Garra Rufa Fish Treatment
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and somehow we were on the topic of pedicures. Here is how the conversation went.

Kris: Have you ever had a pedicure?

Me: Actually, yes! I had my first one a few months ago.

Kris: Have you ever heard of fish pedicures?

Me: I didn't know they needed them. (rim shot)

Kris: No! There are some pedicure places that have you stick your feet in the water and the fish eat away your dead skin. They have small little teeth, so you can only have your feet in the water for a short time or they won't stop.

Me: (sarcastically) Yeah, those fish are called Piranha.

After this bit of dialog, she finally gave me more info to go on. I had never heard of a 'fish spa,' but they're out there. Of course these fish are NOT piranha. These little 'Nemos' are called Garra rufa or 'doctor fish.' The fish come from the Middle East and, in a controlled setting in Austria, helped in the treatment of psoriasis.

All I can think about is, if you have ticklish feet then this pedi isn't for you.

There are more than 10 states that have banned this 'Fish Pedi,' including Florida and Texas. These bans can be for any number of reasons, but the one that stood out was the one I read on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Chinese Chinchin, another species of fish that is often mislabeled as Garra rufa and used in fish pedicures, grows teeth and can draw blood, increasing the risk of infection.

Draw blood?! That's all I needed to read to decide that I would have NO interest in trying a fish pedi ever. I think I'll just stick with my store bought Pumice stone.

 

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