Turns out they haven’t been engaging in anything too hardcore, but instead the ancient Chinese art of cupping therapy, in which an expert takes specially designed glass cups, heats them up using fire, and then applies them to your skin.
The heat creates a vaccuum effect, sucking your skin into the cup. The cups are then left on your back, or gently moved around, for between fifteen minutes and an hour.
Cupping is meant to cure all kinds of ailments and illness, from back and shoulder pain to fertility issues.
And it looks pretty impressive. Fire? Magical jars? Huge red circles post-session? Massages and acupuncture seem incredible tame in comparison.
So we wanted to try it out ourselves. Partly to see if all those alleged benefits were true, but mostly to see if it’d be as painful as the fire and redness suggest.
Spoiler: it really, really wasn’t.
I went to The Hart Spa in Birmingham (it’s lovely: very private and peaceful. Would definitely recommend), where I was treated by the owner of the spa, Monique Hart.
After I stripped off and lay down on a heated massage table (heat is very important for this process), Monique warned me that she was about to place the cups on by back, concentrating on my right shoulder – where I have a lot of tightness and chronic pain.
I braced myself – expecting burning heat or, at the very least, an uncomfortable love-bite sensation.
And… nothing. Just a gentle suction effect, intensified when Monique twisted a few of the jars, but zero pain and no discomfort.
In fact, the whole thing was incredibly relaxing, and I was this close to having a nap.
Monique moved around the cups to incorporate massage techniques for around forty minutes. I can honestly say I was the most relaxed I’ve ever been.
Once we were done, my shoulders felt loose and comfortable. Still no pain.
Of course, I wanted to have a photo taken of my badass-looking back, covered in red circles. But the disappointing part was that there weren’t any. My back looked entirely normal. No Instagram opportunities other than an artsy shot of a candle. Sad times.
Monique explained that if you’re undergoing intense cupping for physical therapy, you’re more likely to end up with a decorated, sore-looking back. But for general relaxation, circulation, and massage purposes, you’re really not going to have to deal with the pain celebs’ pictures suggest.
In short, cupping looks a lot scarier than it actually is. If you’re interested in cupping, go ahead and try it. You won’t experience any pain unless you ask for it.
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