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cupping
The placing of suction devices on the skin, once used to draw blood to the surface for medical leeching but now sometimes used in scenes to sensitize the skin and particularly nipples. Rubber suction cups found in snakebite kits are often used; other devices include a sealable tube through which the air can be sucked out of the cup. Avoid extreme pressure such as that available with powered pumps, and be aware that the activity can cause welting.
and this from medicaltoys.com
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Cupping and Fire Cupping
It is the cupping treatment which is very common in many Oriental homes. It started with using the simple horns and the bamboo cups before the metal and the glass cups were developed. Fire was used to create the vacuum in the cups. Today, a hand-held pump is used to extract the air from the valve-fitted cups to create the vacuum. In the BDSM scene it is a sensual ritual and exciting, stimulating sensation to various parts of the body!
Cupping Technique
There are two types of cups here --traditional and vacuum. Traditional cups are the ones that need some kind
of fire to create a vacuum while the vacuum cups (a newer type) have a pump so that no fire is needed. This kind of suction is more controllable. There are about four sizes of cups. Select the right size for the anatomical area you wish to cup -- small for the neck, etc. The small sizes seem to get better suction and therefore darker color (hickie type bruises).
Traditional Cups -- Fire
First, cover the treatment area lightly with Wet Massage Oil or any kind of slippery lube or massage oil. Second, cover the edge of the cups because you will want to move the cups around and a slippery surface is needed. Also, this gives a better seal, and makes removing the cups easier.
There are a couple of different ways to create suction by fire. One is to soak a cotton ball in alcohol, hold it with forceps, light it, stick it into the cup for a few seconds, remove, then quickly place the fire cup on the skin. Or just hold a candle or lighter under the cup until it is very warm and then quickly place it on the skin. Hold the cup so its mouth opening is down. As the cup cools the skin will suck up into the cup! The suction should hold the fire cup in place. Check by lightly tugging at the cup.
Be careful not to leave cotton stick in cup too long as this will cause a hot cup and could burn the person. Conversely, if cotton stick is not left in long enough, suction will not occur and cup will fall off when tugged gently. Practice will yield desired results, and it is easier to do than it may sound. More Fire Cupping info click here
Traditional Cups -- Pump (Vacuum)
The danger of hurting the sub/bottom/patient with fire is gone. Again, put the lube on the patient, then place the cup on the right spot. Attach the pump to the nipple and pull up, evacuating the air. It is easy to adjust the amount of suction required and if there is any pain, you can quickly reduce the suction by releasing the
nipple lock, which will also let you remove the cup completely.
The endpoint is a deep dark purple color of the skin. Sometimes only a light red will appear, sometimes the skin will become almost black! Leave on for only a few minutes to a quarter of an hour at most.
After removing the cups do not cover the area with any products, and carefully wipe the vaseline off. Even though the spots look very painful, they are not. The color will go away in about 24 hours. Some of the very dark areas take a few days to disappear. A feeling of warmth is felt first, then heat as the blood comes to the surface. The surface can become rough and bumpy. Again, there should be no pain, but it will feel "weird".
To remove, let air into cup by holding it in the left hand and pressing the skin at the rim of the jar with the right. You may need to gently slide your pressing finger down and under the rim in order to break the seal. The cup should then pop off. If you are using a modern glass or plastic cupping set, to use, lift up the black "knob" on top of each cup before use. Then slid the plunger over the top of the cup, place the cup on the desired location on the body, and pump the plunger with a few stroke. This will draw out the oxygen in the cup and pull the underlying skin up into the cup. It is a very quick and effective device. To remove, either slide a finger under the cup, or pull up on the black knob on top of the cup, which will break the suction.
Cups should be retained in place from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the strength of suction. Especially in hot weather, or when cupping over shallow flesh, the duration of treatment should not be too long. Often I have seen the cups pop off for no apparent reason. If the suction was good in the first place, then generally this is an indication that suction is not needed in that place, or there was too much body hair for the cup to hold. It is also possible for the cup to remain in place and still be unnecessary, and if so, no redness or bruising will occur. Bruises occur under the cups. It will also be ineffective over areas with irregular body angles, where the muscles are thin, the skin is not level or where there is a lot of body hair.
More Vacuum Cupping info click here
Over the decades, the vacuum pumping method of cupping has evolved into genital enhancement such as for penis, clit, labia and nipple enlargement. Click here to read all about vacuum pumping.
Compiled and edited by MedicalToys.com with thanks to The Deviants Dictionary and the BDSM f.a.q. list for this info!
On the subject of fire cupping, the folllowing information on wikipedia was found.
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Instead of using a vacuum pump, a vacuum is created by air (heated by fire) in a glass cup placed flush against the patient's skin. As the air cools in the cup, a vacuum forms that pulls up on the skin, stimulating the acupressure effect.
The cups are usually roughly bell shaped with a capacity of about 4 fluid ounces. Most commonly, a total of from 8 to 12 cups are applied to the subject's back in two parallel 'vertical' columns, midway between the spine and each edge of the body, spaced about 4 inches on center within each column.
There are several ways of heating the air in the cup with fire:
1. One can swab rubbing alcohol (minimum 90%) into the bottom of a cup, then light it and place the cup immediately against the skin. By creating the seal the immediate loss of oxygen puts the fire out, preventing the person from being burned. The smaller the amount of alcohol, and the quicker the flame is extinguished by application of the cup, the better, so long as there is no risk of the cups falling off due to lack of a proper seal.
2. One can hold the cup inverted over a flame (e.g. a lit candle), heating the air, then place the cup immediately against the skin. Care must be taken not to heat the glass itself. Even so, the person to whom the cup is applied will feel distinctly more heat than in the previous method.
3. One can ignite a flame with a small alcohol-soaked cotton wad resting on a small pad of leather or other insulating material that rests directly on the patient's skin, then place the cup immediately over the flame, putting out the fire. The quickness with which the flame is extinguished depends on the size and shape of the cup.
Methods 1 and 2 heat the glass to some extent and have a risk of burning the patient if not carefully executed. Method 3 risks the cotton falling off the insulating pad onto the patient's skin, and leaves the pad and cotton wadding inside the adhering cup which could be considered cumbersome.
Baby oil massaged onto the skin first causes a better seal to form, making it possible to use this therapy with less heating of the cup. It is often possible to slide the adhered cup around on the skin, preserving the suction seal as it glides. Care must be taken not to move the cup over protruding moles, skin tags, scabs, etc.
The longer a cup is left on, the more of a circular mark (like a hickey) is created. The skin pores are more open, and the patient may have a feeling like sunburn. An application of about 20 minutes is average, for the back; however this varies with the individual. In no case should the cups be left in place if the subject reports noticeable discomfort.
Cupping has never been shown to be effective in a clinical trial. It can leave temporary unsightly marks on the skin and there is also a small risk of burns. Persons who claim this therapy to be beneficial report that its effect is a long lasting feeling of relaxation and invigoration. It is possible that whatever relief is obtained by this procedure is derived from the same principles that are employed in shiatsu massage, where instead of the outward sucking of the cups, strong inward pressure is directed at the muscles of the dorsal ribcage and abdomen.
Sex play
Fire cupping is also known as a form of fire play in the BDSM community. For some, discomfort or pain from hot cups can be part of the experience. This is comparable to the dripping of hot wax from a candle onto the body of the subject, also a common form of BSDM play.
The last paragraph I think answers the question of why.
