As they slowly crawl about the garden, slimy snails can be an
unsightly and an unwanted thing to see to say the very least. However, a
‘snail facial’ (yes, you read that correctly!), could actually offer
anti-aging benefits for your skin, according to those offering this
bizarre new procedure.
Having live snails slowly inching their way around your face may
sound the stuff nightmares are made of, but this practice is being used
as a beauty treatment in Japan.
Beginning today, the Clinical Salon
health spa in the Ebisu district of Tokyo, is offering the snail facial
for those brave enough to endure five minutes of snails being let free
on the cheeks and forehead to randomly move around as they see fit.
This is part of a 60-minute treatment called the Celebrity Escargot
Course. The treatment will set you back a whopping £161 (Y24,150), but
the secreted snail mucus is said to contain several proteins,
antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, which can apparently stave off dry
skin, remove dead skin and minimise inflammation.
The hour-long therapy begins with the face being washed prior to the
molluscs being placed on cheeks and the forehead. A series of massages
comes next, followed by the use of masks, electrical pulse machines and
creams containing snail mucus; all to make sure the live secretions
infiltrate the skin.
Yoko Miniami, sales manager at Tokyo’s Clinical Salon which offers
the treatment, said: “This salon is the only place in Japan where you
can try a live snail facial. Snail slime can help the recovery of skin
cells on the face, so we expect the snail facial to help heal damaged
skin.”
Tokyo is probably a little too far to travel for Brits who have
overdone the sunbathing during the recent hot weather – which is still
continuing in the UK – but Miniami says the snail facial could help
those with the after-effects of sun damage. She commented: “We are
interested in the fact that snails have a function that can help heal
skin damaged by ultraviolet rays.”
During the last two years in Japan and South Korea, snail face
creams, serums and masks have become popular for many people looking to
reduce wrinkles and have better skin. This is on top of other ‘out
there’ treatments such as nightingale faeces facials and live fish
pedicures.
These ‘alternative’ skin treatments are not for everybody however and
may only appeal to a small percentage of those who wish to have younger
looking skin.
Proven and popular treatments for acne and wrinkles include Differin Gel, Differin Cream and Epiduo Gel.
They are available today from Medical Specialists Pharmacy with or
without a prescription. If you are a little squirmish, they could prove a
much better option than slithery snails being let loose onto your face!
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