As many ailing people get leech therapy done in Kashmir on Navroz, understanding what the procedure entails

The procedure, that lasts for 15-20 minutes, is touted to be a “blood detoxification process” which is most effective for chronic skin ailments like acne, blackheads, and to get glowing skin, Dr Sheikh Mohd Wajid, an Unani practitioner who specialises in leech therapy, and lecturer, HOD, Z.V.M. Unani Medical College And Hospital, Azad Campus, Pune, told indianexpress.com.

The therapy is said to detoxify the blood (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

During the therapy, leeches — whose saliva is believed to contain natural chemicals — are applied to the affected area(s) of the body to help promote blood flow, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.

“The number of live leeches used on a patient depends on the body part they are being used on. For example, to get a facial glow, leeches are used on like both sides of the face,” said Dr Wajid.

The therapy uses live medicinal leeches (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Dr Sohail Ahmed, another Unani practitioner, said that the cosmetic procedure comprises using three types of medicinal leeches that have three jaws with tiny rows of teeth.

“They pierce a person’s skin with their teeth and insert anticoagulants through their saliva. The leeches are then allowed to extract blood for 15 odd minutes at a time,” Dr Sohail told indianexpress.com adding that it is believed that on full moon days like Navroz, the gravitational pull is the strongest, which makes the “impurities in the blood come to the surface” — the reason this tradition is popular on such days.

Leech therapy finds takers in Kashmir’s Srinagar (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

The blood drawn is relatively a small amount, which can be upto 50 ml from one human at one time, added Dr Sohail, further warning that no more than 50 ml should be drawn. “Also, do not believe fraudsters who say the procedure can cure chronic ailments like diabetes,” he stressed.

Dr Shrey Srivastav, MD (Internal Medicine), Sharda Hospital mentioned that while leech therapy is considered to treat blood circulation issues in certain cases, it can also be a source of bacterial infection, sometimes involving drug-resistant bacteria.

“So, it is advisable to avoid leeches outside of a regulated environment. For this reason, people who are immunocompromised by autoimmune disease and environmental factors are not good candidates for leech therapy,” Dr Srivastav told indianexpress.com.

Here’s how leech therapy is done (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Concurred Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder Director, Ujala Cygnus group of Hospitals, and said that it is important to note that the research on this therapy is limited, and further studies are needed to fully understand its potential benefits and risks.

Calling leech therapy a “medieval practice”, Dr Debraj Shome, senior cosmetic surgeon and director, The Esthetic Clinics said that instead of “troubling leeches”, the properties they possess should be used in modern pharmaceutical drugs to derive the said benefits in a more standarised way.

“I don’t recommend such medieval practices which were used when we did not have antibiotics and antiseptic measures. Producing them as modern drugs will make them predictable, reproducable, and tritrable,” said Dr Shome, further urging for “evidence-based practice”.

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