Gemstones have been used by various cultures for healing for millennia but now the Acugems Facial Rejuve treatment throws a modern twist on this ancient therapy. The therapy involves the use of gemstones, microcurrents and therapeutic light to re-educate facial muscles, encourage collagen production, smooth wrinkles and improve skin tone. The stones and color frequencies used depend on the individual consumer. Tourmaline is frequently used in the treatments because of its ability to maintain a positive charge on one end and a negative one on the other.

It takes a number of treatments to see lasting results. The Revive You spa in Stoneham, Massachusetts which offers the treatments suggests a set of 10 treatments which sells for $2,550. Their version of the treatment also includes a custom mask, exfoliating fruit enzyme, pore cleansing and brow design. Reporter Amy Saltzman of the Stoneham Sun tested out the treatment and describes the sensation of the Acutrone machine as a sharp tingle which is not painful. She found the treatment quite relaxing.

Based in Texas Renée Rouleau is an aesthetician with a passion for skin care. At her salon she offers a variety of services including facials for everything from general cleansing to detox to anti-aging. Her top-of-the-line Synergy 7 facial is especially noteworthy, however, as it tops the price chart with a whopping $600 price tag.

The Synergy 7 facial gets its name from the 7 treatments that are combined into one to make for a truly luxurious and cutting edge two hour anti-aging experience that focuses on deep cleansing, resurfacing, Vitamin C infusion, lifting & firming, repairing & hydrating, oxygen infusion and calming & protecting. The end result? Renée Rouleau promises "your healthiest skin ever."

Via ForbesLife

Bird dropping facials and snake massages may sound like something straight out of an episode of Fear Factor, but they're really part of the growing list of strange options you might have at a luxury spa near you. An ancient Japanese secret often used by Geishas and available at Diamond Hawaii Resort and Spa in Maui is a facial that starts with Nightingale excrement, which is reportedly full of enzymes that help keep the skin smooth, clear, and white. Or maybe a Hakali massage is more your style at Apuane Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Punta Minta, Mexico, where spine-free cactus paddles are used to rub in an alcohol called 'pulque,' which comes from the agave plant and is in the tequila family.

Other strange spa experiences that might trip your detox trigger include snake massages (exactly what they sound like -- snakes slithering up and down your back!), getting yourself covered head-to-toe in caviar, soaking in a huge tub of dark beer, and "cupping" -- a process where several cups are placed strategically along your back and then lit on fire to create suction.

Fear Factor or not, some of these sound awesome! (Some, not all...)

Prada Beauty and the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation have joined together to create a relaxing beauty experience on Lake Oconee, deep in the Georgia-native loblolly pines. In addition to the usual Ritz-Carlton luxuries like feather beds, private porches, and oversized marble & granite bathtubs, the "Prada in the Pines" package will get the additional benefits of Club access, a men's or women's Prada Fragrance, a Prada Exfoliant Visage Facial, and in-room champagne and truffles.

The package starts at $1,109 per evening and is available for a limited time, this spring through fall.

The latest face fix from Creme de la Mer is a two-part system called The Radiant Facial, The facial is an eight-minute treatment that consists of the Radiant Primer, which uses an Anti-Irritant Marine complex to calm and soothe the skin and the Radiant Mast, a cotton mask embedded with tourmaline (the same gem that makes ionic blow dryers work so well). The Radiant Facial helps diminish the appearance of age spots, freckles and uneven pigmentation and helps prevent the appearance of future discoloration. They recommend using the facial twice the first week and then once a week afterwards. The package sells for $320.

Okeanos is a Russian spa located in midtown Manhattan. The 4,500-square-foot spa opened in Ocotober and features Russian-themed treatments such as the traditional Banya and Platza, a sauna followed by a brisk brushing with birch leaves followed by a cold water plunge. Other services include a variety of massages, reflexology, manicures, pedicures and a body scrub with Black Sea salts.Their Jet Lag treatment includes a plataza treatment, Jet Lag facial, Let Lag Massage, Executvie Manciure, Over the Top pedicure and a complimentary lunch for  $385.

French toast for your face? I've seen chocolate body treatments before but this is the first time I've seen French toast as a facial treatment. The Asana Spa, which creates treatments for a variety of hotels and spas, has developed the French Toast Facial, a 50-minute treatment that blends Ayurvedic methods with ingredients used to make French toast. The treatment includes organic milk, whole egg and whole grain bread blended with Asana Spa Fresh Maple Syrup to hydrate the skin,Asana Spa Turmeric Herbal Blend, to detoxify and Asana Spa Clove Herbal Blend to help heal blemishes.