Wet, dry, moving, flash and fire cupping: what each one is and how to choose safely.
Updated October 2026 · 8 min read
People say "hijama" for several different treatments. They share one idea, suction on the skin, but they differ in whether the skin is cut, how the suction is made, and how the cups are used. Knowing the types helps you ask for the right thing and spot the risky one. For the basics, start with our main hijama guide.
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The practitioner places a cup, creates suction, removes the cup, makes several very small, shallow cuts with a sterile single-use blade or lancet, and places the cup again so that a small amount of blood and fluid is drawn out. Cups are usually left on for a few minutes. The skin is then cleaned and covered.
This is the form described by the classical physicians. Al-Zahrawi in al-Tasrif and Ibn Sina in the Canon of Medicine both separate cupping with cuts from cupping without. It is also the form that carries an infection risk if equipment is reused, so it is the one where the choice of practitioner matters most.
The cup is placed and left on for several minutes, with no cuts. The skin is drawn up into the cup and leaves round marks that fade in days. Dry cupping is easier to find in the West, it can be done by physiotherapists, massage therapists and acupuncturists, and in studies of back and neck pain it is the most common style. If you are not sure about wet cupping, dry is a sensible place to begin.
Oil is spread on the skin and a cup is glided along the muscle with the suction on. It feels like a deep massage and is common for tight backs, shoulders and legs. It is dry, with no cuts, and the marks are usually lighter.
The cup is put on and taken off again and again, quickly, over the same area. It is gentler and leaves little or no marking, and is sometimes used for people who find sustained suction uncomfortable.
A flame is briefly put inside a glass cup to heat the air, and the cup is placed on the skin as the air cools and makes suction. It is an old method, but it carries a burn risk, from the flame, hot glass, or spilled alcohol. Most modern practitioners use a pump instead. Be wary of fire cupping from anyone who cannot explain the safety steps.
For wet cupping the important question is not the material but whether the cup, or a disposable liner inside it, is new for every client. A reused cup that has touched blood is a red flag, even if it was wiped.
| Type | Cuts and blood? | Usually used for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet | Yes | The traditional hijama: back, neck, shoulders | Infection if not sterile; light-headedness; bleeding |
| Dry | No | Muscle and joint tightness, back and neck pain | Bruising, marks |
| Moving | No | Large muscles, massage | Bruising, sore skin |
| Flash | No | Sensitive skin, gentle sessions | Minor |
| Fire | Either | Traditional glass-cup method | Burns |
Classical texts and practitioners usually describe cups on the upper back and the base of the neck (الكاهل, between the shoulders), on the sides of the neck (الأخدعين), and on the lower back. Practitioners may also place cups on the legs or the head for specific complaints. Cups are not placed over the front of the neck or throat, over the eyes, over broken or infected skin, or over a large vein. A qualified practitioner will explain each site.
A session typically takes 30 to 60 minutes. How often to repeat it is a matter of judgement. Practitioners commonly suggest spacing wet cupping weeks apart rather than doing it often, and there is no research that identifies a best schedule. Ask yours, and listen to your body.
Studies mostly look at dry cupping, and some at wet. A review of 22 studies on musculoskeletal and sports conditions found low to moderate evidence for pain relief and for improving flexibility, and a very low rate of side effects, and noted that only five of the studies used wet cupping. Another review found that cupping may reduce neck pain in the short term. Certainty is low because it is hard to blind a trial of cupping. See the main hijama guide for the details on blood pressure and fatigue.
Classical sources: Al-Zahrawi, al-Tasrif (surgery and cupping); Ibn Sina, The Canon of Medicine (cupping).
Modern research and guidance:
This page is for general education about a traditional practice. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to a qualified doctor about your own health, and do not delay treatment because of something you read here.
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