Fish Pedicure

[grazie7y]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.

Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.

Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.

But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn't know if customers would like the idea.

"I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "

Customers were quickly hooked.



Tracy Roberts, 33, of Rockville, Md., heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers.

"I'd been an athlete all my life, so I've always had calluses on my feet. This was the first time somebody got rid of my calluses completely," she said.

First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, of Washington, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: "It kind of feels like your foot's asleep," she said.

The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.

Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time.

Dennis Arnold, a podiatrist who four years ago established the International Pedicure Association, said he had never heard of the treatment and doubts it will become widespread.

"I think most people would be afraid of it," he said.

Customer Patsy Fisher, 42, of Crofton, Md., admitted she was nervous as she prepared for her first fish pedicure. But her apprehension dissolved into laughter after she put her feet in the tank and the fish swarmed to her toes.

"It's a little ticklish, actually," she said.

Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were availableâ€"including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.

In addition to offering pedicures, Ho hopes to establish a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises and is evaluating a full-body fish treatment that, among other things, could treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.

Ho spent a year and about $40,000 getting the pedicures up and running, with a few hiccups along the way.

State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health departmentâ€"which does regulate poolsâ€"required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer.

The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish.

"It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.



source:  http://www.breitbart.com

[ms da binsi]

ahhhhhhahahahaha!

kagilok!

asa na si Bebe? unsa to ijang fish?

[hazel]

cool! hehehe

[Macky Ferniz]

Tilapia ma ni nga gagmay.

Siguro kung baga na kaayo ang kubal "Piranha" na ang gamiton

[hazel]

Pwede ba pud kaha nang janitor fish?

[ms da binsi]

Tilapia ma ni nga gagmay.

Siguro kung baga na kaayo ang kubal "Piranha" na ang gamiton

bwahahahahha

way batasan!!!!

[grazie7y]

This story was in today's late night news!  Ang mga anchor people nangatawa lang and they said they didn't buy that these fishes are good enough to clean feet.  Imagine pod 25 dollars for 20 minutes man diay ang charge!

[orChids]

Nice idea.

[Mari]

kagilok ba ana oi. basin makitkitan ang dili apil nga panit...feeding the fish flesh

[grazie7y]

Aya san and Mari dear, wa daw na ngipon pero you are right!  unsaon kaha pagkabalo sa isda na dili na diay to rough skin?    Busa siguro for 25 minutes lang ang pedicure kay basin mahurot kitkit atong skin anang kalakiha!   

[Mari]

Aya san and Mari dear, wa daw na ngipon pero you are right!  unsaon kaha pagkabalo sa isda na dili na diay to rough skin?    Busa siguro for 25 minutes lang ang pedicure kay basin mahurot kitkit atong skin anang kalakiha!  

ulk! ngilngigan ko maminaw. basin nig gawas nimo nagpat ak pat ak na imo panit. nangaaksi na ang cuticle...ayayay!

[Mari]

di ko magsilbi ana kay i dont like anything crawling or moving under my feet

[grazie7y]

Same here!  When I talked to Alyssamarie/smiffy about this earlier, ning ingon ko na I won't do this kay basin everytime mokaon ko'g isda, I can remember these fishes snacking on my feet's rough skin!  Yikes!

[Mari]

hahahahaha...fish crackers are better than fish snacking on our feet

[smiffytheninja]

This story was in today's late night news!  Ang mga anchor people nangatawa lang and they said they didn't buy that these fishes are good enough to clean feet.  Imagine pod 25 dollars for 20 minutes man diay ang charge!

=P I'll buy my own fish to clean my feet. Better tell my goldfish that he'll be getting some new friends soon....

[Bambi]

Hoy BOC kaloud ba ani tan-awon.  Mahinumdom lang ko sa among kalingaw ug un-on sa una nga isda nga gitawag ug "PANGGAN", it looks very similar to these pedicure workers  Pfui!

[grazie7y]

Hoy BOC kaloud ba ani tan-awon.  Mahinumdom lang ko sa among kalingaw ug un-on sa una nga isda nga gitawag ug "PANGGAN", it looks very similar to these pedicure workers  Pfui!

BOC, staple food namo sa una sa Manga nang panggan intawon! hahahaha tiaw, mao diay tig kitkit sa akong tikod! yikes!

[hazel]

kagilok ba ana oi. basin makitkitan ang dili apil nga panit...feeding the fish flesh

mari, ingon ang article nga dead skin ra man ang kaonon sa fish kay wala man silay teeth so safe ra jud. hehehehe

i wanna try this bisan gilok.

[Mari]

mari, ingon ang article nga dead skin ra man ang kaonon sa fish kay wala man silay teeth so safe ra jud. hehehehe

i wanna try this bisan gilok.

manglimbawt akong balhibo ana ging. gilok man paminawn nga naay manggimok sa akong tiil

[ms da binsi]

Preha jud ta ug feeling Maria, pagkakita nako nang gilok ahong tiil.

[Mari]

Preha jud ta ug feeling Maria, pagkakita nako nang gilok ahong tiil.

maiktin man gani ko sa dagat kung naay molihok sa akong tiil. dili jud ko magsilbi ana. Just thinking fishes are feeding on my feet murag di kaya ng powers ko.

[ms da binsi]

bwahahahahah!

[Ginger]

naa na ba ni sa Pinas?

[glacier_71]

naa na ba ni sa Pinas?

basin, pero ilang gigamit mga isdang piranha. hehehehe. peace

[Ginger]

basin, pero ilang gigamit mga isdang piranha. hehehehe. peace

hahaha korek! unsaon baga naman kaayo kalyo

[gelyan]

naa na ba ni sa Pinas?

naa man sa manila kanang nakalimot ko sa name sa park something hehehe fish spa ilang tawag ana. hay kalagot kalimot ko sa name sa palce woi.