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Do you get a kick out of having fish nibble calluses off your feet? How about snakes soothing your muscles or leeches sucking toxins from your spine? The natural beauty industry is getting wild as spas are translating traditional health procedures into soothing treatments. Catch is: these treatments involve live leeches, snakes, and fish. Sure, they are natural, chemical-free, healing treatments, but when does "natural" beauty become "supernatural" beauty? Do these treatments actually work?
Live Fish Pedicure
Image courtesy of Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images News.
When it comes to pedicures, "fishy" water has new meaning. As many as 100 small tropical Farra Rufa fish (also known as "doctor fish," "nibble fish," and "turkey fish") eagerly await fresh, calloused feet to fill the pedicure bowls during "Fish Reflexology" treatments. The fish go to work eating off dead skin cells until your feet are smooth and healthy—a sensation that some swear is sort of like "kisses on the skin." More than noshing off unsightly calluses, the treatment is said to help release foot fatigue, increase blood pressure, and even cure Psoriasis.
But don't be too quick to dismiss the fishy treatment. In the June 2007 issue of Scientific American, an article entitled "Fish That Go Skin-Deep" reported on a hot spring with naturally healing benefits...thanks to Garra rufa that swim in the water. Said to "miraculously" heal wounds, these little fish nibble away dead skin cells while releasing a psoriasis-preventing enzyme called dithranol onto the skin. In addition to psoriasis, the fish are believed to treat neurodermititis and eczema. Try the treatment out yourself at Yvonne Hair, Nails & Tanning Salon, Virginia or if you're in Sentosa Island, Singapore, they have a version of Fish Reflexology too.
Leech Therapy
Image courtesy of J&L Images/Getty Images .
Fear of snakes? What about leeches? Sure, the poor guys in "Stand by Me" feared the blood suckers. But apparently some people actually choose to be suckled by the little suckers for the sake of detoxing. And it's not a new thing. Historically, Leech Therapy was medically classified as a "drainage technique" based on the idea that many health problems are in fact caused by an imbalance of body fluids. For thousands of years, leeches have been medically farmed for specific medical purposes ranging from fever to flatulence.
Today, doctors use leeches during some types of surgery as they help promote healthy blood flow to damaged tissues. When leeched onto the skin, the little suckers' saliva is said to release pain killers and blood thinning substances into the blood helping to prevent clots and therefore allow oxygenated blood to freely flow for hours, encouraging veins to re-grow and regain natural circulation. They are particularly useful when it comes to the reattachment of small limbs—like ears, fingers and toes, which contain tiny veins prone to clotting.
Leech Therapy, as a traditional approach to detoxing, is making a comeback as a spa treatment du jour at "it" healing centers in such posh places as New York! The leeches used are specifically "medical leeches" called Hirudo medicinalis, which are in fact FDA regulated and used to treat osteoarthritis, reduce swelling, and detoxification. Each leech is strategically placed on the body and left on for about 60 minutes...or until the little guys get their fill (you'll know when their done—they roll over and fall off). Demi Moore raved about her leech sucking experience on The Late Show with David Letterman. Go get sucked at The Continuum Center for Health and Healing, New York.
Snake Massage
Image courtesy of Uriel Sinai/Getty Images News.
Aromatherapy is a common adjunct to many massage treatments. For an extra fee, tension mitigating essential oils infuse your lotion, making your already mind-numbing treatment even more pacifying. But for those of you looking to try something a little different, add snakes. Yes, apparently snakes are soothing when they slink along the skin. Though the concept of calming snakes is foreign to most, some avant-garde spas have made the slippery guys add-ons to their massage treatments, swearing that the snake's slither up and down clients' spines actually alleviates joint pain. But don't worry, you get major bang for your buck with these treatments as, instead of just one snake, six work their magic. Strangulation isn't an issue with these guys. The snakes used are California and Florida king snakes, corn snakes and milk snakes—none of which are known to squeeze.
Not a believer in the medicinal benefits of the snake? Don't forget that the symbol for medicine is a snake-wrapped physician's staff. Why? Because what cures you can kill you, and what can kill you can also cure you. Though the ancient medical application of snakes was with snake parts (snake skin for skin problems, snake bile as a form of codeine, snake venom for blood pressure regulation, even ground snake to fight some cancers), using the whole living snake as a mode to relax muscles is considered a more humane way to heal. What could be more relaxing? Um, ANYTHING! Though, there are those that disagree and make the trek to Ada Barak's spa in Israel.
More on Natural Beauty:
Would You Exfoliate with All Natural Animal Excrement?
5 Ways the Beach is Like an All-in-One Beauty Spa
How to Go Green: Natural Skin Care
How to Stay Young Naturally, While Staying Green
Detox Your Body
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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