Believe it or not, fish pedicures have been around for over four centuries. A fish pedicure is when you stick your feet in water and fish nibble at the dead skin on them. Though, they have become more popular in the last decade or so. This trend started in Turkey using a toothless fish called Garra rufa, which is native to countries in the middle east. It is also known as the doctor fish.
One reason that Garra rufa are used for fish pedicures is that, due to them being toothless, they are very unlikely to break a person's skin. Another reason for this choice of fish species is that their diet includes the flesh of dead fish when plankton is not available. Therefore, they will also eat the dead flesh off of a human's foot.
The purpose of a fish pedicure is to exfoliate and remove the dead skin. This (supposedly) is supposed to be good for the skin, due to it being natural. There are also claims that it relaxes tired and aching muscles in the feet due to the tickling from the fish causing a release of endorphins. Another claim made is that the saliva from the fish can help to stimulate the growth of new skin cells and improve blood circulation. However, none of these claims have ever been proven.
Places that have fish pedicures include spas and tourist attractions. One tourist attraction that does this is Crane Point Hammock in Marathon, Florida. Crane Point Hammock has a museum and nature trails, one of the trails leading to a freshwater pond with fish in it. The fish used for fish pedicures at this location are called gambusia fish. This is a freshwater fish, also known as the mosquito fish. Their diets include mosquito larvae, algae, and small invertebrates.
I really enjoyed my experience getting a fish pedicure at Crane Point Hammock. It tickled a lot, but was really cool. Each time someone new would put their feet in the pond, a lot of the fish would go to them. We tried to come up with some theories as to what feet the fish prefer, but there were way too many variables to actually know. Some of our theories included:
- Men's feet vs women's feet
- Tattooed feet vs non-tattooed feet
- Right feet vs left feet
- Recently pedicured feet vs not recently pedicured feet
One preference I noticed was that they seemed to prefer feet that had not recently been pedicured over feet that had been. This would make sense because these feet would have more dead skin for them to eat. Overall, it was a great experience and I would love to do it again!
I knew these fish were meant to make your feet softer by nibbling at the dead skin, but I did not realize that they have also been known to relax the muscles as well. This was my very first fish pedicure, and my feet felt so much smoother after placing them in the water. The more that I think about it, it was pretty relaxing. Though, I'm not sure if I was more relaxed by being able to sit down and cool off, or from the fish nibbling at my feet. Either way, this was a great way to take a break.
ReplyDeleteI found this to be very interesting. I thought the only thing they did was eat dead skin. Even though the other benefits have never been proven, I definitely believe that the fish pedicures release endorphins because i felt a calming feeling when enjoying the pedicure. The plus side was that we also got to sit down and cool down some.
ReplyDeleteI liked reading this blog post because it gave me more information on Garra rufa. I have heard of fish pedicures but this was my first time seeing and experiencing it in person. I did not know this started in Turkey and find it cool that it has reached the states. I think it is interesting that these toothless fish are so intrigued in removing the dead skin off our feet. I like how you added possible theories that could be studied. I for one found that the fish were very attracted to my feet compared to the classmates around me. I also think they prefer feet that have not recently been pedicured and I had never had one in my life.
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