Okay I'm talking about Cupping but he does kind of remind me of the Stegosaurus dinosaur below. =)
So what is Cupping? Basically it's vacuum suction of the skin. This can be done via a handheld suction pump (regular/air cupping as in the first pic above), or by using fire (fire cupping). With fire cupping, an alcohol soaked cotton ball on a pair of forceps is ignited by fire and put underneath a sterile glass cup. The glass cup is rapidly placed on the skin surface. The flame expels air from the cups, causing a negative pressure which creates the internal vacuum suction on the skin.
Cupping is said to increase circulation, relieves swelling, and is used for many conditions, including back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, common colds, influenza and more. (I would say the sensation experienced by cupping and any results of cupping depend on the individual.)
Cupping has been practiced for thousands of years as part of ancient Chinese medicine and some other cultures. It is said to release rigid soft tissue and stubborn knots, drain excess fluids and toxins, loosen adhesions and lift connective tissue; and bring blood flow to stagnant skin and muscles.
The bdsm/alternative community has also used it. And also hollywood celebrities such as Gywneth Paltrow have had it done. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow caused media frenzy after a cupping session when she showed up on the red carpet with marks on her back from a fire cupping session to improve her health.
See a short video about her and hear a good explanation about cupping at:
http://www.ostenzen.com/newsflash/cupping-marks.html
Some massage therapists or spas offer cupping and you can sometimes hear them call it 'Massage Cupping' or 'Medical Cupping' but it's all the same. And marks from cupping are very common. This can last to a couple minutes to several days. I would say that harsh marks are more common with fire cupping because there's a chance of getting burned. As for me, I just use the regular handheld suction pump(air) because a cupping set was given to me as a gift by an admirer long ago and it can be fun to see a submissive's skin suctioned up or see some circular marks left. And so far I haven't seen any severe marks with the handheld suction pump so it's probably safer.
I will say that if you're a person who is going to do cupping on someone else then try to be knowledgeable about placement and realize that cupping to one person may feel differently to another. Some experience pain and some don't. And some mark more easily than others. Follow the directions that come with your cupping set. For example, mine says to start with up to 5 or 6 cups with someone new and place them on the person from a few seconds to up to 5 minutes. (Note: I did go to a Cupping class at a bdsm conference one year and most of the people having it done to them liked it and said it felt good but I was curious how Fire Cupping felt so I had the instructor try it on my back and Fire Cupping was very painful to me but that may be because I have back problems and therefore didn't like the heat/suction on it. But I have done regular air cupping on my arm and had no problems.)
I'm basically doing this blog post about Cupping because I recently stumbled across a webpage promoting a bdsm porn video that had fake bad information on it. So I thought I'd clear things up.
Related links:
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MassageCupping.com
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The art of massage cupping therapy
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Video on Gywnyth Paltrow and reporter's explanation on cupping.
