How far are you willing to go for beauty? For some women, no treatment is too extreme or painful when it comes to looking their best. For others, they are ok with sticking to basics.
From setting your face on fire to having snails crawl all over your skin, these are the eight most bizarre beauty treatments we know of.
Fire Facial
Women are constantly seeking the hottest beauty treatments, but this fire facial performed in Chinese beauty salons turns up the heat. Therapists use open flames to regenerate cells for a youthful appearance. A towel soaked in alcohol is applied to the face and is then set on fire. The flames are put out when they become too hot and unbearable. This procedure is said to treat wrinkles and sagging and also burn fat.
Leech Therapy
While some women opt for herbal teas to detoxify, others take a less conventional route. Leech therapy is a treatment that originates from ancient Egypt; it involves placing medical leeches on your skin and allowing them to suck or detoxify your blood. Medicinal leeches secrete an enzyme that acts as an anticoagulant and promotes blood flow.
Bird Poop Facial
The proper term for this treatment is the Japanese Nightingale facial. It gained popularity when Japanese geishas discovered the benefits of nightingale droppings. The unique ingredient acts as an exfoliant and is said to leave the skin glowing. Therapists mix nightingale excrement with rice bran and water and lather it all over the face.
Vampire Facelift
For this procedure, also known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, blood is extracted from your arm and re-injected into your face with a needle. It is believed to boost collagen production and elasticity in the skin and result in a glowing, youthful complexion. The treatment has been around for over 20 years but gained popularity after Kim Kardashian West filmed herself getting the procedure done.
Snail Facial
Snail mucus contains nutrients and antioxidants for a youthful complexion. Similar to leech therapy, here, snails crawl over your face and leave behind a trail of slime, which is believed to contain hyaluronic acid—a substance known for its plumping and anti-ageing effects.
Cryotherapy
This treatment is the ultimate lazy girl’s alternative to working out. As it turns out, fat cells are more susceptible to cold temperatures. This spa procedure eliminates unwanted bulges by exposing them to sub-zero temperatures inside a tube that pumps out icy air.
Snakeskin Manicure
Snakeskin handbags and boots are a cult favourite, so it comes as no surprise that snakeskin nails are also a thing. This manicure uses naturally shed snakeskin for nail art. Manicurists cut the snakeskin to fit the nails’ shape, seal it in place with gel nail varnish, and then harden it with UV lights.
Velaterapia
Brazil has given us Adriana Lima, Keratin, the Brazilian wax, and now hair burning. Velaterapia is a process whereby the hair is twisted and held over a lit candle. The burning is meant to cause split ends and other damaged parts of the hair to stick out to be fried off. If it’s good enough for Victoria’s Secret angel, then we’re willing to give it a try.