11
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your toes 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,” Mr. 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 favour with state regulators because of concerns about whether they are sanitary.
Patsy Fisher, middle, checks on the progress of KaNin Reese of Washington as they and Tracy Roberts Rockville, Md., left, as undergo a fish pedicure treatment in Alexandria, Va. Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press (Jacquelyn Martin/The Associated Press)
Mr. Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, – called Garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.
But Mr. Ho doubted that they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he did not know if customers would like the idea.
“I know people were a little intimidated at first,” he said. “But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' “
Customers were quickly hooked.
Tracy Roberts 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 of Washington described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: “It kind of feels like your foot's asleep.”
The fish do not do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin that the doctor fish leave behind.
Mr. Ho believes his is the only U.S. salon 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 of Crofton, Md., admitted nervousness as she prepared for her pedicure. Her apprehension dissolved into laughter, however, 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 does not support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available – including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they cannot bite it off.
Virginia regulations make no provision for fish pedicures, but the county health department – which does regulate pools – 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,” Mr. Ho said.
