Jul 22 2008For The Geekologie Ladies: Fishy Pedicures
First, there was the 24K gold facial, and now, fish pedicures. Apparently they're really taking off in the Washington D.C. area and women are flocking to the Yvonne Hair and Nails Salon to let Garra rufa "doctor fish" carp eat the dead skin and calluses from their feet. I can almost guarantee those little guys would go belly up if I stuck my boats in the tank, but maybe these women take better care of their feet than I do.
Ho (the salon owner) said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't 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 can't bite it off.Ho believes his is the only salon in the country 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.
Wow, $50 to set your feet in a fishtank for 30 minutes? What's the world coming to? I mean, besides a robot apocalypse? I'll tell you what, you come over to my place and I'll let you set your feet in my fishtank for $25. Of course, you only get 10 minutes. But trust me -- the piranhas are far more efficient than a bunch of crappy carp. Seriously, 30 minutes and they'd be down to the bone. I've also got a snapping turtle if you want your nails done.
UPDATE: The grizzly should be ready to cut hair by August, call for an appointment.
Hit the jump for a couple more pictures, including a really worthwhile one of three MILFs with their feet in the tank.
Fish Pedicures Are Creating a Splash [aolnews]
Thanks Pat, you can get the first cut if you're interested.
Reader Comments
1. josh - July 22, 2008 2:48 PM
This was on Regis and Kelly today.
2. ktb - July 22, 2008 2:50 PM
nice. fat ladies with fish.
3. karyn - July 22, 2008 2:51 PM
Or, you could get a pumice stone and save your friends the trouble of hearing about your first fish-pedicure.
4. morga - July 22, 2008 3:02 PM
this is only one step away from using leeches
(which are actually pretty effective against gangrene)
5. Zoidberg - July 22, 2008 3:07 PM
LOL! those are not MILFs sir
6. Madgame - July 22, 2008 3:07 PM
those fish are so gellin.
7. Geek's Dream Girl - July 22, 2008 3:11 PM
Ew, ew, ew!! I wouldn't be able to let fish chew on my feet. That is just too nasty.
8. hojo - July 22, 2008 3:53 PM
@7, Nasty for you or for the fish? :-)
9. etr - July 22, 2008 3:54 PM
@8, zzzzzingggg!!
10. DJ CJ - July 22, 2008 4:08 PM
Dude..whatsup with the false alarm bro?
YOU CANNOT CRY MILF AND NOT DELIVER. THOSE ARE CILFS NOT MILFS.
11. hojo - July 22, 2008 4:10 PM
As a hairy person, I'll tell you this: There's no way I'd get in the water with those little bastards. One thing I've learned from swimming in lakes is that little fish like to pull hairs. Then again, it'd probably hurt less than a wax. There's my TMI for the day.
12. Aerialgreen - July 22, 2008 4:18 PM
CILFS? as in C-nts I'd Like to F-ing Stab? *waits for the judges*
13. jasonblood - July 22, 2008 5:00 PM
this has been around in korea for a pretty long time. theres a popular chain there called the "doctor fish cafe" where they offer this exact same crap. stupidest part of all is that this is being offered up as a more sanitary way to get rid of dead skin (over foot razors, i guess?) but there have been a ton of news programs over there about how the mouths of the fish have a lot of bacteria and actually give you skin infections...
14. DeeplyTroubled - July 22, 2008 5:20 PM
Thanks to these pics I have a new fetish (feet, fish and CILFs)
15. DeeplyTroubled - July 22, 2008 5:28 PM
I think these ladies may have greater aesthetic concerns than some dry skin on their feet. They might want to spend a little less time sitting around the salon, and a little more time in the gym.
16. Pat - July 22, 2008 5:28 PM
I'll be ready for a haircut in August. But you better not snip off my ear like my last hairdresser: Coyote Jack.
17. Meg - July 22, 2008 5:38 PM
I'd do it!
18. Egg of Winter - July 22, 2008 5:55 PM
I did this when I lived in Korea. There's a bar in Seoul that has them, so you can get drunk while fish eat your feet. It's pretty sweet... except it tickles when they eat your feet.
19. bombs - July 22, 2008 5:59 PM
i want to try this because i'm just the kind of woman who would pay $50 for fish to eat the dead skin off my feet. why? well... the same reason why rappers pay tens of thousands of dollars for grillz. because we're f***ing ballers and we can do that kind of shit.
20. suzy blue balls - July 22, 2008 6:40 PM
i can see these fish tickling the hell out of my feet causing me to sporadically thrash my feet and splash water everywhere.
"So sorry, Ho. Bring me towel, I clean up for you."
21. Adri Leya - July 22, 2008 7:25 PM
FINALLY.
22. Kim - July 22, 2008 7:28 PM
Yeah, this has actually been around in Asia for a while
23. Anonymous - July 22, 2008 7:49 PM
By MILF, you of course meant "Multiple Immobile Layers of Fat" ...
24. Joey - July 23, 2008 2:15 AM
Thank you soo much! I always wondered what the rest of the teachers did during recess.
25. MBS - July 23, 2008 4:38 AM
This is pretty cool; I'd do it.
26. Mewshu - July 23, 2008 6:54 AM
They have this in Taiwan too, except it's $45 US dollars cheaper for the 30 minute session and the fish are much more colorful.
27. AIDEN GIOVANNI - July 23, 2008 7:41 AM
Ive heard of a lot of these treatment spas overseas. Its a very interesting way of using nature to help solve our problems. Great post :)
28. Momboelitist - July 23, 2008 10:23 AM
I would make little dentures for the fish and then wait for Elaine Benes to come in with Frank Costanza to spy on me.
She lrearn lresson lrong time!
29. Morrow - July 23, 2008 2:28 PM
I had one of these fish things before, and all I did was step into a lake! It was free! Can you believe it!?
30. Amy - July 23, 2008 3:24 PM
LOL #12, you're awesome.
Ok this sounds gross, but...I'd totally spring for this. As a dancer I hate dealing with icky-toes, and I think these little buggers could help.
Besides, I like fishies.
31. suzy blue balls - July 23, 2008 5:46 PM
@30. I was not aware that it is necessary to deal with icky-toes in order to be a dancer. i will never dance again.
32. Yewtree - July 24, 2008 9:32 AM
Eeeuuuwwww -- isn't there a law against forcing tiny fish to eat nutritionally worthless dead skin flakes?
33. Ken - July 24, 2008 10:47 AM
Does the Fish eat the fat off the fat ladies too?
34. the bull - July 24, 2008 4:21 PM
how much to drink a cup of that water after theyre done? cmon you dare me?
35. Bach - July 24, 2008 4:46 PM
-raise my hand- would love to do this. the tickling would be intense but I can take it.
36. GWP - July 24, 2008 5:18 PM
i loved this story n have heard of this before but the fish u describe (ie garra rufa) look completely different from the 1s in the pics here?? any1 know wot kind r in the pictures?
37. Kate - July 25, 2008 12:30 AM
Memo to the women who go to this stupid salon: Dead skin cells on your feet are the least of your beauty concerns. Bragging about your new fish pedicure will still not get you laid when you look like that. Spend your 50 bucks on some new work out clothes and go jog.
38. JulienSchu - July 25, 2008 8:35 AM
Ah la la c'est vraiment trop dégueu.
Je comprends pourquoi on dit que les Francais sont plus raffinés!
39. GracyC - July 25, 2008 3:44 PM
GREAT!!! Idea! where can I get my fish.... I would like to get some of those fish... for my own pedicure at home and not pay $50 dls....???
40. Peter Brusso - July 25, 2008 3:53 PM
I wonder... does she serve sushi too? Could increase her profits by serving the "recently" dead fish to the customers too. Hm... a good marketing thought.. smile
41. the bull - July 25, 2008 7:41 PM
i will drink that whole tub of water and eat all those fish right after theyre done chompin on some meaty sulfur dogs. then i will eat your feet.
42. Bobeyo - July 27, 2008 2:08 PM
Wait, the store owner is a ho? I thought only the customers were.
43. suizou - July 28, 2008 9:07 AM
Question: How is the water cleaned?
44. VanGuilder - July 28, 2008 9:08 AM
Everyone's a comedian.
45. groonk - July 29, 2008 1:32 AM
that's vintage.
46. dede - July 29, 2008 4:31 AM
how fat these women are. poor fishes!
47. G - July 30, 2008 11:51 AM
On every report of this I have seen, all of the people having this done are diet-dodgers.
Has anyone else noticed this?
48. Brianna - July 31, 2008 9:44 PM
yumm thats a new way to spread foot disease. its almost like messing with used needles, insted used fish! no way i would make those fish floss or something before they get to me.
49. fingerlickingood - August 1, 2008 1:14 AM
I'd stick my weenus in there, it is getting quite crusty.
50. Breged - August 2, 2008 5:06 AM
@49....wtf....
51. 80millionmoviesfree.com - August 2, 2008 11:03 PM
this has been around in korea for a pretty long time. theres a popular chain there called the "doctor fish cafe" where they offer this exact same crap. stupidest part of all is that this is being offered up as a more sanitary way to get rid of dead skin (over foot razors, i guess?) but there have been a ton of news programs over there about how the mouths of the fish have a lot of bacteria and actually give you skin infections...
52. Jessica - August 5, 2008 3:02 AM
@50 lmao weenus is your elbow chill out
53. Jessica - August 5, 2008 10:59 AM
I've done that in China, except here it's a giant pool with thousands of fish and you just get in. Yeah, after a few years here, your concerns about sanitation are pretty much just out the window. But it's cool after you get used to the fact that hundreds of tiny fish are gnawing on you.
54. um - August 5, 2008 7:52 PM
um....
they've been doing this for ages in japan.
it tickles. bunches.
55. Ginormagantuan - August 6, 2008 7:47 AM
I'd eat off them ladie's feet...... hmmmm yummy! nothing better than chunky middle aged soccer moms!
56. nateboi - August 6, 2008 11:44 AM
HAHA, that is hilarious. you can do that stupid crap at a lot of spas in korea for 5 bucks a pop unlimited sit time. thats pure genius. leave it to americans to WANT to waste money on something stupid. man, i need to open up one of these joints when i get to the states again.. haha
57. simplicity - August 8, 2008 9:35 AM
I think by "CILF"... he meant cows... but that's just wrong, so.. skip that.
I feel so bad for those fish.
They starve them so they eat old crusty feet?
Gross.
I also heard they left the heater on (atleast once) and that 1000 fish he talks about (Ho man) died... his reaction "no biggie, I'll just get more"... he's a Ho-bag loser.
58. Roberto - August 13, 2008 4:21 AM
This fish is also used to cure psoriasis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_fish
59. Knobs - August 14, 2008 12:47 PM
These fish evolved to eat dead skin, and still people complain about "forcing" the fish to eat dead skin. Can you see slightly bigger fish with whips, keeping the little ones in check that I can't?
RTFA children, RTFA.
60. jess - October 30, 2008 3:39 PM
really. all that money to have fish nible at your feet for half an hour. stupid really. total wate of money and time. what is the world coming to these days. might as well sit in a lake for free. lol.
Jess UK.
61. Qusan qadhafi - January 15, 2009 4:05 AM
I, Qusan, would like to buy 100 of said fish. I you know where or whom to buy from please email me @ qqussan@yohoo.com with said information. Thanks