Sideways News

The fish nibble at your feet to remove dead skin

A couple of hundred of fish are munching away on my feet. I'm having my very first fish pedicure and it tickles. A lot.

These so-called Doctor Fish made quite a name for themselves in the medical world, when they were discovered in the early 1800s. Officially known as Garra Rufa, their ability to treat skin diseases, muscle pains and neurologic disorders created a buzz well beyond the warm waters of Turkey where they originate from.

Doctor Fish eat away dead skin, allowing healthy skin to grow. This has made them very popular with people suffering from psoriasis. A couple of bathing sessions in pools with the small carp-like fish may cure the worst symptoms and some people reportedly saw all of their scabby skin disappear after several treatments.

Fishy business
The fish made their first entrée in the beauty industry in 2006 when they were used to clean bathers in Asian spas. In 2008, the first Doctor Fish pedicure saw the light in Mr Ho's Hair and Nails salon in Virginia. Not convinced when he first heard about it, Mr Ho travelled to China to have a full-body treatment. He liked it, spent $40,000 on 10,000 fish and introduced the first communal fish tub in the US, according to Philip Shishkin in the Wall Street Journal.

It didn't take long before other beauticians in the US, Europe and Asia decided to put Doctor Fish on their menu.

Gentle nibble
Intrigued by this "100% eco-friendly" pedicure, I decided to give it a go. So here I am, balancing on the edge of a large fish tank, while a couple of courageous fish are nibbling gently between my toes. To be honest, I'd expected a firmer bite. It feels more like a fish massage than a fish pedicure. Not that I want them to tear off large chunks!

Fortunately, I have the fish to myself. Watching them do a buffet tour between several feet in varying states of flakyness would make the experience a lot less enjoyable.

Bake after use
Hygienic concerns have already caused a ban on fish pedicures in 14 US states, Philip Shishkin reported in the Wall Street Journal. The problem? The fish are considered small nail salon tools, which means they need to be sanitised after every use. But how do you disinfect a fish?

Baking them for 20 minutes at 350 degrees was one of the suggestions put forward by the New Hampshire Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics. The board put a ban on fish pedicures in November 2008, much to the disappointment of Mr Ho, who was planning to build a nationwide franchise network of fish pedicure salons. At four dollars a fish, and at least one hundred fish per pedicure, baking isn't really an option for those looking to keep costs low. Not to mention that "eco-friendly" would obviously no longer be a selling point.

Pins and needles
None of these regulations have reached India, where it's time for me to get out of the fish tank. The tickling feeling has been replaced by a mild sensation of pins and needles. I wonder whether it is possible to train goldfish for the job. Never knew something so fishy could be this nice.

SIDEWAYS News for fresh perspectives