Snail Facials Don’t Work According To Dermatologists

The cost versus benefit for live snail facials suggests the beauty fad may not be worth the investment, as according to dermatologists the treatment does not have lasting beauty benefits.

A Tokyo spa, Ci:z.Labo, offers a treatment called the “Celebrity Escargot Course,” for roughly $250 a session.

The Huffington Post reports the snails used aren’t just plucked at random from the garden but are bought from an organic farm and fed a diet of carrots, spinach and Swiss chard.

During the 60-minute snail facial, the recipient is typically subjected to a message, mask, and an electrical pulse treatment, along with having the little terrestrial molluscs strategically placed on the brow and cheeks, left to roam – making it difficult to discern which application is truly bestowing a beauty benefit.

“This clearly is not very scientifically done,” says dermatologist Dr. Stephen Mandy, in ABC News.

The snail trail left behind during the snail facial is said to be a beauty-boosting cocktail of proteins, collagen, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid, or hyaluronan, is naturally present in the human body, found in the highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints. Hyaluronic acid is a molecule found in humans that gives tissue its flexibility and promotes healing.

People take hyaluronic acid for various joint disorders like osteoarthritis, either orally or from an injection in the affected area. The FDA has also approved the use of hyaluronic acid during certain eye surgeries. It is injected into the eye during the procedure to help replace natural fluids.

Hyaluronic acid has been used as lip filler in plastic surgery. Some people apply hyaluronic acid to the skin for healing wounds, burns, skin ulcers, and as a moisturizer to prevent effects of aging. However, there is no evidence to support the claim that taking it by mouth or applying it to the skin can prevent changes associated with aging, according to WedMD.

The beauty boosting mucus of snail facials joins the ranks of breast milk soap, sperm facials, placenta face creams, and fish pedicures as an extreme effort to fight aging and a willingness to do anything for beauty.

[Image via Wikicommons]