Your Cups Won't Suction??

Author:  Michelle Roos, LMT

We see a lot of posts on social media from people asking why their cups won't stick to a specific area.  Loss of suction is mainly related to the adhesiveness between the cup and skin. If the adhesiveness is good then the suction will usually hold for an extended period of time. But if the adhesiveness is poor, then the suction becomes weak and loosens in short time.

This can be cause by a number of things such as:

• The patient is extremely tight in that area, so the cup has nothing to 'grasp' onto;
• You are attempting to place the cup over a bony prominence that won't allow the cup to mold to the skin properly;
• The area has a high density of hair;
• The patient has rough or dry skin;
• The patient has scars in the area.  

If you have an issue with a cup not 'sticking' to a certain area, first make sure there isn't a bony prominence causing the problem.  Then apply a small amount of massage oil to the area on the patient and around the rim of the cup.  This will allow for a tighter seal, especially for areas with a high density of hair.

Next, apply 1-3 minutes of Flash Cupping to the area.  This will bring blood flow into the region.

Finally, apply the cup again to the area being treated and check that the adhesiveness with the skin is adequate.

If these steps don't fix the problem, it may be time to consider a new set of cups that are better quality or suited for the type of treatment being applied.