image: istock
Article by BR Fiona
So if you don't like fish then this beauty treatment probably isn't for you. Said to have begun in Turkish beauty salons the bait, oops, we mean the client places their feet in a tank of warm water containing tiny carp, known as doctor fish or Garra Rufa fish. As you soak your feet these little 'doctors' then come along and nibble all the dead skin off your feet, they also emit an enzyme which is said to smooth your skin.
Now don't worry you won't end up with teeth marks left in your heels after this treatment, the carp are a toothless variety of fish and the sensation of having them nibble on your feet is likened to a light massage, though if you have highly sensitive feet and don't want to end up in tears after being tickled by dozens and dozens of tiny fish then you might want to avoid this treatment!
Now this treatment is not without its controversy. Those who work in the beauty industry would know that there are strict guidelines about hygiene and using equipment that is cleaned properly so how do you clean a fish's mouth? You can't sterilise them or give them Listerine between clients and providing a new set of fish for each client just isn't a financially viable option. Sadly, or perhaps not sadly if you're not keen on fish, due to the potential health and hygiene issues associated with this treatment a lot of salons no longer offer this fishy treatment, in fact Turkey's government has now made the Garra Rufa a protected species of fish. If you're still keen on a carp pedicure they are still available in some countries and if you find yourself outside a salon contemplating experiencing using your toes as bait then keep an eye out for these signs...
- if the salon looks dirty or grubby then avoid it (that probably goes for all beauty treatments!)
- if the water in the tank doesn't look clean or fresh then run like the wind
- if the salon is using ultra violet filters to help keep the water clean then you can proceed with caution
- look for a salon that has individual tanks, as opposed to one large tank, this should hopefully be a bit more hygienic!
So have any of our Beauty Review lovely ladies taken the dive and had their toes nibbled on....by fish of course!
I did this in Shanghei with my son. It was the best. I loved it and my son giggled the whole time, it was so tickleish. Our feet were so soft afterwards.