How far are you willing to go to stay young? For some, the answer is nothing short of horrifying. Women begin aging in their mid-twenties and early thirties, and it is alarming to see what some will do to stop that process in its tracks. Here are just a few of the extremes:

Re-purposing The Placenta

The vast majority of Americans steer clear of human placenta, simply discarding it shortly after birth. A select few, however, use human placenta (and even sheep, goat, and pig placenta) to create placenta masks or placenta facial products. “Placenta facials use freeze-dried, sterilized powder made from placentas,” Everyday Health writes. “It’s full of proteins and enzymes, a freeze-dried cellular harvest.”

Ceramic Crystal Injections

This is exactly what it sounds like. There are treatments out there that entail injecting ceramic crystals directly into the skin. The treatment allegedly leaves its advocates (mostly celebrities due to its high cost) with permanently glowing, youthful skin. The procedure has come under fire given that, once undertaken, the crystals are there to stay — which can cause complications as time goes on.

A Saner And Cleaner Alternative

Of course, many of these “fad” fixes can be dangerous, costly, and it’s not even entirely clear whether they work. (Let’s face it: The science behind injecting skin with crystals seems lacking at best.) There is a less expensive and infinitely less invasive way to slow the aging process. And that’s where natural collagen creams and collagen supplements come in. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the human body; it is the protein that determines skin’s tightness, and collagen makes up 30% of all protein in the human body. In other words, our bodies are more than accustomed to it. Using natural collagen creams is safe and effective, and simply replaces the natural collagen in the body that has a tendency to disappear over time.

People will go to some pretty extreme lengths to maintain their youthful appearance. Injecting the skin with crystals or smearing it with placenta, however, is not necessary. Instead, opt for clean, safe, and natural collagen treatments.