My Experience With Fish Spa Therapy

I was invited to a fish spa for a pedicure and yes, you heard me right, a fish spa. This is the latest craze catching on strong in Asia's big cities like Japan, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

I squirmed at the thought of dangling my legs in a large communal pool and having hundreds of small Garra Rufa Fish nibble at my feet. Known as "Doctor Fish", these tiny toothless fishes were first discovered in the waters of a hot spring near Kangal, Turkey. For decades, people seeking alternative methods of healing have made pilgrimages to Eastern Europe countries such as Turkey, Syria, Jordan to experience the Doctor Fish therapy at the hot spring spas resorts. Garra rufa, have a peculiar dietary taste for dry, flaking human skin. The fish act like living pumice stones, nibbling off the dead epidermis and leaving behind baby smooth soft skin.

When I arrived for my pedicure, a few ladies were sitting on the edge of the pool giggling as they viewed the fish vacuuming their feet. I gingerly lowered my feet into the warm water and watched a swarm of small fishes wiggling over, attaching their pouts on my ankles and toes. The sensation is not totally unpleasant, just a little ticklish for me. If you do not look down at what is happening below, it felt something between hundreds of tweezers and tiny suction cups gently pecking at your feet.

According to enthusiasts, they believe that the Doctor Fish therapy can improve skin problems such as psoriasis, a disease that causes red, scaly patches to appear on skin. With thousands of freshwater Garra rufa fish chomping away on crusty skin cells, dry skin sufferers can expect newer, smoother skin after numerous sessions. My accompanying friend who has calluses on her feet said her skin was visibly smoother and softer with repeated fish treatments.

If you ask me whether I would return for future pedicures, honestly, my answer is no. Although Spa operators claimed to have good filtration system and proper hygiene standards it is still possible to get fungal and bacterial skin infection from submersion in fish pool. Also, until and unless there is proven medical benefit from fish spa therapy, I am not convinced.