Would you pay to be massaged by snakes? Sucked by leeches? Have your butt scrubbed?
Welcome to the new era of spa treatments. While you can still get a good, old-fashioned pedicure, manicure or facial, there are also some very creative and unusual therapies out there in spa land.
Leech Therapy
Perhaps the most unusual spa treatment in Canada is leech therapy, offered at the award-winning Elemental Embrace wellness retreat and Ayurveda Centre in Brighton, Ont. Once you get over the “yuck” factor, you might realize leeches have a long history of healing humans. They’ve been used from the early Egyptian times, to Ayurvedic medicine to modern-day plastic surgery. The saliva of leeches contains a product called hirudin, an anticoagulant, which keeps blood from clotting. These slimy worms can also suck toxic blood out of the body.
At Elemental Embrace, leeches are used for skin conditions such as psoriasis, blood diseases, tumours and unhealed wounds. “It’s amazing how these blood leeches can be of great use and they always seem to know where to suck the toxic blood from,” says Begum Teja, owner of the centre.
These special leeches range from about half an inch to 10 inches long and are either brown or black. Depending on the condition, therapists use between one and five leeches at a time. Results are not instant and a couple of treatments may be called for.
Indian Head Rub
Stress gone to your head? A very popular treatment at Highfields Country Inn and Spa in Zephyr, Ont., is the two-hour Indian Head Massage. This therapy is featured in the earliest Ayurvedic texts that date back 4,000 years, says innkeeper and spa director Norma Daniel. The idea is that if your energy is out of balance, you cannot be totally well, so this treatment brings your energy back into balance.
Though this massage focusses on the scalp, neck and shoulders, it also includes a full-body de-stressing massage.
Snake Massage
Another bizarre therapy is the snake massage. This is definitely not for everyone! Ada Barak, who runs a spa in the town of Talmei Elazar in Northern Israel, puts six snakes (yes, they’re non-venomous) on her client’s bodies. The snakes — which are California king, Florida king, milk and corn snakes — slither in a tangled mass all around the person’s chest, back and neck. Once the spa client begins to trust the snakes and relax, this is is actually supposed to be quite soothing. A reporter from Time magazine tried it and liked it.
Fanny Facial
Here’s a cheeky new idea: Smooth Synergy Spa in New York City is becoming known for its “fanny facial,” a facial for your bum. This treatment promises “a perfectly polished derriere.” The therapy involves exfoliation with papaya mint body scrub, then microcurrent therapy to alleviate bumps and, finally, an all-over spray tan.
While New Yorkers may love their rear ends pampered, it seems Canada has turned the other cheek. Susurrus Spa on Pender Island, B.C. has removed fanny facials from its spa menu, presumably due to lack of interest.
Back to the Sea
In keeping with the beautiful location of the Susurrus Spa at Poets Cove Resort and Spa on the edge of the Pacific in the Gulf Islands, the spa’s clientele is more interested in sea-related treatments than fanny facials. The Marine Indulgence Massage is one of the most popular. This involves a full brushing of the body, followed by a massage with a warm mixture of micronized sea algae, honey, yogurt and oils infused with locally grown organic herbs.
Also popular is the Signature Stone Massage using local basalt and imported jade, says spa director Dagmar Wanke.
