UP Ibalon Bicol: Dr. Fish Does Unusual Pedicure In A Foot Spa

Dr. Fish Does Unusual Pedicure In A Foot Spa

7/23/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Business-minded people don’t seem to run out of ideas. In the case of John Ho who runs a hair and nails spa someplace in Washington D.C., having a small carp-like fish called garra rufa (aka Dr. Fish) to do pedicure for his customers seem a good business proposition.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said. AP/photo (07/21/08, Barakat, M.)

Before a standard foot care and grooming service, Ho's patrons are allowed a deep in a water tank where the gentle fish, numbering about a hundred, carefully nibble away dirt and debris from the skin surface. The fish acts like a natural razor, removing the exfoliating scaly skin while the foot thaws in mildly warm water.

For $35 and $50 per 15 and 30-minute service respectively, the ticklish fish pedicure is like the traditional stone rub (perhaps, the latter being more efficient,) which rids the foot of its shedding stratum corneum, the cornified outer skin layer. Whether the fish pedicure is sanitary and safe or devoid of any public health risks remains to be seen. =0=