About a year ago, I read an article about V-steam, a cleansing spa treatment for, yes, the vagina. Variations of it have existed for centuries, purporting to help women with everything from infertility to menstrual cramps to hormonal acne. I immediately wanted to try it.

It took me a long time to find a place in Chicago that offered it, but recently I discovered just the spot: King Spa & Sauna, a Korean spa outside the city. When my friend Angela came to town for her birthday, I suggested we check it out. OK, fine—I suggested we get our vaginas steamed for her birthday.

For some reason, she agreed, and we headed out to Niles with our friend Leah. The treatment ended up being nothing like I expected—although there was, obviously, steam. Here’s what I learned from my first V-steam.

The treatment room smells amazing.

Any kind of hot room where people sweat usually smells kind of funky, right? And the first thing everyone asked me afterward was “Did the room smell weird?” It didn’t. It smelled like heaven. The steam comes from boiling water with 11 medicinal herbs in it. King Spa’s website mentions wormwood, rutin, and taraxacum (dandelion), and I also thought I smelled lavender. This mixture steeps right under a chair with a hole in the center, like a toilet seat (pictured below).

You’re not buck-naked the whole time.

As anyone who’s been to a Korean spa knows, there’s a lot of nakedness. And yes, you’re naked when you sit down. But our attendant outfitted each of us with a dark plastic cape that fastened around our necks and fell past our knees, like one you’d wear at the hair salon. Once shielded by the capes, we were told to go ahead and move our knees as far apart as we felt comfortable.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s still sort of a compromising position. The chairs are fairly close, so my friends’ knees were touching mine. If I were sitting with strangers, it might have been a little awkward. But the more open your stance, the more you can feel the steam.

It’s much more relaxing than it sounds.

Between the seat—which was super-comfy, like the toilet seat at grandma’s house—and the delicious smell, I honestly could have fallen asleep. Especially during the final 10 minutes, when our attendant told us to pull the neck of our capes up over our faces so that we were covered from forehead to knee. The steam was supposed to help clear out our pores, and it just smelled so good!

You can customize your V-steam.

The attendant can increase or decrease the amount of steam coming out of your chair. (At first, I didn’t feel it very much, so I asked her to turn it up.) She can also give you a moment’s relief by reaching her hand under the cape and using a fan to cool you off. It’s much nicer and less awkward than it sounds, trust me. She’s got a technique.

For an extra fee, you can also add more time or different herbs to your treatment. I was intimidated by the add-on herbs, though. One jar said “Centipedes” on it.

“Umm, are those crunched-up bugs?” I asked the attendant.

“Well … “ was all she said before continuing about her work.

It feels great afterward.

I swear, as I walked away from the chair, I half expected to hear a squeaky noise with each step. That’s how clean I felt!

I can’t speak to the treatment’s long-term effects, but I can tell you this: I got my period a few days later, and my cramps were nonexistent. And they’re usually pretty awful. Maybe that was a coincidence, maybe not. I’m definitely excited to try it again.

Check Groupon for deals on spas and bath houses in your area.