Well-known for their therapeutic virtues, cups are now all the rage for a more surprising application: slimming! This ancestral tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) proves to be so effective in this area that many celebrities, health professionals, bloggers, and columnists are passionate about this new practice, making it THE new trendy beauty secret.
How does it work?
Cellulite, love handles, unsightly folds, bumpy skin, saddlebags… Any fatty accumulation is comparable to an excessive accumulation of adipose cells. These cells hinder the circulation of organic fluids, including lymph, which can no longer properly transport toxins to the organs to be processed. This results in a stagnation of poorly evacuated matter, which is reflected in the external appearance (orange peel skin for example).
To get rid of it, the goal is literally to break down this adipose structure, and thus reactivate good blood and lymphatic circulation.
This is where the cup, a kind of very solid glass pot, comes in. The practitioner heats it to create a vacuum, before applying it to the body. The resulting suction aspirates and folds the skin, producing the famous stimulation. The space between the skin and the muscles is thus “aerated”, which allows a mobilization of organic fluids (blood, lymph, and interstitial fluids).
Manually moved along a muscle, the cup then reproduces a “palpate-roll” movement, formidable against cellulite. This results in effective drainage and elimination, which even lasts after the massage.
Procedure
Stomach, hips, buttocks, legs or arms, the areas to be worked on are first defined. Depending on the silhouette, eating habits, and energetic profile, specific points are then stimulated manually or by moxibustion.
After this preliminary work, the practitioner can apply the cups. The use of a slimming cream or essential oils will also be necessary to facilitate movement on the one hand, and generate better drainage on the other.
Finally, a deep massage of the worked limbs completes the session, which lasts on average 1 hour.
Effects and contraindications
Facing excess fat, swelling, and other tissue sagging, the results of a cupping treatment are visible after the first few sessions! Based on the circulation of organic fluids, this treatment has firming, draining, and detoxifying properties. However, a protocol of 10 treatments will be recommended for obtaining lasting results.
This success is mainly explained by the power of the stimulation, on average 7 times more powerful than a classic manual massage. If poorly dosed, this practice can therefore prove particularly painful! This is why it is important to carefully choose your practitioner, who will know how to find the right dosage for optimal results.
During the treatment, the sensation remains difficult to judge, as the experience varies depending on each person's sensitivity (personally I am a fan). After the treatment, redness and warmth are normal and rather a good sign: the circulation of organic fluids is simply reactivated and the body reacts. This often accompanies a pleasant feeling of lightness.
Accessible to all, cupping treatment should simply be avoided in cases of: pregnancy, varicose veins, skin disorders, burns, open wounds, significant weakness/fatigue.
