Happy International Beauty Day!
New trends and treatments are always popping up, and stars like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston have never shied away from trying something new when it comes to beauty and wellness.
Here are the wildest beauty treatments celebrities have admitted to trying.
JENNIFER ANISTON ADMITS TO TRYING BIZARRE SKINCARE TREND INVOLVING FISH SPERM
Jennifer Aniston is willing to try anything at least once — including a salmon sperm facial.
She told WSJ Magazine that an aesthetician once convinced her to get one, although when it was first suggested to her, Aniston said she was confused.
"First of all, I said, ‘Are you serious? How do you get salmon’s sperm?,’" she asked.
Salmon sperm facials are a popular treatment in Korea, and according to Korean cosmetic surgery and aesthetic company Jivaka Beauty, the DNA in the sperm is supposed to help improve skin by tightening pores, brighten the skin and reducing acne scars.
While Aniston agreed to try the unique treatment, she admitted she wasn't sure it helped much. One thing she has full faith in, however, are her weekly peptide injections, telling the outlet, "I do think that's the future."
In November 2020, Eva Mendes caused a frenzy when she posted a photo of herself in the middle of her mono-threading treatment, with several needles inserted into her neck, which the spa, Beauty Villa Vergara, reposted on its Instagram.
EVA MENDES SAYS SHE’D ‘RATHER BE HOME’ WITH RYAN GOSLING ‘THAN ANYWHERE ELSE’
Mono-threading is a non-surgical procedure during which absorbable monofilament threads are inserted under the skin in an effort to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin by stimulating the collagen in the area. A treatment can last one to two hours and the effects last for 12 to 18 months.
Mendes assured worried fans in the comments section she wasn't in any pain during the procedure, saying "it looks more invasive than it is."
"I honestly had no idea I had that many in. Then, when she told me how many I didn’t believe her, so I asked her to take a pic," the actress wrote. "This was pic was not planned. I do not like physical pain! I do not like needles ! This was a big one for me!"
Kim Kardashian had fans wondering what was wrong when she posted photos of herself with blood smeared all over her face.
Turns out, she'd just received a vampire facial.
The treatment involves getting your blood drawn then put into a machine in order to extract platelet-rich plasma, which is then either injected back into the skin, or applied topically. The treatment can be used to smooth fine lines, boost skin tone and texture and assist in hair growth.
In 2018, Kardashian looked back on her experience, explaining she found out she was pregnant when she signed up for the treatment, meaning she wasn't able to use any numbing cream or painkillers during the procedure.
"A few years ago, I heard about a 'vampire facial,' and I was so intrigued," Kardashian wrote on her website in 2018. "It was really rough and painful for me. It was honestly the most painful thing ever! It's the one treatment that I'll never do again."
Actress Cate Blanchett received backlash when she told Vogue Australia in March 2018 that she had tried a "penis facial," otherwise known as an Epidermal Growth Factor facial. The site went on to delete the quote from the article following the controversy.
"Sandy [Bullock] and I saw this facialist in New York, Georgia Louise, and she gives what we call the ‘penis facial’ and it’s something — I don’t know what it is, or whether it’s just ’cause it smells a bit like sperm — there’s some enzyme in it, so Sandy refers to it as the ‘penis facial,'" she told the outlet.
The backlash stemmed from the fact that the serum used during the facial is made partly from stem cells extracted from the foreskin of newborn baby boys after circumcision. The facial became popular because it results in youthful glowing skin.
Demi Moore has been open about the time she tried "leech therapy."
During a 2008 appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman," she explained she has "always been somebody looking for the cutting edge of things that are for optimizing your health and healing."
After puzzled host David Letterman repeatedly questioned the use of leeches, Moore assured him she wasn't dealing with "swamp leeches," but rather "highly trained medical leeches," which she called "high-level blood suckers."
"It detoxifies your blood," she told Letterman. "And they have a little enzyme that, when they’re biting down on you, gets released into your blood, and generally you bleed for quite a bit. And your health is optimized. It detoxified the blood, and I’m feeling detoxified right now."
Gwyneth Paltrow has built an empire on wellness and beauty tips, and has said she's "open to anything."
During an April 2016 interview with The New York Times, Paltrow explained she once tried apitherapy, a beauty treatment involving bees.
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"I’ve been stung by bees," she said. "It’s a thousands of years old treatment called apitherapy. People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring. It’s actually pretty incredible if you research it. But, man, it’s painful."
There are conflicting reports on the effectiveness of the treatment, with WebMD citing it doesn't help much, and the American Apitherapy Society citing it can cure multiple sclerosis, shingles, gout and other ailments.
During an interview with The Mirror in October 2015, Simon Cowell said he is "a sucker for reading about something out there and believing it will work," which has led him to try some strange treatments.
"I also had a sheep placenta facial once, which was quite out there," he told the outlet.
Dermatologist Dr Joshua Zeichner spoke with Vogue India about the benefits of using sheep placenta, saying that "it is thought to be rich in proteins and other ingredients that stimulate collagen to brighten and tighten the skin. It may be useful in people who have sun damage."
