Vietnamese beauty enthusiasts set their faces on fire to preserve youth
"Fire therapy" has become increasingly popular in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, where health enthusiasts claim the treatment helps to relieve headaches and muscle pain.
As far as beauty and health treatments go, most people would agree that bringing an open flame near your skin is not a safe way to achieve results. In fact, there are some creams and soaps that have been banned precisely because they cause irritation and inflammation in the skin. Yet, "fire therapy" is becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam.
In Vietnam's landmark Ho Chi Minh City, women and men are allowing therapists to cover their faces with alcohol-soaked towels that are then set alight and kept on the skin for 30 seconds to one minute. The flame is then put out by placing a second dry towel over the first.
The treatment reportedly helps with a variety of health problems such as headaches, sleeplessness, muscular pain and various digestive system issues.
Officially, it is only the HCM City Traditional Medicine Institute that can legally and safely administer the treatment.
This has caused many beauty salons and spas to go underground with their offers to perform the therapy on customers. A treatment at these salons can cost up to 200,000 Vietnamese dong (approximately R118).
No major incidents involving fire therapy patients have been reported.
While images of the results of the treatment are not available, a woman who previously went through fire therapy with one Mr Lam, a self-proclaimed skincare expert, said she "felt better after using this healing method, despite her body feeling hot during the treatment". The unidentified woman claimed she felt the pain in her head lift after the treatment.
In the age of acupuncture and various types of laser therapy, are you willing to take things one step further and set your face on fire to keep yourself young?
Image: In the Know