Does Facial Cuping cause bruises, marks, or broken capillaries?
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Written by
Sakina Di Pace
Boy, do I get this question often! And I totally understand why. The truth? If you’re applying the right amount of pressure, facial cupping should not cause any marks, bruises, or broken capillaries.
What a facial cupping session will do is bring blood closer to the surface of the skin. This may cause some temporary redness known as acute local active hyperemia. But don’t worry. This simply refers to the increased amount of blood in the local area. This is temporary, completely normal, and is even a sign that it’s working.
Keep in mind: there’s a lot of facial cupping content online. How-to reels, videos, blog posts—the Internet is positively brimming with them. You might have even seen celebrities with cupping marks on their backs—so it’s totally understandable you’d worry that these might appear on your face.
Fortunately, face cupping is a different process which doesn’t create or leave any marks, bruises, or broken capillaries when done the right way. And it’s possible to do facial cupping in a way that doesn’t create the same marks you might expect from body cupping.
👋 Hi, I’m Sakina
Learn how to get younger & brighter skin with my facial cupping starter kit.
Are cupping marks the same as bruises?
Nope! They sometimes look the same, but here are a couple of key differences:
- Bruises come from bodily injury, usually damage to the tiny blood vessels called capillaries, which tend to hang out near the surface of your skin. When these capillaries bleed, the blood needs a place to go. That’s often directly under the skin. That’s where the red or purple colouring you see comes from.
- Cupping creates marks known as YINZI or simply “marks” in traditional Chinese medicine. You’ll see a visible shape where the cupping took place. You may even find this results from impurities brought to the surface for elimination. A fairly dark mark can signify the pain or tension you’ve relieved. A lighter mark may mean there wasn’t so much waste to release.
Want to know something funny? Ironically, cupping can help bruises heal naturally! So no, they’re not the same thing.
Bruise
Cupping Mark
Body Cupping vs Facial Cupping
What’s the difference between body and facial cupping?
Both are based on the same principles. The techniques, however, are different. The face is a uniquely sensitive area, and it requires special protocols. So even though you’ll use cups for both, the face will require:
- Different styles of cups. Body cupping uses large cups, often made of class. These are left static, directly against the skin. Oftentimes, fire is often inserted inside the cup, creating suction and drawing the skin upward.
- Unique techniques. Because body cupping is static and facial cupping is dynamic, with frequent movement, there’s less time for facial cupping to create a “mark.”
First, let’s explain body cupping. Body cupping is an ancient healing therapy, using large cups directly against the skin. Typically, these cups will go toward problem areas. Have a lot of pain and tension in a spot? It’s a prime target for cupping!
The cup creates suction, drawing the skin upward. This does some remarkable work inside you. The connective tissues and muscles in that area can decompress. This can lead to enormous health benefits, such as:
- Encouraging lymphatic stimulation.
- Increasing blood circulation.
- Supporting the healing process (through improved circulation).
But here’s the thing. If you do it to your back, you probably won’t care about a temporary mark.
You’ll wear something over it while it returns to normal.
You’ll wear something over it while it returns to normal.
With your face, though—you need something different.
Body Glass Cup
Silicone FlexiBle Facial Cup
Second, let’s explain facial cupping. Facial cupping is much more non-invasive:
- Rather than larger, glass-based body cups, you’ll use smaller and more sensitive face cups.
- Gentler suction results in more tightly controlled stimulation.
Use the right techniques, and there can be all sorts of facial benefits. Stimulating your skin’s natural healing processes, for one. Stimulating collagen and fibroblast production. Cell regeneration. Promotion of oxygen-rich blood circulation.
And all without leaving a mark.
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👋 Hi, I’m Sakina
Learn how to get younger & brighter skin with my facial cupping starter kit.
A toolkit for avoiding marks on your next facial cupping session
Want to stimulate your face’s natural healing and circulation—but without the drawbacks? You need to know how to do it right. Consider this your toolkit and checklist for a great facial cupping session:
- Apply the oil first. This is super important. Apply plenty of oil to your décolleté, neck, and facial areas before you begin the session. This reduces friction, which, in turn, reduces irritation.
- Keep the cup moving. No matter the technique, keep the cup moving. This isn’t necessarily intuitive. After all, we apply the opposite method to body cupping. But since the goal here is to reduce marks, spreading the movement around will ensure you don’t overstimulate one area. Think of it like a high-quality pan that evenly spreads the heat as you cook.
- Customize your cup style to your skin need. If you’re unsure what to use just yet, go with something lighter and flexible. This is super-versatile and should fit most skin types. From there, you may want to experiment with other cup styles to see what best fits.
- Choose one of three techniques. For more on this, see below.
- Be intentional. Facial cupping is an opportunity. An opportunity to discover yourself. A time to find which areas feel more sensitive. So customize everything to your face. Go light on the sensitive areas. If something feels off, stop. Follow your instincts. No one knows your face better than you.
- Work with two sets of cups. Use a small one and a larger one. The larger cup can handle wider surface areas, like your cheeks. The smaller cup is better for sensitive areas like the eyes and your orbicularis oculi muscle (the muscle around your eyes). You can use this smaller cup for more precision work to ensure an even cupping session.
What were those three main techniques we talked about? Let’s briefly explore them here:
- Dynamic Cupping: Squeeze, slide, then release the cup in one smooth motion.
- Flash Cupping: Flash cupping lightly squeezes the cup over an area of the face. You then release immediately—in a flash!
- Flash Cupping with Rotation: A light squeeze, a gentle rotating movement, then the release. This is great for addressing scars or getting more intense tension releases over problem areas.
The truth about facial cupping
Facial cupping won’t produce the large marks you might have seen on celebrities’ backs after long sessions of body cupping. Instead, facial cupping uses different cups and techniques to approach the face with more sensitivity. If you’re just getting started with facial cupping, make
sure you follow a step-by-step protocol that explains how to use the cups the right way to get the best results.
Don’t expect it to leave any marks. But if you do have questions about face cupping before your first session, reach out with any questions you might have.
Does Facial Cupping cause
bruises, marks, or broken capillaries?
This is a question that I receive often, and I do understand why! Perhaps you have seen the results of a body cupping session online which spark a cause for concern as the marks achieved from this practice can be very visible.
The answer is: with the correct application of pressure and using the right techniques, facial cupping should not cause any marks, bruises, or broken capillaries.
It is really important to highlight this because there is a lot of saturated content out there. You might see a facial cupping ‘how to’ reel, video, or post that clearly demonstrates the ritual or a movement, but perhaps no further context on how to apply this to yourself in a way that will reduce the prevention of marks. Technique and pressure protocols serve as the best foundation for results, but also comfort. There should be no pain or physical discomfort throughout your natural beauty session, and this non-invasive ritual should feel, really, very good!
Are cupping marks the same as bruises?
Though similar in appearance, there is a difference between cupping marks and a bruise. A bruise is the result of bodily injury. An injury usually causes damage to the capillaries (small blood vessels) and therefore causes blood to pool out under the skin. If this blood has nowhere to go, it will settle under the skin, and this is what will trigger sensitivity to the area and the red or purple colouring that most of us will have experienced.
The marks from cupping (also known as ‘YINZI’, meaning ‘marks’ in Traditional Chinese Medicine) are a visible result of the relief of held stagnation in the treated area, and the release of internal impurities brought to the surface for elimination. If this mark is fairly dark, it can signify the level of pain or tension that you have been experiencing. If there is a light or even no mark, it may mean that there are no stagnation or waste products to release.
Ironically, body cupping can actually help a bruise to heal naturally!
👋 Hi, I’m Sakina
Learn how to get brighter & healthier skin with my facial cupping starter kit.
Body Cupping vs Facial Cupping
Although cups are used across both practices, the style of the cup, the technique applied, and the protocols are very different.
The ancient healing therapy of body cupping requires large cups to be placed and left on various areas of the body, particularly where pain and tension are highlighted. The suction of the cups draws the skin upwards to decompress connective tissue and muscles in that local area. This static process will effectively release toxins within the tissues and encourage lymphatic stimulation, whilst the increase of blood circulation further supports the healing process.
Facial cupping has a much more non-invasive approach. The cups used are far smaller than body cups, and the suction will be much gentler, creating a mini-trauma that is much more controlled, especially when applying the correct but varying pressures on different areas of the face and using carefully taught techniques. With the right protocol, you can stimulate the skin’s natural healing process, collagen and fibroblast production, cell regeneration, and the promotion of oxygen-rich blood circulation without leaving a mark in the wake of this method.
What to expect from a facial cupping session?
When you perform a facial cupping session on yourself for the first time, you may experience a new and unique “suction” sensation that is quite different from facial massage, gua sha, and other forms of natural beauty rejuvenation methods. You will feel the effect of the suction from your cup, however, this should be gentle and it shouldn’t inflict any form of pain or discomfort. It should feel quite relieving and revitalising!
A significant benefit of facial cupping is the promotion of increased blood circulation. This upsurge of blood flow will support the relief of tension stored in your facial muscles and tissues. This wave of circulation will also serve as a mode of transportation of oxygenated blood and the key nutrients needed to enhance cellular repair and regeneration. During this process, you may experience a little heat and redness. The anatomical term for this is “acute local active hyperemia” which simply means that there is an increased amount of blood in the local area. You may experience a slight redness over the area you’re cupping over – this is a normal, beneficial response and demonstrates that the method is taking effect. The redness fades shortly after, leaving a natural luminescent glow.
Please note: this redness will appear differently on each person. It will vary on every individual according to their genetics, heritage, skin type and thickness, and even medication. If you notice a dramatic difference physically or aesthetically, you may feel it would be beneficial to pause your session.
Your essential facial cupping knowledge toolkit
To maximise your results, elevate the experience of your ritual and reduce the likelihood of bruising and marks, here are some essential points to consider:
- Oil application. It is so important to ensure that you apply plenty of oil to your décolleté, neck, and facial areas before you begin the session. This will support the gliding motion of the cups and reduce any frictional pressure.
- Always keep your cup moving, with any technique. We apply the opposite method to body cupping – as leaving your cup static over any facial area could induce bruising.
- Consider the style of cup you use and base this decision according to your individual skin need. Something lighter and more flexible may be best suited to most skin types, especially if you’re new to this method.
- There are three main techniques to consider in your facial cupping ritual – flash cupping, dynamic cupping, and flash cupping with rotation:- Flash cupping lightly squeezes the cup over an area, and is released immediately.- Dynamic cupping is a technique where you squeeze, slide then release the cup in one smooth motion.- Flash cupping with rotation is a light squeeze, a gentle rotating movement, and release. You are more likely to use this technique for addressing scarwork or intense tension release over a local area.
- Be intentional. Facial cupping further serves as an opportunity to discover yourself. Notice where areas feel a little more sensitive, and apply a lighter suction to this area. If something doesn’t feel quite right, pause. Follow your instinct and trust it.
- Work with two sets of cups. The large cup is best worked on wider surface areas of the face, and a smaller facial cup is ideal for more sensitive areas such as the eyes and orbicularis oculi muscle (muscle around the eye area). The smaller cup is also effective for precision work.
Seek out guidance
If you feel confused about the right approach for you, reach out to your local facial cupping practitioner for further guidance.
I am always so happy to help too, should you have any questions about the ritual, techniques, or concerns.
Facial cupping goes beyond aesthetics. It is a ritual that supports our self-awareness and confidence journeys, it helps us to connect inwards and bridge the gap in understanding how we internally radiate outwards. The more accessible this practice is, the bigger the positive impact this can have for many of us.
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