Who hasn’t seen a picture in the media of a celebrity sporting strange circular bruises on on their body – usually the back?
These bruises are generally the result of an an ancient Chinese therapy – cupping – that’s based on the belief that certain health problems can be caused by stagnant blood and a poor energy flow through your body.
To fix or prevent those health issues, cupping practitioners apply cups – typically glass or silicone – to your skin to create a pressure that sucks your skin inward.
Cupping practitioners usually place cups on a person’s back – though face cupping is becoming “thing” now too… and this is where it gets interesting! According to experts, facial cupping is a great way to detoxify the skin and stimulate cell structure to create a smoother face and reduce fine lines, eye puffiness, and dark circles. It’s also been noted to help with bruxism (excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching) which usually occurs when one sleeps.
Since the cups are not static in the facial cupping process, compared to a body cupping, the movement creates stimulation, moves blood around the face, and drains toxins out through your lymph system. It also instantly loosens muscle tension in the jaw, hence it being used to help reduce bruxism symptoms.
During body cupping, the cups are applied in a specific area for a few minutes which creates the bruising effect. The darker the bruise, the more inflamed/stagnant that particular area is. This helps the technician see which part of the body needs to be worked on. Thankfully, facial cupping should not, and does not leave your face with any rough purple marks.
If you’re looking for an alternative treatment for your bruxism woes, facial cupping might be worth an investigation! But remember to always do your research when choosing a practitioner – make sure they are fully qualified.
