Snails… the fountain of youth
Popular in Russian spas, the snail slime is considered a very effective spa treatment. Weird? Sure, but in spas in Russia, the African Mollusks, of varying sizes are placed on the face and body. Their slimy excretions, rich in glycolic acid and elastin, are believed to have anti-aging agents that will reduce wrinkles and fade scars. That is, of course, if you can put up with having a live snail on your face.
Bird poop facial
In New York, bird feces is hot beauty commodity. Spas will charge you a whopping $50 to slather bird poop on your face… seriously! Shizuka New York Day Spa offers a Geisha Facial, made from the excrement of a nightingale. Disgusting? Yes, but fashion icon Victoria Beckham reportedly swears by it.
Fish bath anyone?
In China, the phrase “swimming with the fishes” apparently doesn’t quite have the same grave connotations it did in “The Godfather”. At Dr. Fish, a hot spring resort in the Chongqing Municipality, spa-goers soak their entire bodies in freshwater fish baths. The fish exfoliate by gnawing off the dead skin off patrons and leaving them with what has been described as a “healthy glow”.
Full body snake massage
For $90, a spa in Israel will dump three different kinds of non-venomous snakes on your face and back. Definitely a nightmarish experience for most, but the slithering, muscular movements of the snakes are said to smooth out cramped muscles and stiff joints. So in case a normal “hands” on massage is not good enough for you, then you might consider snakes?
Black, black, black Sheep embryo injections
The secret to supple, young skin? Injections from embryonic black sheep cells. The injections are a concoction of cells taken from the liver, glands and bone of the black sheep. American actress Debbie Harry described the injections as “marvelous”. Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland, began performing the anti-aging, cell rejuvenation treatments back in 1931 and has had positive results, sought after by the wealthy.
Leech facial
It’s called hirudotherapy, a fancy way of saying you will be shelling out the big bucks to have Leeches slither all over your face. Made popular in Russia, the blood-sucking slugs are applied to your skin and are said to improve blood flow and channel the anti-inflammatory properties of leech saliva. Very creepy and very costly at $1,000 per treatment.
Fish pedicure
If you are not too squeamish and have the money to shell out for this unique pedicure, then have at it. First made popular in China, dead-skin-chewing carp are let lose to feast on your feet.
