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Wellness

Five bizarre celebrity health trends we dare you to try

You can trust celebrities to introduce the masses to all sorts of weird, wild, and wonderful health and beauty practices. Whether it’s a scientific breakthrough or an ancient practice brought to new life, these celebs have adopted methods of beautification and wellness that might make you cringe.
By Bee Quammie
Five bizarre celebrity health trends we dare you to try

Photo, Aff/Empics Entertainment/Keystone Press.

celebrity alternative beauty/health trends

1. Gwyneth Paltrow: cupping

In 2004, Paltrow was first snapped with strange marks on her back from cupping. Dating back to ancient Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cultures, cupping is believed to improve circulation and reduce stress.

How's it done? Practitioners heat cups (usually made of glass or bamboo), and place them lip-down on the client’s skin. As the cups cool, it creates a suction making the skin rise and fill with blood (as the blood vessels expand).

It's known to be more uncomfortable than painful and stars like Lady Gaga, Lena Dunham and Victoria Beckham have been seen wearing their cupping marks with pride.

Gwyneth Paltrow in black blazerPhoto, Getty Images

2. Jennifer Love Hewitt: toothpaste acne-fighting

While putting toothpaste on a pimple is nothing new, we were shocked to find that someone with access to the best the beauty world has to offer uses it. New mom Jennifer Love Hewitt reportedly still relies on toothpaste to zap zits, but is there any real value to the practice? Ingredients like calcium carbonate help to dry out pimples almost overnight, but other ingredients (think detergents and flavouring) may irritate sensitive skin. 

A better spot treatment alternative? Honey. Unlike toothpaste, honey actually has antibacterial properties which will dry the blemish out quickly, but will kill the bacteria and hopefully stop another from forming.

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Read more: How honey can help your health >

Five bizarre celebrity health trends we dare you to tryPhoto, TwitPic

3. Madonna: B12 injections

Though the average person has enough B12 to provide them sufficient amounts of energy, Madonna isn't the average person.

Seeking increased energy, weight loss, and healthy hair and skin, many famous figures, like Rihanna and Cheryl Cole, look to B12 injections for a quick fix.

Our bodies use it to support the nervous system, aid in fatty acid synthesis and boost energy production. And though many celebs swear by the benefits of these shots, not all scientists agree. They explain that unless you have a B12 deficiency, any excess of the water soluble vitamin will be simply be excreted naturally.

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Read more: Feeling fatigued or forgetful? You may be low in B12 >

Madonna speaks on stage at the Madonna speaks on stage at the "Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live" Concert at Twickenham Stadium. (Photo, Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci)

4. Tia Mowry-Hardrict: eating placenta

Half of one of Hollywood’s most well-known twin duos recently ate her twin sister's placenta...and liked it!

Tia Mowry-Hardrict was urged to try her sister Tamera’s encapsulated placenta, downing it with a swig of alcohol on their reality show. As The Washington Post states, some mothers report a number of benefits following placentophagia, such as hormone balance, increased milk production, and quicker physical rebound after giving birth. Scientists are skeptical, but there could be some logic to the practice. During pregnancy, the placenta’s role is to funnel nutrients, oxygen, and blood from the mother to the fetus, so its function as a vital organ leads some to believe there are benefits to ingesting it after birth.

Quick tip: Hospitals list the placenta as biohazardous waste so if you want to keep yours, make sure you speak up!

Five bizarre celebrity health trends we dare you to tryPhoto, wenn.com/Keystone Press.

5. Shailene Woodley: oil pulling

Wondering how this Divergent star keeps her pearly whites so bright? Woodley practices the Ayurvedic method of oil pulling.

Prior to brushing, eating, or drinking in the morning, swish a couple of teaspoons of coconut or sesame oil around in your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes. Spit, rinse, then carry on with your day. The oil attracts fat-soluble toxins and removes them once you spit, leading to benefits like whiter teeth, fresh breath, reduced plaque, and potential asthma and allergy relief.

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Read more: Four alternative health practices you need to try >

Shailene woodley 2014 Met Costume Institute GalaPhoto, Aff/Empics Entertainment/Keystone Press.

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