Cupping Aftercare Made Simple: What You Should Do (and Avoid)

Cupping is a traditional treatment that is safe, comfortable, and effective for many health disorders. The gentle suction that cupping creates helps loosen and lift connective tissues, increasing blood and lymph flow to your skin and muscles. The right cupping aftercare is important to get the maximum benefits from cupping. It’s important that you follow these guidelines!

What to Do:

1. Stay Hydrated.
   Water helps flush your lymphatic system of the cellular waste that cupping helps release from your tissues. Make sure to drink enough!

2. Stay warm.
   Try to keep the area(s) where you received cupping covered. 

3. Rest.
   After cupping, you may feel more tired than normal or experience flu-like symptoms (such as a headache or general body aches). This your immune system temporarily reacting to the toxins that cupping helps release.

Schedule your next cupping appointment in the Madison, Deforest and surrounding areas with a certified, licensed practitioner.

What to Avoid:

For 4-6 hours after cupping, avoid exposure to:

1. Caffeine, alcohol, sugary foods and drinks, dairy, and processed meats
   These foods slow down your body’s ability to process the treatment, potentially reducing the benefits.

2. Hot showers, saunas, hot tubs and strong air conditioning
   After cupping, your skin will be more sensitive to temperature in the areas where the cups were placed. It’s best to give your skin time to recover. If you are able, shower with filtered water to avoid adding any unnecessary chemicals onto your skin.

3. Intense exercise 

4. Cold and windy conditions.
   Remember to stay warm and keep covered!

To prepare for cupping:

1. Hydrate. Water is essential for your health, especially for your lymphatic system! This system clears away cellular waste from your body and it needs water to do this effectively. Cupping supports and boosts your lymphatic system - so make sure to stay hydrated before (and after)!

2. Eat an hour or so before your appointment.

3. Don’t shave the area within four hours of your appointment. Your therapist really doesn’t mind stubble and your skin will thank you!

4. Recover from sunburn. When you receive cupping, it will feel like that area is warmer than normal. Neither the cup nor the extra heat will feel good on sunburned skin. Apply some soothing aloe and wait until your skin has recovered before your next cupping appointment. 

5. Don’t exfoliate aggressively. Exfoliating removes a layer of dead skin, which makes your skin extra sensitive. Wait a couple days after aggressive exfoliation treatment before receiving cupping. 

How to make the cupping marks go away faster:

After cupping, your skin will have those tell-tale circular marks ranging in color from pink to deep red or purple. They’re a clear sign that you’re doing something great for your body, so wear those badges proudly! 

The discolorations from cupping will fade. Some may fade in a few hours while others can last up to two weeks before  fully disappearing. The discolorations are related to your body’s health at the time of cupping - they’re perfectly normal!

The best way to help those marks disappear faster is to do two things: hydrate and rest.

Everyone’s body reacts differently to cupping, even when following these cupping aftercare guidelines. If you have any questions either before or after a cupping appointment, please call us to speak with a licensed therapist!