Treatment Review: The Garra Rufa Fish Pedicure at the Fish and Firm Spa

When the fish pedicure first came to public attention it caused cries of disgust amongst the beauty community. Letting little fishes nibble away the dead skin on your feet just didn't sound like a pleasant experience. However people relaxed somewhat when they realized this could be a nice 'natural' solution to ridding themselves of calluses, and fish spas became more commonplace.

They've never made it to the UK though, so when I was in Thailand I decided to try it out for myself. The idea is that the Garra Rufa fish are attracted to the dead skin on the feet and will eat that way, revealing healthy skin beneath. The suction from the fish is said to leave the skin more radiant and plumped up.

This therapy has been recommended for eczema sufferers and those with dry skin, but as a naturally squeamish and for phobic person I was curious to see how it would turn out. Initially I shrank away from the basin after plunging my fingers into the water, but then with a shot of vodka (not provided) and a lovely cup of ginger tea (given to all customers) I decided to brave it out.

You start by washing your feet in a separate shower to make sure they're clean before they go in the tank. Then I was given plasters to put over any bruised or red areas- after travelling for three weeks I had a number of small cuts that needed to be protected.

Initially it felt really strange, and as I saw the fish rush towards my feet I wanted to run away! The sensation was similar to being lightly tickled and I had to control myself to stop moving my feet away from the fish. Once I managed to relax it was interesting to watch them swarm over the foot and the ankles as they started building up in areas I was unaware I had dead skin. They pretty much covered the heels and the toes, but also concentrated on some places on the ankle.

The fish are Middle Eastern in origin, hailing from warm river basins,which was why the temperature of the water was quite pleasant.

Cosmetology boards in the USA have recently fallen out of favour with this procedure, deeming it unsanitary and causing US businesses to shut down. There is an element of that involved as many people share the same tank and even though they're cleaned daily you know you probably are touching someone else's dead skin somewhere.

After the treatment I was given a soft towel to dry off my feet, and had a look at my tootsies. They looked extremely pink and clean, and felt a lot smoother overall. Some calluses that had existed prior to Thailand were tiny versions of themselves, and a potential corn that I had was very diminished.

It wasn't a completely even procedure as there were still areas I felt could have used more work, but overall I was very happy with the results- and for the price you really couldn't complain.

There are many fish spas in the Khao San Road area but I chose this one as it seemed to have the most fish per square inch of water. The owner a lovely girl, told me how she managed three of the spas, and that they pretty much never shut- open 10am to midnight daily. 'I was here on New Year,' she said, when I enquired about her night. 'It was a busy evening'.

20 minutes cost 150 THB (around £3)

The Fish & Firm Spa, 273 rambuttri Road, Talad yod, Pranakhon, bangkok, 10200.

Originally reviewed on my own blog, Almost Zara

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