Experts have warned against visiting bizarre 'earthworm spas' as the treatment can cause infections if done incorrectly.

Arnat Tancho, the director of the Maejo Natural Farming Research and Development Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand said on August 30 that though it was indeed possible to use earthworms in spas, proper care must be taken to ensure good hygiene is observed.

His statement comes as locals began writing online praising the purported benefits of the treatment, seen in the video, which involves covering a customer's face with earthworms and letting them crawl freely on the skin.

The unusual relaxation technique is said to improve skin texture through moisturisation and exfoliation.

Arnat said: 'Earthworms typically inhabit underground environments and possess a slimy mucous layer on their skin along with microbes inside their bodies.

'According to research conducted by Maejo University, the bodies of earthworms can contain more than 500 species of microbes, some of which could have both beneficial and harmful effects.

'Because earthworms breathe through their skin, they continuously release mucus along with microbes.

'Thus, when using earthworms in spa treatments, it's especially crucial to ensure that there are no external wounds on the skin.'

Despite the potentially harmful effects, earthworm mucus does contain beneficial components, Arnat said. However, such substances must first undergo sterilisation to be suitable for human use.

He added: 'If they really want to go to an earthworm spa, they must first determine if they have a strong enough immune system to resist various pathogens. Different people will always have different reactions to the procedure.'