Placenta Injections All the Rage in Tokyo

Yesterday we mentioned FDA-approved eyelash grower Latisse, which has the potential to not only lengthen your lashes but give you full-on wolf eyes. It turns out that Latisse isn't the only sci fi-esque beauty treatment du jour bound to leave you feeling a bit, well, unsettled. A spa trend taking place in Tokyo recently caught the attention of Slate -- specifically, that of human placenta injections. At Tenteki 10, a spa in Tokyo, clients seeking the medical equivalent of the fountain of youth are flocking in droves to get their placenta fix.

The treatment is essentially a 10-minute drip (which costs $30 a pop) that includes a combination of amino acids, biotin, and of course, placenta. The latter is believed to relieve fatigue, menopausal symptoms, liver disease, and aging. But like the aforementioned Latisse, certain side effects exist. Namely, “since extracts are made from human tissue, they could contain bacteria or viruses, some of which may not be tested for.” But that’s not to say the risk is putting a damper on sales. In fact, demand has risen sharply in weeks following the economic crisis. Despite the local success, it seems unlikely the Western market would ever embrace placental beauty treatments—unless, say, they get renamed with a reassuring nonsense brand-word and endorsed by a celebrity.