Traditional Therapeutic Bodywork

Cupping Therapy in London

Release · Restore · Recover

Personalised Care — Consultation Included — 22 Harley Street

22 Harley Street · 30–45 Minutes · £80 Including Consultation & Treatment · Aftercare Varies by Method

£80 per session

Consultation and treatment included · Appointment typically 30–45 minutes

Cupping therapy is a traditional technique using suction cups on the skin. At our Harley Street clinic in London, we tailor the approach to your needs and discuss the possible benefits, limitations and risks before treatment.

How Cupping Works

Cupping therapy uses small cups, applied with controlled suction, to lift the skin and superficial fascia away from the underlying muscle. The suction creates a pulling sensation and can cause temporary skin marks. Some people report short-term relief from muscular discomfort, although research into the benefits of cupping remains limited.

At PHP Aesthetic-Wellness, cupping is most commonly applied to the back, shoulders, and neck — the areas where physical tension from stress, desk-based work, and prolonged sitting most often accumulates — though it can be adapted to other areas depending on individual need.

The Types of Cupping We Offer

Cupping is not a single treatment. The cups may be held still, moved slowly across the muscle, applied and released in quick succession, or — in wet cupping — used alongside a small, controlled withdrawal of blood. Which method suits you is decided at your assessment, and it is common to combine more than one within a single session.

Dry Cupping

The method most people picture. Cups are placed on the skin and suction is drawn, either with a hand pump or by warming the air inside a glass cup. They remain in place for five to fifteen minutes while the skin and the fascia beneath it are gently lifted. The skin is not broken at any point, and the circular marks that follow settle over several days.

Suits fixed, localised tightness — a knotted shoulder, a stiff area of the upper back, the same spot that keeps returning.

Massage Cupping

Also called gliding or sliding cupping. The skin is oiled first, then a cup under lighter suction is moved slowly along the muscle. It behaves rather like a deep massage worked in reverse: instead of pressing tissue down, the cup lifts it as it travels. Marking tends to be lighter and more diffuse than with static cups, and many patients find it the more comfortable of the two.

Suits broad, general tension across the back and shoulders, and tightness after training rather than one specific point.

Flash Cupping

A variation on dry cupping. A cup is applied and released repeatedly over the same area in quick succession, each application lasting only a moment. The effect is stimulating and superficial rather than deep. Marking may be less noticeable than with static cupping, although it can still occur, so it is often used to open a session or for patients who would rather not have visible marks.

Suits sensitive skin, a first session, or anyone who needs to avoid marking before an event.

Wet Cupping

Known traditionally as hijama. A very small, controlled amount of blood is drawn from just below the skin surface. Dry cupping is applied first to bring blood towards the surface; the cup is removed, several superficial scratches are made with a sterile single-use blade, and the cup is briefly reapplied to draw a small volume of blood. The site is then cleaned and dressed.

Because the skin is broken, this is a clinical procedure and we treat it as one: single-use sterile equipment throughout, clinical waste disposal, a written medical screen beforehand and its own separate consent form, carried out on our clinic at 22 Harley Street.

Who Cupping May Help

Chronic tension in the back, shoulders, or neck from desk-based work or stress

Tightness following physical training or exercise

A general sense of stiffness or restricted movement in the upper body

People looking for a complementary wellness appointment, where appropriate following assessment

Anyone wanting a regular, hands-on recovery routine alongside other wellness treatments

What to Expect

Assessment

A brief discussion of where you are experiencing tension or tightness, and any relevant medical history, before treatment begins. If wet cupping is being considered, this includes a written medical screen and a separate consent form.

Cup Placement

Cups are applied to the treatment area using controlled suction, either left static, moved gently across the muscle, or applied and released in quick succession, depending on the method agreed with you.

Aftercare

Temporary circular marks, tenderness or bruising can occur. These typically fade within a few days to a week. After wet cupping, the treated site is dressed and kept clean and dry for 24 to 48 hours.

Who Wet Cupping Is Not Suitable For

We will decline wet cupping, or ask you to speak to your GP first, if any of the following apply. Please tell us when you book rather than on the day.

You take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, or have a bleeding or clotting disorder

You are anaemic, or have donated blood within the past four weeks

You are pregnant or breastfeeding

You have diabetes, or any condition affecting wound healing

You are immunosuppressed, or receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy

You have a blood-borne infection, or active skin infection, eczema or an open wound at the intended site

You have a pacemaker or implanted device near the intended site

You are under 18

Being straight with you about the evidence. Cupping has a long history, and most patients describe a real sense of release afterwards. The published research, however, is limited and much of it is of low quality. We offer cupping as a traditional therapy for muscular tension and comfort. We do not claim that any form of cupping, dry or wet, treats, cures or prevents disease, removes toxins from the body, or replaces medical care you may need. If your symptoms suggest something that requires investigation, we will say so and refer you rather than treat you. Individual responses vary, and nothing here is a promise of a particular outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cupping painful?

Most patients find cupping comfortable, describing a pulling or tight sensation rather than pain. Any discomfort is generally mild and settles quickly once the cups are removed.

What is the difference between dry and wet cupping?

In dry cupping the skin is never broken — the cups work by suction alone. In wet cupping a small, controlled amount of blood is drawn through several superficial scratches made with a sterile single-use blade. Dry cupping is the more common choice; wet cupping requires a written medical screen and its own separate consent.

Do I have to choose one method?

No. Static cups and gliding cups are often combined within the same session, and your therapist will agree the approach with you at the assessment.

Does wet cupping detoxify the blood?

No, and we will not tell you otherwise. The kidneys and liver perform that function. Wet cupping is offered here as a traditional therapy, not as a detoxification or a medical treatment.

Is wet cupping safe?

It is a procedure that breaks the skin, so it carries a small risk of bruising, infection, scarring, light-headedness or fainting. We reduce that risk with single-use sterile equipment, a written medical screen, clinical waste disposal and appropriate infection-control procedures, but we cannot remove it, and we will talk you through it before you consent.

How should I care for the area after wet cupping?

Keep the dressing clean and dry for 24 to 48 hours. Avoid swimming, saunas, steam rooms and strenuous exercise for 48 hours. Eat before you come and drink normally afterwards. Contact us if the area becomes hot, increasingly painful, or begins to discharge.

Will cupping leave marks?

Temporary circular marks or bruising can occur. They often fade over several days but may last longer. Please contact the clinic if you have concerns.

How often should I have cupping?

For ongoing tension or recovery support, the appropriate frequency varies. Some patients use cupping as an occasional treatment around periods of particular physical or professional demand instead.

Can cupping be combined with other treatments?

Other treatments may be available at the clinic. Please ask your practitioner whether combining treatments is suitable for you and whether any spacing between appointments is needed.

Is there any downtime?

No. Aside from the temporary marking, there is no downtime after dry, massage or flash cupping, and most patients return to normal activity immediately. After wet cupping we ask you to avoid swimming, saunas and strenuous exercise for 48 hours.

Related Treatments

⚡

LPG Endermologie®

A separate body treatment offered at the clinic. Ask about suitability and expected results.

Learn more →

🧾

IV Vitamin Therapy

A separate clinic service. Any treatment should be considered on its own merits following assessment.

Learn more →

Begin Your Journey

Book Cupping Therapy in London

£80 per session · Consultation and treatment included

PHP Aesthetic-Wellness — The French Touch

22 Harley Street, Suite 8, London W1G 9PL

Book Online Now →

+44 (0)7917 785 695 · contact@phpaesthetic.com · WhatsApp available