Ah, beauty. A never ending source of the fascinating, the innovative and the down-right barking mad.

We've had the bird-poo facial (nightingale droppings are applied for a skin-brightening effect) and the bull-sperm hair treatment (the protein makes your locks luscious, apparently), so the news that macrobiotic food-fan Gwyneth Paltrow was fond of cupping came as no surprise. An ancient Chinese practice, cupping involves the use of heated receptacles which grip to the skin to . . . er . . . well, I don't really know. Something to do with health and wellbeing.

What next, leeches? Um, yes. Turns out Demi Moore is a fan of these bloody little suckers and last year confessed to David Letterman that she reckoned they were great for her health.

"It detoxifies your blood, and they have a little enzyme that, when they're biting down on you, gets released into your blood," she told the TV chat show host.

However, the majority of us aren't looking for anything quite so macabre when we head for a beauty treatment. But in a competitive market, spas and salons have to keep up or they'll be squeezed out. Our interest in wellbeing has prompted beauty businesses to invent new, crazy-sounding treatments and therapies to keep us hooked: a glance over any treatment menu might throw up a facial which uses gold leaf, a massage involving the use of heated bamboo sticks, hopi ear candling or an angel therapy.

You'd be forgiven for rolling your eyes and wondering aloud about how fools and their money are easily parted, but sometimes there's method to the madness. Here are a four eyebrow-raising therapies that really do deliver.

THE SWEAT SOLUTION

Botox has been used by the stars for years to get them award-ceremony ready, and not just for their faces: the jab can prevent underarm sweating, meaning no awkward marks on borrowed ballgowns. Liz Hurley and Patsy Kensit are said to be fans, but it's not permanent and needs to be topped up every few months.

A promising -- and permanent -- alternative is offered by Dundrum Clinic, who are using Vaser to cure excess underarm perspiration. We put it to the test and our guinea pig, Eimear Byrne (29), who had suffered miserably with underarm sweating, described the treatment as "life changing".

"I had tried everything, but super-strength deodorants just had no effect," she said, adding, "before, I always had to wear black clothes. Shirts and anything grey were out of the question because they'd be soaking." And now? "I can wear what I want. I hardly ever sweat now, even in high temperatures. It's fantastic."

Excellent news -- but is the treatment painful?

"Well," Eimear says, "I have a high pain threshold but it's not mega-painful. You are sore and bruised on your arms and chest for a few days, but the results are definitely worth it." The clinic supplied Eimear with painkillers, but she preferred to take an over-the-counter brand and found them sufficient to manage the couple of days discomfort that she experienced.

So, how does it all work? Using a tool inserted through a small incision in the armpit, the surgeon removes or destroys the function of the sweat glands using Vaser ultrasonic energy; they are then aspirated out. Eimear was awake through her treatment but had been given a local anaesthetic.

"It was fine," she says, "I didn't feel a thing, and it was over in about an hour. I found the staff to be really nice as well, which definitely helped." No hospital stay is required, and as long as you have someone to come and pick you up post-treatment, you'll be good to go.

While the procedure worked for Eimear, it's not suitable for everyone. Sue Woodall, the patient adviser at the Dundrum Clinic, says that there are some contra indications, such as diabetes or active infections in the armpits. You'll receive a full pre-treatment assessment, and if at that point you're identified as non-suitable, the clinic won't go ahead.

Price may be a sticking point for some: at €3,850 it doesn't come cheap, but there's good news -- for October, the clinic will offer a special price of €2,900 to Evening Herald readers.

Dundrum Clinic, 4th Floor, Dundrum Town Centre, D16. Call 01 216 6778, www.dundrumclinic.com

THE CANDLE WAX MASSAGE

London seems to abound with star beauty therapists that the British glossies endlessly rave about, and while Dublin has its fair share of terrific estheticians, we've lacked that must-see therapist with magic hands. I have a feeling we've found her in Elaine Butler-Doolin, who's just set up shop as Bespoke Beauty. Butler-Doolin's prescriptive hydraderme facial, €100, begins with a luxurious back massage that uses candle wax. Okay, so that sounds a bit Madonna in Body of Evidence, but it's a quirk that works. The special candles used melt into a luxe oil blend that's allowed to cool slightly before it is massaged into skin. It eases muscle tension and promotes a deep sense of relaxation -- plus, after all that, you've still got a facial to look forward to.

Bespoke Beauty, 12 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, D4. Call 087 770 1999; www.bespokebeauty.ie

THE SOAK-OFF MANI

We went gaga last year for permanent manicures -- acrylic tip-free versions of gel nails -- where the product was painted directly on to the nail, promising to stay put for up to three weeks. It seemed great, but colours were limited and salons glossed over the fact that your own nails were often weakened. Things are looking brighter with the release of OPI's new Axxium Soak-Off Gel Lacquer. It glides on like a regular polish and is then UV-cured to stay put for a fortnight. There are 18 shades on offer, and while the treatment costs €70, it's the sort of thing brides-to-be go wild for as it'll last for the wedding and the honeymoon. Once you're back, the gel is soaked off in-salon, leaving nails in good nick.

Urban Beauty, 189 Lower Rathmines Road, Rathmines, D6. Call 497 8656; www.urbanbeauty.ie

THE PARTY FEET

Ever tried to walk a mile in stilettos? It's painful. The trend for dizzier heights is putting extra pressure on the balls of our feet, and they're responding by burning up with pain. Instead of investing in endless pairs of gel inserts you can get to the heart of the matter with Sculptra Party Feet, available at Cosmedics. When Sculptra is injected into the balls of the feet, the material cushions the pressure area, making heel-wearing altogether more pleasurable. It doesn't come cheap at €500, but it might just solve that burning issue once and for all.

Cosmedics, St. Peters Square, Phibsborough, D7.

Call 01 860 3144; www.cosmedics.ie

- Kirstie McDermott