Does the dark purple color after cupping indicate excessive dampness?

Generally speaking, whether dark purple marks after cupping indicate excessive dampness needs to be determined based on specific circumstances. If the dark purple marks are accompanied by symptoms such as body heaviness and thick, greasy tongue coating, it may suggest excessive dampness. However, if the dark purple marks result solely from excessive cupping pressure or prolonged cupping duration, they likely do not indicate excessive dampness. Detailed analysis is as follows:

If the body has excessive dampness, the negative pressure created during cupping can cause rupture of subcutaneous capillaries, resulting in dark purple cupping marks. This may also be accompanied by symptoms such as limb heaviness, sticky stools, and thick, greasy tongue coating. This occurs because dampness impedes the circulation of qi and blood, leading to local stagnation and thus prominent dark purple cupping marks. Such cases are often associated with excessive dampness.

When the cupping pressure is too strong or the cups are left on the skin for too long, even in the absence of excessive dampness, excessive negative pressure stimulation may cause significant subcutaneous bleeding, forming dark purple cupping marks that fade slowly. These marks are not accompanied by symptoms of dampness such as body heaviness. This situation is unrelated to excessive dampness but rather results from improper cupping techniques.

To reduce the concern of dark purple marks after cupping, it's important to control the pressure and duration during cupping to avoid excessive skin stimulation. If excessive dampness is suspected, incorporating dampness-resolving foods such as barley and red beans into the daily diet and engaging in appropriate physical activity to promote qi and blood circulation may be beneficial.