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Dry and wet cupping differ in more than name. Breaking the skin adds infection, bleeding and aftercare questions that need their own answers.

The word "cupping" is often used as if it described one treatment. In reality, dry and wet cupping differ in ways that go well beyond vocabulary, and the distinction changes what you should know before saying yes.

Two different procedures

Dry cupping creates suction on the skin without deliberately opening it. It is the version most people picture, often seen alongside massage, and it usually leaves round marks that fade over the following days. Wet cupping adds a step in which the skin is punctured or cut, which means blood is exposed and the risks change accordingly.

Extra questions for skin-breaking techniques

If a technique that breaks the skin is ever discussed, ask about:

• infection control and how equipment is handled;
• bleeding risk, especially if you take medicines that affect clotting;
• aftercare, scarring and how the area should be looked after;
• the alternatives, including dry cupping or no cupping at all.

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, practises cupping at the Lane Cove clinic. Check the exact procedure with Christine instead of presuming it comes bundled whenever the word cupping appears on a booking page or price list. General familiarity with dry cupping is no substitute for a separate explanation of any additional step.

Keeping the review grounded

Choose a daily activity or symptom to talk about at your next appointment. When you come back, include comfort and how your skin healed in that discussion. The marks left behind are just one observation; whether to carry on should return to your original aim, your response and other options.

For anyone mindful of skin appearance, the choice between methods matters even more, since breaking the skin can leave marks that take longer to settle. You are entitled to choose the gentler path or to take time before deciding. Asking for written aftercare notes is also reasonable, so you can refer to them at home once the appointment is over.