About Gua Sha & Cupping Therapy
A mother giving her child gua sha (cạo gió) after a day caught in the rain, or a back dotted with rosy-red cupping marks: these images are woven into the memories of generations of Vietnamese people. Today, these traditional techniques keep proving their worth, favored by health professionals and international athletes alike to relieve aches and pains and relax tight muscles.
At Massage Cổ Phong, you can enjoy a thorough gua sha and cupping therapy session performed with authentic traditional technique, in a private, draft-free room, with sterilized medical tools set aside for each guest.
When Should You Get Gua Sha & Cupping?
Your body usually sends clear signals before a cold really takes hold. If you notice any of the following, it’s the perfect time to visit Cổ Phong:
- You’ve just been caught in the rain, spent hours in air conditioning or come home late at night, and now feel chilled, with shivers running down your spine.
- You feel a cold coming on: a headache, tired eyes, a stiff neck and shoulders, a slightly stuffy nose and general sluggishness.
- Your back, neck or shoulders ache from overwork or from sitting in one position for too long.
- Your body has felt heavy and sluggish for a while, with no obvious cause.
- You’ve just had a night of drinking or a long business trip and need to “reset” your body fast.
Folk wisdom holds that gua sha and cupping work best in the very early stages of a cold. One session at the right time could spare you a whole week of feeling run-down.
How Does Gua Sha Help Your Body?
When your body catches a chill or is hit by cold wind, qi and blood stop circulating well, leaving you drained, achy and shivery. To counter this, your therapist uses a dedicated gua sha tool and warming herbal oil, stroking the skin in a steady rhythm along both sides of the spine, the neck and the shoulders. Here’s how it helps:
- The warmth of the herbal oil, combined with firm strokes across the skin, helps drive out cold and clear areas where qi and blood have become blocked.
- Fast relief from cold symptoms: chills, aches and a heavy head ease right after the session.
- Stimulates blood circulation beneath the skin and boosts metabolism.
- Relaxes the tight muscles running along the spine.
The rosy-red streaks that appear after scraping are a sign that qi and blood are flowing freely again, and they fade within a few days.
What Does Cupping Therapy Do?
Cupping uses special cups placed on the skin to create negative pressure. The suction gently lifts the skin and muscle, working far deeper than ordinary massage strokes. Traditional Eastern medicine describes this as “clearing the meridians and moving stagnant blood”, while modern medicine notes that negative pressure dilates local blood vessels and increases blood and oxygen flow to sore muscles, which helps reduce inflammation and pain. The benefits of cupping therapy:
- Vacuum suction stretches the muscles, improving blood flow to nourish and soften sore, aching areas.
- Helps draw accumulated cold and toxins out through the skin.
- Effective relief for back, neck and shoulder pain, especially pain caused by long-standing muscle tension.
- Helps ease colds, coughs and a stuffy nose when combined with gua sha.
- Deeper sleep and better resistance to illness with regular sessions.
Which Cupping Technique Does Cổ Phong Use?
Cổ Phong uses vacuum cupping, where suction is created with specialized cups, combined with sliding cupping along both sides of the spine using herbal oil. This method gives steady, even suction and uses no fire, completely eliminating any risk of burns. We do not perform wet cupping or bloodletting, and the cups are sterilized before every guest.
What Do Cupping Marks Tell You?
The color of the cupping marks on your back offers a glimpse of your current state of health:
| Mark color | What it may indicate in traditional Eastern medicine |
|---|---|
| Light pink | Good qi and blood circulation; little pathogenic energy in the body |
| Bright red | Excess heat in the body, common in people prone to internal heat |
| Deep purple to near-black | Stagnant qi and blood; cold that has built up over a long time |
| Ashen gray, cool to the touch | A cold, depleted constitution; the body is weak and needs nourishing |
Cupping marks usually fade within 3 to 7 days, or longer for people with significant blood stagnation. This is completely normal and painless. The information above is for reference only, based on traditional medicine, and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis.
Gua Sha & Cupping Therapy Prices at Massage Cổ Phong
| Service | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gua sha & cupping | 30 min | 299,000₫ |
| Herbal steam bath | 30–45 min | 280,000₫ |
| Deep neck & shoulder massage | 60 min | 690,000₫ |
| Full-body massage | 60 / 90 / 120 min | 690,000₫ / 890,000₫ / 1,090,000₫ |
Prices include herbal oil, ginger tea, nourishing herbal soup and tips, and Cổ Phong never charges anything extra. Our prices are publicly listed and identical at both branches; see the full service price list.
Our top pairing for drawing out cold: start with an herbal steam bath to open the pores, then follow with gua sha and cupping. This classic duo from traditional medicine lets the main treatment work far more deeply. Many guests make a full session of it with a full-body massage, so the body is completely relaxed before treatment begins.
Who Should Avoid Gua Sha & Cupping?
That said, gua sha and cupping are not suitable in the following cases:
- Women who are pregnant or menstruating.
- People with skin conditions, open wounds, eczema or psoriasis in the treatment area.
- People with blood-clotting disorders or low platelets, or who are taking blood thinners.
- Anyone with a high fever or seizures, or who is drunk, very hungry or overly full.
- People with serious heart, kidney or lung disease or generalized swelling, and elderly people with very thin skin.
- Children under 4 years old.
If your pain is persistent or getting worse, or comes with fever, hot red swelling, weakness or paralysis, please see a doctor rather than getting gua sha or cupping. These are supportive therapies for easing colds, relieving pain and relaxing, not a replacement for medical treatment.
What to Know Before and After Cupping
- Have a light meal about one to two hours before your session; don’t arrive on an empty stomach or right after a heavy meal.
- After cupping, keep warm and avoid cold drafts and strong air conditioning.
- Wait about three hours before showering, and use warm water when you do.
- Skip alcohol and strenuous exercise for the rest of the day.
- Drink plenty of warm water; a bowl of scallion rice porridge can also help you shake off a cold.
- When you have symptoms, 1 to 2 sessions a week is ideal, spaced at least 48 hours apart.
The Cổ Phong Difference
Gua sha and cupping take real experience. Scrape too hard and the skin gets scratched; leave the cups on too long and you get deep bruising; work the wrong meridians and the benefits drop sharply. At Cổ Phong, one of Ho Chi Minh City’s trusted traditional massage spas, you can count on:
- Therapists who know the meridians: Our team is thoroughly trained and experienced in working with all kinds of body types and conditions. Suction is kept moderate, never painful or stinging, yet deep enough to get qi and blood flowing.
- Complete safety: Cổ Phong uses vacuum cupping with no fire at all, so there is no risk of burns. Cups and scraping tools are sterilized under a strict protocol, and towels and bed linens are fresh for every guest.
- Private, draft-free rooms: Every treatment takes place in a private, draft-free room that is warm, cozy and quiet, meeting the safety standards gua sha requires.
- All-inclusive, no tipping: Ginger tea and nourishing herbal soup are included, so you never have to worry about extra charges.
- Welcoming to men and women: Therapists are assigned appropriately, so female guests can feel completely at ease during treatment.
Book Your Treatment Today
Don’t tough out a cold or let aches and fatigue drag you down any longer. A proper gua sha and cupping session will leave you feeling lighter and recharged, starting today. Take a look at our price list and Cổ Phong’s other services. So we can have your room perfectly prepared, simply message us to book via Zalo or leave your details on our contact page!
Bến Thành Branch, District 1
Address: 106 & 108 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Hotline: 083.22222.92 – 0993.106.108
Bàn Cờ Branch, District 3
Address: 408 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ward 5, District 3, HCMC
Hotline: 0989.71.74.94
Opening hours: 10:00 – 22:00, every day of the week.
Our spaces
Our Quận 1 · Bến Thành — the largest and most elegant Cổ Phong space, ready to welcome you. Book a visit now →
Customer experiences
Our 30-Minute Gua Sha & Cupping Therapy Process at Massage Cổ Phong
Blending traditional wisdom with modern care for a complete relaxation experience.
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01
Consultation and check-up
Your therapist asks about your symptoms, checks the skin in the treatment area and rules out any contraindications. This is a step we never skip.
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02
Warm-up massage
Your back and shoulders are massaged with warm herbal oil to warm and loosen the muscles, so the gua sha or cupping that follows works better without any stinging or discomfort.
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03
Gua sha along the meridians
Your therapist scrapes along the meridians on both sides of the spine, the shoulders and the back of the neck in the correct sequence, with even, controlled pressure: never so hard that it scratches the skin, and never in the wrong direction, which would reduce the benefits.
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04
Cupping on key acupoints
Cups are placed on key acupoints such as Dazhui (GV14), Fengmen (BL12), Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17) and Shenshu (BL23) for 5 to 10 minutes, then removed properly by gently pressing the edge of each cup, never pulled off.
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05
Rest and stay warm
You're dried off, kept warm and left to rest in the draft-free room with complimentary warm ginger tea and nourishing herbal soup. Your therapist will explain how to stay warm and avoid cold drafts for the next few hours.
Combos & add-on services
A complete massage — hair wash — steam bath package for total relaxation.
Included with your visit
Warm herbal oil
A purpose-made oil that warms and protects the skin.
Sterilised equipment
Cups and tools are sterilised for your safety.
A well-loved lounge
A popular rest area, with complimentary herbal tea.
Skilled therapists
Performed safely, with correct traditional technique.
Why Try Gua Sha & Cupping?
When you've caught a chill, feel worn out or your qi and blood are stagnant, gua sha and cupping are traditional therapies that help you relax fast.
“Whole-body relaxation — feel lighter and full of energy.”
Ease colds and fatigue
Helps shake off colds and quickly relieves tired shoulders and back.
Detox your body
Encourages the body to expel toxins and improves circulation.
Full-body relaxation
Clears points of stagnation so your body feels lighter.
Google reviews
The massage quality is really good and the routines are genuinely excellent. The space feels very relaxing to me and gave me a real sense of calm — I'll be coming back many more times.
2 weeks agoGreat value for money. For 590k/60 min you don't just get the massage — there's also a steam bath, a foot soak, acupressure, hot stones and herbal compresses for the eyes and neck. At the end they even bring you a bowl of vegetarian soup and a smoothie.
3 months agoThe service and the staff are warm and clearly well trained. My first experience here was very good — I'll be back.
2 weeks agoGood service. Lovely staff — I'll drop by again and bring friends along to try it.
a month agoI'm really happy with the massage service here. My therapist was professional and attentive, and my back pain eased a lot afterwards. I'll come back next time I need therapeutic massage!
a month agoGood service and a really comfortable hair wash. Afterwards they treat you to soup and lemon tea. Well worth trying.
3 weeks agoFrequently Asked Questions About Gua Sha & Cupping
299,000₫ for a 30-minute session, including herbal oil, ginger tea, nourishing herbal soup and tips.
You'll feel a slight tightness where the cups are placed, which soon turns into a pleasant sensation. Cổ Phong uses vacuum cupping with no fire, so there is no risk of burns.
Gua sha works on the surface along the meridians and brings quick relief from colds and chills. Cupping draws deeper into the muscle layer and is more powerful for neck, shoulder and back aches. At Cổ Phong, the two are usually combined in the same session so they complement each other.
At least three hours, and use warm water.
They usually fade within 3 to 7 days, are painless and leave no scars.
1 to 2 times a week when you have symptoms, at least 48 hours apart. Healthy people can have cupping every two weeks to help prevent colds.
Yes, unless you are pregnant or menstruating. Cổ Phong assigns suitable therapists and discreet private rooms for female guests.
We recommend booking ahead via Zalo or our hotline so a draft-free room and therapist are ready the moment you arrive, especially in the evening.
Our branches
Book your appointment
CN Phường Bến Thành (Quận 1 cũ)
- Address: 106-108 Lê Thị Riêng, phường Bến Thành, TP.HCM
- Hotline: 083.22222.92 - 0993.106.108
- Open: 10am - 10pm
CN Phường Bàn Cờ (Quận 3 cũ)
- Address: 408 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, phường 5, quận 3, TP.HCM
- Hotline: 098.971.74.94
- Open: 10am - 10pm
