Something fishy is going on here (Photo msnbc.com)

In need of a pedicure?  Well, if you live in the D.C. area you should go partake in the latest trend in pedicure procedures and go get your feet nibbled on.  Seriously.  Go soak your feet in a warm bath of toothless carp for the smoothest feet you could imagine…or so they say.

Husband and wife team John Ho and Yvonne Le run Yvonne’s Hair and Nails Salon in northern Virginia and they were looking for a better way to smooth rough, calloused feet.  Razors have fallen out of fashion because of the hygenic concerns that come with them and Ho thought, what about fish?  First used in Turkey and now popular in some Asian countries, garra rufka, known as doctor fish, are tiny, toothless carp that live off of dead skin cells.  They can’t feed on live skin because they don’t have teeth, which means they gently remove your calluses. 

So, what does it feel like?  One woman described the sensation of having her feet nibbled as being similar to her feet being asleep.  That tingly feeling.  One woman says it tickles.  And beyond the strange sensation, I thought this was a big testament to how effective the fish are:  "Tracy Roberts, 33, 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." (msnbc.com)

John Ho says that since they started using doctor fish four months ago over 5000 women have already tried the new pedicure method.  That’s a lot of brave customers.  A pedicure tank holds about 100 fish and Ho keeps about 1000 fish in the salon.  And he is thinking about starting a whole doctor fish empire, where you can even have full body treatments of fish nibbling you to help treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.   Wowza.  You would have to really not be ticklish to try that.

I gotta tell you, I would totally try this out.  It’s strange and bizarre which makes it that much more intriguing.  I don’t plan on being in the D.C. area anytime soon, which is the only thing holding me back.  It sounds fun!  I’m all about symbiotic relationships - the fish get to eat and I get smooth feet!  That should be their new slogan…

So who’s with me?

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