First things first: I have long been intrigued by cupping therapy. However, with a generally healthy lifestyle, I’ve never really felt like I needed to indulge in the Eastern medical practice—until now. Spending so much time at home over the last 18 months has meant less movement than ever, and I’ve started to feel lethargic and fatigued. So when beauty services returned, I immediately started looking into how cupping and other Eastern massage practices could help to alleviate my sluggishness. And I wasn’t alone. “As wellness businesses and spas have reopened, Brits are prioritising their self-care,” says Kinsey Livingston, ClassPass VP of partnerships. “ClassPass reservations for UK beauty and wellness appointments are up 74% compared to pre-pandemic reservations, and for the first time, massage is one of the top 10 bookings on ClassPass.”
I decided on a treatment with Ada Ooi, a celebrity skin-and-wellness expert. “From a Western medicine point of view, cupping is able to draw fresh blood to dysfunctioned areas and heighten healing response,” explained Ooi. “The simulated blood flow arouses cell metabolism and repair, resulting in the formation of new connective tissue. The suction softens tensed soft tissue by dissolving adhesions and helps release unhealthy torsion, normalising muscle position.” The result? You should feel the same levels of relaxation and ease as you do following a full-body massage.
