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Topics: News, World News, Health, Animals
Kit Roberts
Scientists have shared their thoughts on a highly unusual kind of skin care product.
When it comes to skincare, there are a lot of unusual options out there, but a couple in particular take weird to a whole other level.
Let's just say that neither of them are something that under normal circumstances you would want to put on your face.
One of the skincare options being tested uses salmon semen, yes, you did read that correctly, to try and improve skin health.
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Meanwhile, another idea takes a different bodily excretion from a whole different animal, suggesting the use of bird poo in skincare products.
It's certainly a highly unusual approach, but is there actually any truth in these ideas, which admittedly are not for the faint-hearted?
Kyu‑Ho Yi is an aesthetic physician at the You & I Clinic in Seoul, South Korea, and adjunct professor at Yonsei University.
It's at this clinic that the salmon sperm treatment is administered.
And no, in case you were wondering, it's not just smearing some 'fresh' salmon goop on your face, before rinsing and moisturizing.
The treatment involves using DNA fragments which have been extracted from the semen, and then injecting those into the dermis, which is the middle layer of your skin.
Dr Yi told the BBC: "The goal is not volume, like a filler, but skin priming or biostimulation, which involves supporting a healthier dermal environment and recovery."
It has its roots in regenerative medicine, with fish DNA fragments were able to prompt tissues to start healing more.
The treatment was carried out on people who had sustained facial scarring in combat.
Some studies have suggested that the treatment could help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, but evidence is still sparse.
Joshua Zeichner is associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in the US, and said that they could 'help improve skin hydration, plumpness, texture, and wrinkles'.
There's also another treatment which involves bird poo, which Zeuchner said could have 'hydrating and brightening benefits'.
However, he said: "It's important to say that these [treatments] use purified, modified nightingale droppings. You shouldn't just scoop up bird poop off the street and rub that onto your face."
And as for whether these are better than the treatment which are already out, Zeichner said this is an 'open question'.
And with price tags running into hundreds of dollars, it could be that the more readily available skincare options and a solid routine are still the better option.