They put what in the cream?

From cell-eating fish pedicures to bird droppings — nothing’s sacred when the desired goal is beauty

By Tiffany Wattanaporn

June 17, 2008

 

In Hollywood, where the quest for skin-deep perfection knows few boundaries, extremes are welcomed and taboos are teased.

“Because of all the exposure to procedures seen on TV, people now view the experience as commonplace as getting a cavity filled. It takes a lot more to capture the imagination,” says Dr. Kenneth Beer, clinical dermatology instructor at the University of Miami.

Sure to grab attention is the Geisha Facial® at Shizuka New York day spa in NYC, during which patrons’ faces are coated with nightingale droppings. Sanitized through UV light exposure, the droppings contain guanine and natural enzymes used by Japanese geishas for their skin-brightening properties.

For those who prefer fish to fowl, there’s the Fish Therapy Treatment at Malaysia’s Sampuoton Spa. Clients seeking radiant skin sit immersed in a tank filled with hundreds of tiny garra rufa, or doctor fish, which nibble away the beauty seekers’ dead skin cells, similar to the fish pedicure in Alexandria, VA.

Even durian, the infamous foul-smelling fruit banned from public transportation throughout Southeast Asia, has become a prized beauty ingredient. Scentless concentrations of fatty acids and antioxidants are extracted from the offensive fruit and infused into Dr. Howard Murad’s popular Intensive Resurfacing Peel With Durian Cell Reform.

For those choosing the surgical route, being awake during a procedure could be a nightmare. But concerns about general anesthesia complications have spurred Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Payman Simoni to develop his one-hour Simoni Lift: The fully awake patient undergoes only localized anesthesia, witnesses the procedure and can even speak to the doctor.

Of course, with all the enhancement procedures available today, it’s easy to go too far. Ironically, perhaps one of the most extreme procedures involves returning to an un-“done” look.

“A great deal of our practice is devoted to revisional facelift surgery,” says Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Brent Moelleken. “Patients who look terribly done after facial surgery can usually be restored to a more normal, youthful appearance.”

Now that’s revolutionary.

 

Other Shizuka New York Day Spa 2008 Press Releases
Geisha Facial® in Reuters Life! – Forget avocado, evening primrose oil or other exotic ingredients, the latest facial to hit New York is a mask made with bird excrement…
Geisha Facial® Video Feature – Reuters – Apr. 30 – A salon in New York is offering ‘The Geisha Facial®’, using an exotic ingredient, nightingale droppings, known in Japan as Uguisu No Fun…
Shizuka in Shefinds – I’ve never been afraid to wander off the beaten path when it comes to my beauty regime. From mayonnaise in my hair, to hemorrhoid cream on my eyes, I’ll try anything once…
Shizuka featured on The View – Shizuka New York Day Spa’s Geisha Facial® was featured in a segment of ABC’s The View entitled “Bizarre Spa Treatments.” This episode aired on July 29, 2008.
Urban Baby Daily – UrbanBaby.com features Shizuka’s Geisha Facial®, an all-natural treatment, at our Day Spa in Manhattan.
Nov. 18 ’08 NY Daily News – Shizuka’s Geisha Facial® was mentioned with Vavelta (baby foreskin!) in the New York Daily News on November 18th, 2008 in an article profiling celebrity spa treatments and new anti-aging treatments.
The Ultimate Victoria Beckham Craze: Beauty Cream from Bird Poop – Skin smooth to the touch and radiant, like a lifting effect, according to well-informed Posh Spice, David Beckham’s acclaimed wife and mother of three children…
Shizuka on WPIX CW11 News at Ten – The question we ask tonight: is this maybe going too far? Well you decide. There is a type of facial that is gaining popularity because of an unusual ingredient – bird droppings…
All Shizuka NY 2008 Press Releases