7 celebrity health trends you should never try
Some celebrity health routines make a lot of sense. Jennifer Anistonfor example, found a healthy way to solve her sleep problems, and on the advice of her acupuncturist, lucy liu went from being a vegan to a plant-based vegetarian diet that allows her to share eggs with her son.
On the other hand, strange celebrity health trends have been around since the days of Old Hollywood, ranging from a silent movie star’s “Lamb Chop and Pineapple Plan” (exactly what it sounds like: don’t eat nothing but lamb chops and pineapple) at Elizabeth TaylorThe dietary approach of Eat what I want when I want. And while some of these trends are simply ineffective, others are downright dangerous. Read on to find out what the experts are saying about seven questionable celebrity health habits.
READ NEXT: Cancer survivor Rita Wilson says she stopped eating after her diagnosis.
Most people run in the opposite direction when they hear a telltale buzz, but Gwyneth Paltrow loved apitherapy, which is getting stung by bees. “It’s a treatment thousands of years old…People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring,” Paltrow said. The New York Times. “It’s actually quite amazing.”
Megan Ayala, nutrition, fitness and health expert at Patricia and Carolyn, disagrees, for several reasons. “Bee sting therapy is the literal death of bees,” she says. “It’s a cruel act towards insects.” Additionally, “bee venom is known to induce a histamine response,” Ayala warns. “This causes irritation such as swollen and reddened skin, severe allergic reactions that can be life threatening.”
“I like [to] give my vagina some vitamin D”, actress Shailene Woodley Told In the shineadvising readers to “spread your legs and get some sun”.
This concept is “absurd”, says Ayala. “Yes, getting vitamin D is essential, but exposing your private parts directly to the sun is going too far.” Ayala also discourages people (like Josh Brolin, who posted on Instagram about getting burned from the activity) from exposing themselves to the sun on their perineum.
The sun in general can cause sunburn and skin cancer. And “it’s even more risky for people who have high-risk HPV strains,” Ayala warns. “Sunning the genital area would essentially increase the risk of HPV-related cancer.”
READ NEXT: Two-time cancer survivor Kathy Bates warns others never to do this.
Kim Kardashian made headlines for having her face smeared with her own blood, known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or “vampire facial” (she later regretted the procedure, calling it ” the most painful thing of all time”).
“A vampire facial is supposed to restore your youthful skin cells, isn’t it? Wrong,” Ayala says. “Pushing your blood back into the skin can cause burning, redness, prolonged swelling and bruising on the face.” Ayala also states that “Certified dermatologists are hard to find and they charge high fees, which makes people go cheap, which is [hazardous] to their skin.”
Celebrities such as Rihanna tried vitamin infusions, which were popularized in the 1960s and are said to “help boost the immune system and replenish lost electrolytes and vitamins,” according to Fashion. But the scary side of vitamin IV drops was revealed when Kendall Jenner was rushed to hospital following a bad reaction to treatment. Jonathan Kuoan anesthesiologist in New York, said vogue that IV vitamin drops aren’t really necessary, adding that “some vitamins and substances react with each other” and can cause a bad reaction.
There are more reasons to be careful with these infusions. “In addition to possible infections from needle misuse (which can occur both in the hospital and at home), vitamin toxicity can occur,” BuzzFeed News reports. “For example, if you take too much vitamin B6, which is associated with brain health and improved mood, you can damage your nerves in ways that can lead to permanent numbness in your limbs.”
For more health stories sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Makeup artist bobbi brown told Yahoo! News that she experienced an “almost addictive sense of well-being for most of the day” after trying cryotherapy, described by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “a three-minute session in a freezing tank”. Normally used on specific areas of the body to target skin conditions such as warts, skin tags and certain types of cancer, a form of cryotherapy known as whole body cryotherapy (WBC) is trending among celebs these days. these days. “I felt a little less fired up and my clothes were a little looser,” Brown reported. “I had joint pain, and it definitely went down.”
“Exposure to extreme cold can cause injury,” notes Ayala. “Soaking your whole body in a frozen room increases the risk of getting frostbite or cold-induced rashes, [and] extreme cold can also make your other health problems worse.”
Additionally, “Despite claims to the contrary by many spas and wellness centers, [the FDA] has no evidence that WBC effectively treats diseases or conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stress, anxiety, or chronic pain,” says the FDA on its website.
Gwyneth Paltrow is back! In 2018, Paltrow’s beauty and wellness empire, Goop, promoted what’s called a “coffee enema” (an injection of coffee into the rectum) through a device called Implant O’ Rama. But the “treatment” is now known to have caused serious side effects, including rectal burns, infections, intestinal perforations and even death, according to Healthline. “Home enemas like the one Goop promotes have also been linked to serious infections and sepsis and severe ‘breakdown’ of the colon lining and perforations,” David M. PoppersMD, PhD, said men’s health. Coffee enemas have even resulted in death, according to WebMD.
It’s not just what’s in the enema either. “Celebrities have professionals to help them, but it’s different for a normal person,” says Ayala. “An incorrectly administered enema can damage the tissues of your rectum, cause intestinal perforation and, if the device is not sterile, infections.”
Celebrities like Madonna (who would have said that she likes to take an ice bath while drinking her own pee) and Bear Gryll touted the benefits of drinking their own urine.
“Drinking urine can cause bacteria and toxins to be immersed directly in your body. [and] it can lead to kidney and multiple diseases,” Ayala explains succinctly. “Not only that, it’s disgusting.
