Vacuum therapy (or cupping) has recently been trending among athletes, celebrities, and other famous individuals as a way to improve blood flow to an area. Recently, getting a cupping massage has also been touted as a possible method to manage cellulite, since the massage cup used in cupping treatments can work on the buttocks as well.
So how effective are vacuum massages and cupping therapies for treating cellulite? While preliminary evidence shows that they can improve blood flow and lymphatic circulation in the treated area, there's less evidence to support its efficacy in treating cellulite. However, it's still an excellent wellness routine that you can use to support your primary cellulite or fat reduction treatment.
Vacuum massages work by attaching silicone cups to your body, which create suction on your skin and affect the blood circulation in that area. By improving blood flow in the area, your body can improve connective tissue, reduce pain, relieve muscle tension, and start cell repair.
The suction in cupping therapy happens when the heated vacuum cup is placed on your skin. As the cup cools down, the air inside sucks up the skin inside the cup, which pulls the blood vessels and changes the blood pressure in that area. Cups are left there for five to ten minutes, then they're removed and small cuts are made to the treated area to draw blood.
Aside from improving blood flow and using heat to melt your fat cells, cellulite cup therapy aims to remove the toxins that can cause fat buildup. Since it's a relatively painless procedure and the cups can be put anywhere, it's possible to use them as a treatment for cellulite.
Vacuum therapy can also work as a lymphatic drainage massage, which improves your body's waste filtering and removal mechanisms. Aside from a body massage, cupping therapy works for pain management, which can be especially useful after procedures like liposuction. This is also why vacuum massages can be great secondary treatments to primary methods of weight loss.
While vacuum therapy can be performed by physical therapists, acupuncturists, or massage therapists, there are also cupping massage kits that you can use at home. So which one should you pick?
The most significant advantage of having vacuum therapy at home is that it's convenient for anyone who wants to experience the effects of cupping but doesn't have the time to go to a clinic. And if you can keep your cupping sessions consistent at home, you're much more likely to see earlier results.
There are several cupping kits that you can choose from, but it's generally advised that you get silicone cups over anything else. Silicone cups are easier to handle and are less prone to leave you with exaggerated bruising. For their care and maintenance, always follow the instructions on the packaging.
The drawback to performing cupping at home is that the success of your treatment will largely depend on how skilled you apply the cups to yourself - so if you don't know how to cup or do it wrong, the chances of adverse effects can be quite high. However, most cupping kits have detailed instructions that you can follow for tips, and plenty of online guides can also be of help.
Having a professional perform cupping therapy can more or less guarantee that your results will always be closer to the ideal you want to achieve. With consistent and professional application, you're likely to see even better results with your vacuum therapy compared to if you just did it at home.
In-clinic vacuum therapy can also be combined with other fat loss and cellulite removal methods, since providers that offer this service generally bundle them with other wellness and aesthetic treatments. Not only do you get your money's worth with each treatment, but you're likely to have more improvements overall.
The disadvantage of this approach is finding a provider that's accessible and skilled with vacuum therapy - while these services aren't a rarity, they can be an issue if you live somewhere farther away from aesthetic clinics and other similar businesses. Even then, you'll have to contend with wildly varying degrees of service you can get from each provider, so you'll have to look around before you settle on a consistent one.
Overall, most experts would recommend that you get vacuum therapy done in-clinic since there is the risk that adverse effects may happen with unskilled cupping. If you get your cupping done with a professional, there's less chances that something may go wrong - and if it does, there will be trained staff on standby to know what to do.
While it's not like liposuction or other invasive treatments used for fat loss, some side effects come with consistent use of vacuum therapy.
Bruising is an unavoidable side effect of cupping since the suction leaves marks on your skin after the cups have been removed. However, these bruises generally fade within a day or two if the cupping process was done correctly.
Bruising becomes more of an issue if you have a pre-existing condition that aggravates bruise formation on your skin or leaves your skin sore. But if cupping is being used for cellulite treatments, it shouldn't be too much concern.
Given that the blood flow to your skin will be affected, there's a slight chance that you may experience dizziness or nausea if your cupping sessions run on for too long. However, this is unlikely to happen if your provider is skilled in doing the procedure.
Nausea can also occur if your cupping session is combined with other treatments like acupuncture or heat therapy, since the toll on your body may be too much if you're not used to it. Check with your provider for more information about what not to do after cupping, or treatments to avoid.
In extremely rare cases, cupping can lead to deep vein thrombosis, where a clot forms in the area due to the difference in blood pressure. This is a serious complication that needs consistent treatment, or you may risk it developing into something more serious.
Deep vein thrombosis can also occur as an effect of consistent vacuum therapy sessions, so you must always monitor yourself for anything going wrong directly after your treatment sessions. If something seems amiss, contact a doctor immediately.
While cupping and vacuum massages can help you with certain conditions, it’s important to remember that they fall under complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and may not be advised by your healthcare provider. While it’s true that they don’t have too much strain on your body, cupping therapy isn’t always advisable for all patients.
If you’re considering going for cupping treatments, always check with your healthcare provider if you have pre-existing conditions that can be worsened by cupping therapy. Some common conditions include but are not limited to:
Vacuum massages can be extremely risky for pregnant women and older people since their skin isn’t as strong as it usually is due to the baby or their age. The popular areas for cupping like the abdomen and lower back are also off limits to these people, which means that vacuum massages will already have diminished effects even if they’re applied.
Vacuum therapy can work for cellulite reduction, but it's far from being the best anti cellulite treatment you can get. If you're looking for an effective way of reducing fat cells, QWO cellulite treatments can work for you. Offering immediate results with minimal effort, it's a non-invasive treatment that can remove fat far more effectively than vacuum massage therapy can.
Applied as an injectable, QWO cellulite treatments work on the very fat stores of the treatment area on your body, which tightens the skin and improves blood flow and connective tissue. The only FDA-approved treatment to target the fatty deposits that make stubborn cellulite, this treatment can target the deep tissue layer for effective fat removal.
A cellulite massage can help improve your blood circulation in your buttocks, but it'll take more than that and vacuum suction therapy to give you visible results. While there's nothing wrong with getting a deep tissue massage or vacuum cupping therapy every now and then, better skin tightening methods exist.
Cellulite Treatment NJ has extensive experience with the use of innovative weight loss and cellulite treatment methods for cellulite management and fat removal without the need for liposuction or plastic surgery. Combined with our expert care, you'll be well on your way to getting the smooth skin that you've always dreamed of. For more information about our treatments and services, schedule a consultation with us today.
