Can anything other than lipo suck away your cellulite? Andrea Wren turns to Chinese Medicine's 'cupping' method in the hope of a non-invasive cure

Remember Gwyneth Paltrow turning up at a film premiere covered in what looked like octopus-sized love-bites a few years ago? She had been 'cupped'. Her marks were the result of her skin having been sucked up, quite literally, into vacuums created by the action of heated glass cups placed across her back.

Cupping therapy isn't a 'new' discovery. 'The oldest recorded medical textbook, written in approximately 1550 BC in Egypt, mentions cupping,' says Clinton Sandall, practitioner and instructor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

'It is used for many conditions like headache, back pain, joint and muscular pain, infertility, sexual disorders, rheumatic diseases, hypertension, but it is especially good for detoxification and circulatory problems.'

Upon hearing this, the first thing I did was survey my thighs. Lumpy? My granny's porridge looked smoother than these babies!

Cellulite, as we girls know, describes the fat deposits under the skin that give the 'orange-peel' appearance. Diet, lifestyle factors, pregnancy and exercise can all help or hinder. Simple genetics can also mean some of us just have it, whatever we do.

There are many forms of cupping therapy, says Clinton, but for cellulite and fat breakdown in particular, it is 'massage cupping' which works best. 'Negative pressure on the skin, formed through the heated cups, releases the rigid soft tissue. This helps drain excess fluids and toxins, loosen adhesions and lift connective tissue. It brings blood flow to undernourished skin and muscles.'

There are no needles involved, so what did I have to lose? I found South Manchester-based cupping practitioner Alison Levelsey (www.the-soulcoach.com) and booked four sessions in a bid to iron out the bumps. But how effective could it be for my thighs?

'You will normally begin to see a change after two 20-minute sessions,' Alison informed me. 'Though how many sessions it will take to be dimple-free will vary for each client, depending on the level of cellulite. By session four, the client should see a difference to the orange peel effect and the area treated should be slimmer.'

Thinner as well? I couldn't wait! 'I see cupping as a natural alternative to liposuction,' remarked Alison. 'It uses the heat suction to clear stagnation. This promotes the blood to naturally flow into the blood vessels, also flushing fat cells naturally out of the body.'

At my first session I lay in my knickers, thighs exposed, waiting for Alison to attack my 'problem areas'. Bless her heart, she said I didn't have many, but those regions where cellulite did exist proved to be as stubborn as only 20-year-old cellulite can be.

It was rather a strange process watching Alison use flames to heat the inside of the 'mini-goldfish bowl' cups and then place them on my oil-slathered skin. She then rubbed them over the skin once the vacuum had formed, and on occasions, it did sting rather a bit. Alison told me cup suction would be tighter on the areas where the problem tissue was deep.

However, I was able to jump off the bed after half an hour or so which would obviously not be the case with liposuction. Which, while it isn't known as a cellulite treatment, it is used for fat reduction.

Alison added: 'In my opinion, liposuction is invasive and it takes some time to recover from the treatment. It can create infection and is expensive. Cupping is gentle, non-invasive, and there is no recovery period. It is also a therapeutic treatment for the rest of the body, and costs around £45 per session.'

So did it work for me? After the final session, my thighs weren't thinner, but I could see that there was an overall smoother appearance to my outer thighs, my main target area (mini-skirts, hurrah!). I have to admit, though, it would have taken a miracle to have removed the cellulite I've had since being a teenager, definitely more than four sessions.

Alison says: 'There are no guarantees to time as it will depend on the client. As with any treatment, a healthy eating plan, exercise and lessening the toxicity put into the body are an important part of maintaining the treatment.'

But she adds, 'The aim of all hands-on techniques such as cupping is to use physical application in order to stimulate the body's natural healing powers. This occurs by balancing the physical, mental and emotional energies to restore health to the individual.'

Feel like being cupped? To book with Alison Levesley, telephone 07798 665500, email alison@the-soulcoach.com, or see: www.the-soulcoach.com

For more information on Cupping Therapy or on training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, telephone Clinton Sandall on 01253 728035 or email cfsandall@aol.com