Glamazons,
When my friends and I planned our Mexico trip, I never imagined that I’d have a gang of fish nibbling at my feet on Day Two. But that’s exactly what happened when we stumbled upon a fish pedicure salon near 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen.
You May Also Like: What I Wore: Aztec Print in Mexico at @Eurostars Hotels #GlamazonTravel
After posting on Instagram, I got a ton of questions about the experience (that everyone says they first saw when Kim and Kourtney Kardashian did it in Greece on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”) so here’s the scoop!
A fish pedicure is a procedure where tiny garra rufa (nibble fish) nibble the dead skin off your feet, leaving softer, newer skin exposed. After sterilizing the foot basin and inspecting your feet, you’re instructed to dip them in the water.
As soon as you do, about 150 fish flock to your feet and begin nibbling at the dead skin.
It feels…strange! It tickles at first but I got used to it pretty quickly. After awhile, it tingled and even stung in some areas where there was more dead skin so the fish were more aggressive.
A couple things I noticed: it was overwhelming when I first put my feet in and every fish in the basin swam toward me! It was easier to handle once a few fish swam away. I definitely fared better with a small group of fish at a time as opposed to all 100+ at once. Also, when fish stopped nibbling a certain area (i.e. my ankle) and started again later, I went through the ticklish sensation all over again. Each time, my skin had to adjust to the feeling of being nibbled at!
The fish pedicure lasted for about 30 minutes, and afterwards, my skin felt and looked smoother! It was insane. There was a little soreness around my ankle (must’ve been lots of dead skin there!) but overall, I felt no pain AT ALL.
I asked the salon owner every question known to man about fish pedicures and what I had read and heard about them. Here’s a quick rundown of the info she shared, and more:
What are garra rufa?
Garra rufa fish are native to The Middle East (Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria) and have been used to treat skin conditions in Turkey for over 400 years. Recent studies and doctor treatments have proven that they are effective for healing psoriasis and eczema. They’re called “nibble fish” for obvious reasons, and “doctor fish” for their healing capabilities.
Are fish pedicures sanitary?
In order for fish pedicures to be sanitary, customers’ feet, legs and ankles must be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and inspected for open wounds before the pedicure. Also, foot basins must be completely sterilized (without the fish in it) to kill bacteria. The fish themselves, however, can’t be sanitized and there’s fear that fish will spread infections between customers (which is one reason why it’s banned in 10 U.S. states). It’s worth noting though that there are currently no published reports of illnesses stemming from fish pedicures.
Is it true that garra rufa fish have to be starved in order for them to eat dead skin?
They do not have to be starved, according to the owner at the salon I visited who also feeds them fish food. She mentioned that in their natural habitat, garra rufa survive by sucking the dead scales off larger living fish so dead skin is not a stretch.
Will they bite you?
Without teeth, they can’t bite you or even remove living skin. But Chinese Chinchin fish are often confused for garra rufa, and chinchin do grow teeth.
So there you have it! Any questions about fish pedicures, and my personal experience getting one? Hit me in the comments!
Kisses,
Glamazon Jessica
So crazy! I’ve always wanted to try this out!