit as "a sign that Mr. Saakashvili is using his office to live a life of at least mildly kinky luxury, fit for a rock star." Stein responded that "Georgian media and opposition were distorting the contents of her blog by taking things out of context."{{Cite web |last=Stern |first=David L. |date=April 23, 2009 |title=Can humor, and a masseuse, bring down a president? |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2009-04-23/can-humor-and-masseuse-bring-down-president |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=The World |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=April 1, 2009 |title=Pro-Opposition Youth Groups Step-up Campaign in Lead up to April Rallies |url=https://old.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=20646 |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Civil Georgia}} Opponents of Saakashvili accused him of using public funds to fly Dot to Georgia for a massage. Giga Bokeria, a top advisor to Saakashvili, stated that the government did not spend money on Stein's visit and the president's opponents were "trying to smear his reputation."{{Cite web |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=April 8, 2009 |title=A President, His Masseuse and Her Blog |url=https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/a-president-his-masseuse-and-her-blog/ |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US}} Saakashvili maintained that he received only a single massage from Stein. However, Stein said she massaged Saakashvili multiple times and received {{€}}2,000 in compensation. Stein also said Saakashvili gave her "a bunch of presents" including a gold necklace with a religious pendant.{{Cite news |last=Horowitz |first=Jason |date=September 19, 2014 |title=Exile in Brooklyn, With an Eye on Georgia |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/world/europe/mikheil-saakashvili-georgias-ex-president-plots-return-from-williamsburg-brooklyn.html |access-date=May 15, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Taub |first=Amanda |date=September 21, 2014 |title=What you need to know about ex-President, current hipster Mikheil Saakashvili |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/9/21/6549209/saakashvili-georgia-president-brooklyn-williamsburg-human-rights |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Vox |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Lauren |date=September 19, 2014 |title=Ex-Georgian President Fits Right In Here In Williamsburg 2014 |url=https://gothamist.com/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Gothamist |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Klikushin |first=Mikhail |date=February 16, 2015 |title=Georgia President Who Ate His Tie Advises Ukrainians How to 'Capture All of Russia' |url=https://observer.com/2015/02/georgia-president-who-ate-his-tie-advises-ukrainians-how-to-capture-all-of-russia/ |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=The Observer |language=en-US}} In 2014, the Prosecutor's Office filed embezzlement charges against Saakashvili; one of the expenditures included Stein.{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2014 |title=I love Saakashvili! – Massage specialist Dr Dot |url=https://georgianjournal.ge/society/27999-i-love-saakashvili-massage-specialist-dr-dot.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Georgian Journal}}

Saakashvili's association with Stein worsened the image of his party, the United National Movement, in the eyes of Georgian voters.{{Cite journal |last=McGlinchey |first=Eric M. |date=September 2009 |title=Searching for Kamalot: Political Patronage and Youth Politics in Uzbekistan |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27752341 |journal=Europe-Asia Studies |publisher=Routledge |volume=61 |issue=7 |page=1147 |doi=10.1080/09668130903068665 |issn=0966-8136 |jstor=27752341|s2cid=154227724 |url-access=subscription }}

Stein is also a popular sex advice columnist. Her column, "Ask Dr. Dot," ran in Penthouse and the New York Press and now is published exclusively in the English-language German magazine Exberliner. Stein has also posed in Penthouse.

Stein published a book, "Backstage and Butt Naked," in Germany in 1994.

Stein was approached by General Motors in 2015 to help create a unique in-car self-massage technique.{{Cite web |last=Bowen |first=Alison |date=September 10, 2015 |title=Zen commute can take you to a better place |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-0916-commute-zen-20150910-story.html |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en}}

Stein dated musician Joey Ramone for three years. She was 15 at the time and maintains that Ramone did not know her real age. Stein had a daughter at age 21 with a German man she met at a Grateful Dead concert. Stein stated that they are "still good friends" and he takes care of their daughter when Stein visits Berlin on a tour. Stein later married and divorced her second husband, a Turkish national, with whom she had a son. Stein is raising the child on her own. She speaks German.

Stein splits her time between Berlin and Hoboken, New Jersey.

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://drdot.com/}}

Category:1967 births

Category:Living people

Category:Masseurs

Category:People from Manchester, Connecticut

Category:American people of Swedish descent

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:People from Dover, New Hampshire

Category:American sex columnists

Category:American women columnists

Category:People in alternative medicine

Category:Massage therapy