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Dry and wet cupping share a name but not a procedure. Here is how they compare and what to confirm with Christine at the Lane Cove clinic before anything breaks the skin.

More than a difference in words

Hearing the word cupping, many people imagine the familiar round marks seen in sports photographs. Yet dry and wet cupping are quite different procedures, and the distinction matters for anyone feeling cautious, or for family members helping an older relative decide. Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, offers cupping at the Lane Cove clinic and takes time to explain each option.

How they compare

• Dry cupping uses suction on the skin without intentionally breaking it.
• Wet cupping adds small punctures or cuts to the skin, which means exposure to blood.

Because wet cupping opens the skin, it carries different considerations and should never be treated as an automatic part of a cupping session.

Questions for a skin-breaking technique

If wet cupping is ever discussed, it is reasonable to ask about:

• how infection risk is managed and equipment handled;
• bleeding risk, especially if you take blood thinners;
• what aftercare will be needed and for how long;
• what alternatives are available.

Please confirm with Christine exactly which procedure is being proposed rather than assuming. Those extra steps deserve their own explanation, and having tried dry cupping before does not replace that conversation.

Talking it over at home

Some people like to discuss a decision like this with a partner or adult child before agreeing. Taking information home and coming back with further questions is entirely reasonable.

Reviewing what matters

Choose an everyday activity or symptom to talk about at follow-up, and include comfort and how your skin healed. Any decision to continue should come back to your goal, your response and other options.

Feeling hesitant about anything that breaks the skin is completely understandable. A clear discussion at the Lane Cove clinic means you can choose only what you are comfortable with, and you are free to stay with gentler options or none at all.