Fit to be tried: Fish Pedicure
Monday July 05 2010
EVEN if you don't have a foot fetish, and I confess I do, the sensation of having your toes nibbled and cleaned is pleasantly relaxing, especially when your feet are being massaged as well.
Wonderful -- particularly in this long stretch of good weather when many of us are enjoying hours of extra feet-pounding activities such as walking, running or cycling, which put a big strain on the 19 muscles, 26 bones, 33 joints and 107 ligaments and tendons in just one foot.
But when the source of the foot-relaxing pleasure comes from shoals of toothless Garra Rufa fish, the sensation takes a while to get used to. In fact, I couldn't bring myself to look for the first 15 minutes as the tiny water wonders did their duty.
It's a symbiotic relationship -- they eat away dead skin and by doing so relax the joints in your feet, and you in turn nourish them.
Known as Doctor Fish or Nibble Fish, they were discovered in the 1800s by a Turkish shepherd who put his injured leg in water and found the fish helped it to heal.
The aquatic health workers, each measuring less than 10 centimetres (about four inches), consumed the infected skin away from the wound, and miraculously the injury healed.
"We're getting more and more requests for the fish pedicure, particularly from athletes," says Margarita Cludac, who is one of the first people to have brought the service to Ireland.
As well as sporty types with muscle pain, Margarita and her husband and business partner Alex, originally from Ukraine but now operating in Ireland, say their fish doctors help treat a range of disorders, including psoriasis.
So how does it feel?
First your feet are cleaned and inspected -- the fish can't be exposed to infections such as verrucas. If they pass muster, your feet are immersed, one at a time, in a movable tank of warm water, with about 300 of the little creatures swimming inside.
Although they look uncomfortably like piranhas, the Garra Rufa fish are harmless and toothless, and the pins-and-needles sensation is sure to bring a smile to your face.
Once you've passed the ticklish stage, the sensation feels like a stimulating but relaxing massage, as the fish run their efficient suction-cup mouths along your feet and between your toes.
These nature's healers seek out and remove dead skin and callouses while rejuvenating healthy skin. And your joints are said to benefit from the process.
"We leave the feet in for at least 20 minutes, and the whole process is very sanitary as clean water is added to the portable tanks every time," says Mariana, as she scoops the tiny aqua doctors up in a net.
So if you're a regular sports person, or just enjoy something different, and your feet are aching, give it a try.
The Verdict
Did it work? Clears dead skin, soothes aching joints
Pluses: Leaves your tootsies looking good and feeling well
Minuses: Not for the squeamish, and watch where you stand!
Cost: €60 per treatment
Contact: Available nationally, or Margarita's salon is at 1 Sutton Cross, Dublin 13 TEL: 01 8399299 www.margaritabeautysalon.com
- Amanda Phelan
Irish Independent
