Female therapist using cupping

How do you use vacuum cups as an at-home treatment for cellulite?

The cups are placed over the area of cellulite and squeezed and released against the skin. They claim to pull, lift and stretch the connective fibrous tissues to encourage circulation of nutrient-rich blood and flush away toxins through lymphatic system drainage, breaking up and smoothing lumpiness.

Female therapist using cupping in removing cellulite

Do cellulite cups really work?

A small study in 2014 found that dry cupping therapy is an effective treatment for cellulite as it stimulates lymph drainage and micro circulation. Researchers applied dry moving cupping therapy to 40 healthy women twice a week for five weeks. The results indicated that applying the therapy 10 times on each leg for this duration was ‘efficient and safe for decreasing’ cellulite. This did not change with smoking, drinking alcohol and exercising before and after the study.

What do dermatologists say about cellulite cups?

Prima.co.uk spoke to cosmetic surgeon and international aesthetic lecturer Dr Jonquille Chantrey, who says that while fibrous tissues need to be broken up and released to improve cellulite, ‘the cups may help to very mildly improve some of the excess tissue fluid and lymph which collects around the cellulite, but would only give a temporary result’. She adds: ‘If someone feels it improves the fluid drainage then that’s ok but it won’t make any difference to cellulite in the mid to long term.’

Oranges

RICHARD NEWSTEADGETTY IMAGES

Meanwhile, Dr Ross Perry- Medical Director of CosmedicsUK, tells us that diet and exercise are the most effective measures for cellulite removal. The doctor, who has appeared on This Morning and Good Morning Britain, says: ‘I would imagine any perceived effect of cellulite cups is purely very short lived as unfortunately this type of treatment is not a cure for cellulite and will only create the effect of improvement via localised swelling which in turn disguises the cellulite.

‘There are no cellulite home treatments that actually remove cellulite. The most effective measures are dietary and exercise. Frequent dry brushing (a combination of exfoliation and massage) can help the appearance of cellulite.’ He adds: ‘More effective measures to reduce cellulite are fat freezing radiofrequency and, in extreme cases, liposuction’.