10 Bizarre Beauty Treatments You Shouldn’t be Afraid to Try

How far are you willing to go for beauty? For some women, there is no treatment that is too extreme or painful when it comes to wanting to look their best. From setting your face on fire to having snails crawl all over your skin, these are the 10 most bizarre beauty treatments.

1. Fire Facial

Women are always seeking the hottest beauty treatments, but this fire facial performed in Chinese beauty salons literally 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.

2. Bee Sting Facial

No, this facial does not entail covering your face with a swarm of bees. This anti-aging treatment enlists bee sting venom as its main ingredient and is dubbed the organic alternative to Botox. When the product is applied to the face, it causes the skin to react as though it has been stung, in turn stimulating blood flow, collagen, and elasticity. Kate Middleton is said to have gotten this treatment done days prior to her royal wedding.

3. Leech Therapy

While some women opt for herbal teas in order 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.

4. 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. Fans of this treatment include Victoria Beckham and Tom Cruise.

5. 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, as well as result in a glowing, youthful complexion. The treatment has been around for over 20 years, but gained popularity recently after Kim Kardashian West filmed herself getting the procedure done in a 2013 episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami.

6. Thai Slap Massage

Would you pay US $350 (AED/SAR 1,285) to get slapped for 15 minutes? Some women would. This Thai treatment involves a therapist slapping your face to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging. Repeated face slapping is said to stimulate circulation and relax the muscles. You know what they say, “Beauty is pain.”

7. 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-aging effects.

8. 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 gets rid of unwanted bulges by exposing them to sub-zero temperatures inside a tube that pumps out icy air. Cristiano Ronaldo is such a big fan of this treatment that he purchased his own device.

9. Snake Skin Manicure
Snakeskin handbags and boots are a cult favorite, 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.

10. Velaterapia

Brazil has given us Adriana Lima, Keratin , the Brazilian wax, and now hair burning. Velaterapia is a process whereby 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, so that they can be fried off. If it’s good enough for a Victoria’s Secret angel, then we’re willing to give it a try.

—Khaoula Ghanem