Random Animal Beauty Treatments That Put Wild Into Your Look (11 items)

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  (#9) Equine Therapy

  From ancient Greece to the modern world, people have used equine therapy as a means of healing or alleviating the symptoms of a variety of illnesses and ailments, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, neurological disorders, and terminal diseases.

  Around 2008, spas began incorporating equine therapy into their treatment menus. And, no, this is nothing gross, and they won't apply any horse parts to your skin. Instead, the beauty that springs from this treatment comes from your connection with a horse. You spend time learning about and bonding with the animal, and you walk away feeling younger, more focused, and more energized.
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  (#1) Fish Pedicure

  Fish pedicures have been au courant in Turkey for some 400 years, but this fishy foot treatment has just started to spread in popularity to the rest of the world. What you do is plunge your feet into a fish tank and let the tiny Garra rufa fish nibble and gnaw the dead skin off. The fish act as a sort of high-powered, sentient loofah, and the treatment often works, too.

  Afterward, you'll likely notice your feet are considerably smoother. There are drawbacks, however. Namely, the fish aren't the most sanitary creatures; they can transmit a certain bacteria that causes skin infections. Oh, and that water you're putting your feet into is also the fishes' powder room, so it's not exactly clean.
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  (#8) Bee Venom Cream

  Some claim skin creams containing bee venom are as effective as Botox injections. Bee venom provides the benefits of getting stung by a bee without the actual, you know, sting. The venom is thought to induce inflammation on the skin, and where there is inflammation, collagen synthesizes; new collagen means tighter, smoother skin.

  But responses have varied, with some calling it the next best thing to Botox and others seeing no significant difference. Also, there's the not-so-little matter of potential side effects, like an allergic response that can cause anything from mild itching to full-on, potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.
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  (#6) Leech Therapy

  Leeches have a long and storied history in medicine, stretching back as far as ancient times. Their natural tendency to suck blood when placed on human skin was thought to prevent blood clots and improve circulation.

  Now people are using leeches for beauty treatments, and proponents say the little suckers leave skin tighter and brighter. First, the practitioner puts a leech on your skin to draw out a sizable portion of blood. Then, they extract your blood from the leech and apply it to your face, like a facial. After 20 minutes, they remove the blood. Celebrities like Demi Moore and Miranda Kerr have both discussed their love of leech therapy.
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  (#5) Bird Poo Facial

  Since the 17th century, Japanese facialists have used nightingale poop. In 2008 this unusual treatment made its way to the rest of the world. A spa in New York City will rub your face with nightingale feces - which comes to the salon in powder form before they mix it with rice bran - for a price tag of $180. An enzyme in the poop is supposed to smooth and soften the skin, and many people have walked away singing the treatment's praises.
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  (#2) Bull Semen Hair Treatment

  Utilizing bull semen as a hair conditioner is a phenomenon that started gaining traction around 2009. A Norwegian cosmetics company first devised the idea of using the protein-rich fluid as a way to strengthen and repair hair. This company, Maritex, allegedly introduced codfish sperm to their treatment arsenal in 2002, and from there, others began to experiment with the fluid from other animals.

  Some salons use special products that contain a shot of bull semen, while others boil down the bull testicles to make a broth that is then used as one ingredient in a conditioner. It's apparently not sticky or stinky, and many are impressed with the results.

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