7 Bizarre Beauty Treatments You Won’t Believe Are Real

Have you seen Kim Kardashian’s recent no-makeup magazine cover and editorial? (Spoiler: She looks gorgeous.) Perhaps her glow comes from the “vampire facial” she swears by.

Yep, the reality star is a fan of using blood to keep her skin smooth, and when it comes to unusual beauty tricks and treatments go, she’s not alone. Strange treatments are making big bucks at spas across the country. Would you try one of these seven out-there techniques?

1. The “vampire facial”

Did you know your own blood could be just the potion for reducing fine lines and wrinkles? This facial pierces tiny holes in your skin through a “micro needling” process, then applies the platelet-rich plasma back to your skin. No wonder Dracula was so ageless.

2. Nightingale droppings facial

There’s a secret behind the legendary beauty of Japanese geishas: bird poo. A facial made from nightingale droppings was first used in 17th century Japan, but has since become a popular way to get a youthful glow. Slathering a paste made from powdered droppings all over your complexion is said to illuminate and exfoliate your skin. Grossed out? Don’t worry—nightingale droppings are sanitized and dehydrated with ultraviolet light before they come anywhere near your face.

3. A pedicure performed by a doctor fish

If you can’t seem to get all that dead skin off your feet, a doctor fish pedicure might be just what the…umm, doctor…ordered. In this spa treatment, Turkish doctor fish, or garra rufa, voraciously eat the dead skin off your feet. Though most people say the treatment is harmless, and just tickles, 14 states have banned fish pedicures for being unsanitary.

4. Body wraps

Burritos might not be slimming, but wrapping yourself up like a one could be. At least that’s the idea behind body wraps: literally wrapping your body tightly in plastic and thermal blankets to detox and lose weight. If anything, experts say that body wraps might cause you to temporarily appear smaller, or lose a bit of water weight—but these treatments certainly won’t lead to long term weight loss.

5. Leech therapy

You might remember learning about medical leeches in history class. These blood-thirsty creatures were thought to suck out illness in medieval times, and have recently made a comeback as a cleansing treatment. Apparently, leeches prefer bare skin that has been bathed in turpentine—or so Demi Moore told David Letterman.

6. Face, butt, and breast slapping

This traditional Thai therapy is exactly what it sounds like. Practitioners will physically slap your face to tone it and remove wrinkles, whack your rear end to firm it up, and even spank your cleavage to boost your cup size. Supposedly, this treatment works by moving fat around the body—away from the areas you want to slim down, and towards the areas you wish to be fleshier.

7. Placenta hair treatments

For those times when regular shampoo or conditioner just won’t do the trick, there’s always shampoo made from animal placenta. In theory, hair treatments made from this protein-rich substance should help your hair feel softer and stronger. Some experts, however, say you should be wary of these beauty treatments—placenta products could trigger early sexual development in children.

So, what do you think? Would you be willing to try leeches or face slapping to get younger looking skin?

Photo credit: Trinette Reid via Stocksy