Are you ready for the fish pedicure?
Yes, you read that right. A spa in northern Virginia is offering a special treatment for dry, callused feet. Just dip your toes into a tank full of fish and they’ll nibble the dead, dry skin off your feet.
Sounds great…?
The fish in question is known as the doctor fish (officially, it’s called garra rufa). They thrive in hot water that doesn’t support much other plant or animal life — the doctor fish learned to feed on whatever was available. Apparently the menu includes dead skin.
The doctor fish don’t actually have teeth, and can’t bite into live skin. But they can nibble away tough calluses and dry patches with ease.
The fish have been in use in spas in Turkey and across Asia, but Yvonne Hair and Nails in Virginia may be the only one offering the treatment in the United States. In the past four months, more than five thousand people have tried the fish pedicure. The spa owns more than a thousand fish; around a hundred tend to each customer.
Clients who’ve taken the plunge say that it tickles, or feels like your feet are asleep. Others liken it to a light massage. But the results are great. An athlete who had callused feet all her life said that they were gone, thanks to the doctor fish. The spa owners believe that allowing the doctor fish to nibble away dead skin is safer and more sanitary than using a razor to scrape your feet.
After up to a half hour with the doctor fish, customers then get a traditional pedicure — which is made easier thanks to all that nibbling. The spa owners are now working on developing a full-body treatment that may help patients with skin problems like psoriasis. They also dream of starting up a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises.