Ready For A Squeeze

Our little Circu-Lite Squeeze Therapy For Legs is one of our best-selling products – converts don’t look back once they’ve seen the impact this suction cup has on cellulite. Circu-Lite works in a similar way to cupping, the ancient form of alternative therapy that celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow have put on the map in recent times. So how does cupping work and why is Circu-Lite so integral to great leg care?

Holistic practitioners have been using suction cups, however, for many years to bring blood and energy – qi, as it’s called in traditional Chinese medicine – to the area. This is meant to break up stagnation and move your blood, increase circulation and lymphatic drainage, and resolve issues that are sometimes deep in the fascia and muscle layers.

How does cupping work?

The suction in cupping brings red blood cells to the area, which can often cause bruising because the red blood cells stay in the area to continue healing – rather like getting an injury from falling over. Those red blood cells stay there to heal. Essentially, your practitioner is artificially bringing those red blood cells to an area using suction, and if there is something that needs to be healed deep within the muscle layer, the bruising will stay there to heal it.

How does cupping improve cellulite?

In traditional Chinese medicine, ailments are seen as being caused by a stagnation or blockage of energy flow, and to holistic therapists cellulite is no different. As we know, cellulite can be a result of poor blood circulation, lymphatic issues (where lymph is not draining as well as it should), fluid retention, and hormonal imbalances, and cupping or as we call it, ‘squeeze therapy’ – moves your blood, increases circulation, and reduces the build up of fluid. So it’s pretty much perfect for helping reduce cellulite.

The suction effect also breaks up cellulite by releasing pockets of trapped fluid around fat cells and changes the texture of your skin with repeated use. Even better, it can be used in very specific areas on the body like your thighs.

Are there different kinds of cupping for cellulite?

You can choose to do either stationary cupping or running cupping – which is what Circu-Lite is. With running cupping, or Legology squeeze therapy, you move the cup across your skin (in an upwards movement) with suction using oil – that’s why we recommend applying Cellu-Lite before you use Circu-Lite – and repeat the movement over the same stretch of skin up to 10 times.

With stationary cupping the therapist usually leaves the cups on for anywhere from five to 20 minutes, depending on the person and level of fluid retention in their body. The first session with five to 10 minutes, and, and as the body acclimatises, increase the length of time with each session.

You can expect changes within two to four visits with six to eight treatments with a therapist and, if you are using Legology Circu-Lite at home, within a week or so.

In order to create the right amount of suction, it’s important not to push the cup down too hard. When starting out, skin needs to grow accustomed to the treatment. If you find that it hurts, there is too much suction. You’ll need to remove the cup and start over.

What’s the history of cupping?

Though the exact origin of cupping (hijama) therapy is a matter of controversy, its use has been documented in early Egyptian and Chinese medical practices – so it’s centuries old as a treatment. And diverse human civilisations have contributed to the historical development and continuation of the therapy. The historical descriptions of cupping therapy were found in ancient human civilizations of the Eastern and Western worlds, but there tends to be inconsistent data concerning the origin of cupping, definitions, instruments, procedures and research in it over the centuries. Cupping therapy fell out of favour in 17th and mid-18th centuries but has recovered popularity in modern medicine. As well as being used to detoxify the body, these days cupping is used to promote health, prophylaxis and treatment of a variety of diseases around the world. It’s scope is expanding, and there is a growing body of research is providing additional evidence-based data for the further advancement of cupping therapy in the treatment of a variety of diseases.