Addison Rae Gives a Gwyneth Paltrow-Approved Wellness Practice a Try

The last time we delved into Addison Rae’s beauty and wellness rituals for her Vogue Beauty Secrets moment, it was all about a 16-step skincare and makeup routine—a matcha and a coffee, plus an immediate swipe of lippie in the morning. It seems the “Diet Pepsi” singer has expanded her wellness practice since then, trying out an alternative therapy that was as popular in ancient Egypt as it is among a certain set of celebrities today.

Rae stepped out in Los Angeles wearing a pink frilly babydoll dress, and while her long blonde hair billowed in the breeze, it didn’t do much to obscure the faint circular welts on her back. More than likely, these bruise-like marks are from cupping therapy.

At the 2016 summer Olympics, the discolorations on swimmer Michael Phelps’ back while he cut through the water to glory got people talking about cupping. He posted the process on Instagram, which showed him having the cups applied to the backs of his legs.

The tell-tale cupping marks have been spotted on the backs of plenty of celebrities over the years, but during the early aughts, it had a particular resurgence. One of the most prominent being Gwyneth Paltrow on a 2004 red carpet. “It’s a common procedure for her,” a rep for the Goop founder told press at the time. Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham have also taken part in the practice. In more recent years, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga (who suffers from the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia), and Hailey Bieber have also been spotted with faint cupping marks.

Cupping therapy can be traced through ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern Cultures across thousands of years. The ancient form of alternative medicine sees a practitioner place cups across a patient’s back, stomach, arms, and legs. The force of the suction pulls the skin into the cup, breaking small blood vessels under the skin (that’s what causes the circular marks). The idea is that it stimulates blood flow, drawing blood to or away from the targetted area of the body can relieve pain and supposedly release toxins. It is believed to reduce pain and inflammation, and has been used for treatment of back pain, high blood pressure, arthritis, migraines, and irritable bowel disease.

There are a few ways to practice it: “Dry,” “Running,” and “Bleeding.” The dry method means adding heat to the cup, while the running method involves applying lotion to the skin so as to move the cups across the body dynamically. The bleeding method requires the puncturing of skin to draw blood. While medical doctors can provide it as a service, so can acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.