For years, fish pedicures and snail facials have been all the rage in the realm of unusual beauty. But hold my cucumber water, because there’s a new spa treatment that trumps them all: snake massages.
At Wholeness Center in Valley Cottage, New York, Serpentessa will let three or four of her beloved boas crawl around your body, for a soothing, err...terrifying massage. According to The Insider, it’s supposed to stimulate the vagus nerve (a pair of cranial nerves that control the heart, lungs and digestive tract) to release endorphins and make you feel good. Basically, it’s like a hug from loving snakes who have no desire to squeeze you to death.
At Wholeness Center in Valley Cottage, New York, Serpentessa will let three or four of her beloved boas crawl around your body, for a soothing, err...terrifying massage. According to The Insider, it’s supposed to stimulate the vagus nerve (a pair of cranial nerves that control the heart, lungs and digestive tract) to release endorphins and make you feel good. Basically, it’s like a hug from loving snakes who have no desire to squeeze you to death.
This treatment isn't actually new, nor is it that crazy considering snakes have a long history in medicine. Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, is symbolized by a staff intertwined with snakes, a symbol still used today to represent the medical field. Snakes have been crawling over the sick since way back when, so maybe Serpentessa is onto something.
In my experience, snakes are generally warm and not that creepy once you get used to them. Still, the idea of lying helpless on a table while several crawl on you is a little jarring. The people of Twitter came out to voice their opinion and, of course, they were not having any of it. The consensus seems to be a big giant NOPE.
I can’t say I blame the haters. Even though this is technically harmless, it's more extra than guacamole. What’s next? Spider tickles? Scorpion botox? When does the madness end?