Well, I decided to find out and headed to The Salon in Birmingham for a 15 minute hot lava shell tummy treatment.
What is it?
The idea of the hot lava shell is rather like that of a hot stone massage - using a heated implement to relax the muscles and provide a deeper massage.
The therapist uses real tiger clam shells from the Phillipines which are heated when a mixtures of minerals and algae combine with salt water and oils. The chemical reaction causes a wonderful heat.
This treatment was for the stomach and is supposed to give you a flatter tummy and help with bloating and IBS by improving the function of the digestive system. As someone who suffers a poor digestive system (IBS), I was keen to see if this was any good.
Does it work?
The therapist applied a gel to my stomach as I relaxed in a darkened room. She then applied the hot shell to my stomach. It felt like a smooth object as she massaged in a clockwise direction. 'Your intestines feel like cold spaghetti' she announced. Indeed.
She discussed what she was doing as she went and told me to think 'happy thoughts' as my stomach made all kinds of bizarre and embarrassing noises. 'That happens to everyone as they relax' she assured me, before my stomach made a noise at such a horrifying level that they must have heard it in central Birmingham.
Afterward did I feel cleansed and released? Flat of tummy and light of step? Not exactly. My insides were churning. The therapist felt she had made little headway with my difficult digestive system and my stomach felt more bloated than ever. The following day, however, I felt less bloated.
According to The Salon's expert, who trained in the Philippines, I would need around six treatments - one every six weeks - to 'cure' my IBS. And at £15 a session - it might just be worth a few more to find out. I'll keep you updated!
The Salon, 12A Legge Lane, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham
0121 236 2755
This review is impartial. Charlotte Spratt paid for this treatment and The Salon were not aware that this would be reviewed.
