Now I’m sure all of us, during some stage in our lives, have done something a little bit out there in the name of beauty. I once heard Naomi Campbell kept her skin looking fabulous and cellulite free by rubbing ground coffee beans over her thighs and then wrapping them up in glad wrap, so I gave it a try - needless to say my thighs still resemble orange peel.

Bizarre beauty treatments have been around forever and they are constantly evolving. More and more crazy trends are always popping up that take Hollywood by storm. Demi Moore has said she detoxifies her blood with the help of leeches, and Gwyneth Paltrow caused a stir when she showed up to an event in a dress that exposed odd circles up and down her spine which was the result of Chinese cupping acupuncture. Even Eva Longoria has been rumored to be using a placenta based cream to keep her skin looking youthful and glowing.

After much research I have come up with my top picks for the most bizarre beauty treatments:

Leech detoxing:
Despite the health risks, blood sucking leeches are still very commonly used around the world as a way to detox the blood. First, you have to shave your body, then immerse yourself in turpentine. When the stinging stops, you can allow the leeches to feast on your blood. Leech therapy has a long history - ancient Egyptian doctors once considered them a cure-all. Today, they are sometimes used in plastic and reconstructive surgery to assist in the reattachment of severed body parts. They have a little enzyme that when they are biting down in you it gets released in your blood and generally you bleed for quite a bit - and your health is optimised.

Bull sperm hair treatments:
This treatment uses semen from Aberdeen Angus bulls that is then combined with with the root of the protein-rich plant Katera. The potion is massaged onto the hair after being shampooed and then the client is put under heat so the treatment penetrates the hair. The semen is refrigerated before use and doesn’t smell. It just leaves you with wonderfully soft and thick hair.

Chinese cupping acupuncture:
This age-old procedure is where small glass or bamboo cups are lit and applied on the skin, a vacuum is created when the air under the cup cools, which is believed to stimulate the blood flow and re-balance inner energy. Though the treatment is painless, you are left with dark-red welts which can take a while to heal.

The Geisha facial:
The facial promises to cleanse, brighten, and exfoliate your face thanks to the secret ingredient: bird poo. For centuries in Japan, both Kabuki actors and Geishas used nightingale droppings to clean off their thick white makeup and soothe their faces. Apparently, guanine, which is found in the droppings, helped their complexions. These days, the poo has been sanitized through exposure to ultraviolet light, then finely milled and mixed with rice bran.

Snake massage:
Slithering snakes are being used to create a therapeutic massage but not to worry - they are all non venomous of course. Apparently larger snakes produce a calming, kneading sensation, while smaller garden varieties provide gentle caresses.

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