A single session of microneedling and cupping is said to increase epidermis thickness and collagen levels.
What if combining two methods, called “microneedling” and “cupping”, made it possible to have youthful skin? This was suggested by researchers from the Kecioren Research and Training Hospital in Ankara (Turkey). As a reminder, microneedling is a non-surgical technique used to promote skin regeneration and healing. It is performed using a small roller with micro-needles, which will pierce different layers of the dermis and epidermis. As for the “cupping therapy”, also called “hijama”, it consists of placing suction cups on the skin in order to suck the blood on certain parts of the body. “This therapy creates negative pressure and results in increased blood flow to the applied area”the Turkish scientists said.
Both methods trigger inflammation and vascularization
In a recent study, the team wondered if the combination of these two techniques could contribute to skin rejuvenation. So, they conducted an experiment on rats. One group of animals did a single microneedling session, while another group received one microneedling session followed by 15 minutes of cupping. Other rats performed three sessions of microneedling, alone or followed by a session of cupping therapy. The goal was to trigger inflammation and vascularization. After four weeks of healing, skin changes at the cell level were compared.
A thicker epidermis thanks to the combination of microneeding and cupping
According to the results, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, an improvement in skin thickness was observed. In the outer layer of the skin (ie the epidermis), the thickness increased from about 24 micrometers (μm) after a single session of microneedling and to 42 μm after microneedling and cupping. Cupping therapy has also been associated with an increase in the thickness of the dermis, the layer of skin below the epidermis. Another observation: microneedling led to a greater increase in the levels of type 1 collagen in the skin. “A high percentage of type 1 collagen is characteristic of younger skin”, the researchers said.
“Cupping therapy can be combined with microneedling and used to achieve certain desired effects on the skin. This combination could be a simple and effective method to improve skin quality in the practice of cosmetic surgery”, concluded Burak Pasinliogluauthor of the research.
