Bhakti Paun Sharma
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Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Published : November 26, 2015 8:59 PM IST
Fish pedicures were a rage a few years back. I remember being excited with the concept of dipping your feet in a tank full of tiny fish and waiting for the fish to nibble up the dirt and dead skin. You can find the fish tanks meant for these pedicures at most shopping malls and do not cost much. This attracts many customers and many people would get a fish pedicure done at once in the same tank. Isn't this practice very unhygienic? How do you know whether the person getting the pedicure along with you maintains proper hygiene or isn t suffering from athlete s foot or other skin infections?
There are upscale places that offer personalised fish pedicure services at a higher cost too. Are they safe? We asked expert dermatologist, Dr Shefali Trasi Nerurkar, this and here s her response.
'Yes, a fish pedicure or spa can be safe but only if it is done under extreme care and hygiene level.' Garra rufa, the fish used for these pedicures, gently gnaw away dead and dry skin of the feet which results in fresh looking feet at the end of the treatment. These garra rufa fish help stimulate the blood flow and improve the blood circulation, stimulate the acupressure points, remove bacteria and dead skin, which results smoother and softer looking feet immediately after a session. However, there are chances that the fish tank may contain mycobacteria which may cause an infection.
If the water in the tank is not changed after every session, the chances of infection is high. It is advised that people with weak immunity or diabetes patients should avoid such type of treatment as they are more prone to infections. In a fish pedicure, you get rid of only dead skin and dirt, whereas several other types of pedicures include techniques for further beautification of your feet. Considering this factor, opting for a fish pedicure over the traditional option is not worth the risk. Here s a guide to getting salon like perdicure at home.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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