Garra Rufa fish treatment
Discussion
Just googled this....
History...
Doctor fish is the name given to two species of fish: Garra rufa and Cyprinion Macrostomus. Other nicknames include nibble fish, kangal fish,little dermatologists and doctorfishen; in non-medical contexts, Garra Rufa is called the reddish log sucker. They live and breed in the outdoor pools of some Turkish spas, where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. The fish are like combfishes in that they only consume the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow, with the outdoor location of the treatment bringing beneficial effects. The spas are not meant as a treatment option, only as a temporary cure for symptoms, and patients usually revisit the spas every few months. Some patients have experienced complete cure of psoriasis after repeated treatments, but due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, which is strongly influenced by endogenous factors, this may simply be regression towards the mean.
Garra Rufa occurs in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is legally protected from commercial exploitation in Turkey due to concerns of overharvesting for export. Garra Rufa can be kept in an aquarium at home; while not strictly a "beginner's fish", it is quite hardy. For treatment of skin diseases, aquarium specimens are not well suited as the skin-feeding behavior fully manifests only under conditions where the food supply is somewhat scarce and unpredictable.
In 2006, doctor fish spa resorts opened in Hakone, Japan, and in Umag, Croatia, where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in China, such as Hainan, Belgium, The Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Surat(INDIA) and Malaysia. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish pedicure service was opened in the United States by John Ho in Alexandria, Virginia and later in Woodbridge, Virginia, and has trademarked the treatment name of 'Dr. Fish'. The first Skin Therapy clinic using Garra Rufa fish in Ireland (Limerick) was opened in 2008. These little dermatologists are used there to give relief to people with various Skin Disorders, including Eczema, Psoriasis and Dermatitis.
History...
Doctor fish is the name given to two species of fish: Garra rufa and Cyprinion Macrostomus. Other nicknames include nibble fish, kangal fish,little dermatologists and doctorfishen; in non-medical contexts, Garra Rufa is called the reddish log sucker. They live and breed in the outdoor pools of some Turkish spas, where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. The fish are like combfishes in that they only consume the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow, with the outdoor location of the treatment bringing beneficial effects. The spas are not meant as a treatment option, only as a temporary cure for symptoms, and patients usually revisit the spas every few months. Some patients have experienced complete cure of psoriasis after repeated treatments, but due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, which is strongly influenced by endogenous factors, this may simply be regression towards the mean.
Garra Rufa occurs in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It is legally protected from commercial exploitation in Turkey due to concerns of overharvesting for export. Garra Rufa can be kept in an aquarium at home; while not strictly a "beginner's fish", it is quite hardy. For treatment of skin diseases, aquarium specimens are not well suited as the skin-feeding behavior fully manifests only under conditions where the food supply is somewhat scarce and unpredictable.
In 2006, doctor fish spa resorts opened in Hakone, Japan, and in Umag, Croatia, where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in China, such as Hainan, Belgium, The Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Surat(INDIA) and Malaysia. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish pedicure service was opened in the United States by John Ho in Alexandria, Virginia and later in Woodbridge, Virginia, and has trademarked the treatment name of 'Dr. Fish'. The first Skin Therapy clinic using Garra Rufa fish in Ireland (Limerick) was opened in 2008. These little dermatologists are used there to give relief to people with various Skin Disorders, including Eczema, Psoriasis and Dermatitis.
I did this in Singapore earlier this year. There were 3 tanks with small fish in one, then medium, then larger sized fish. Sat on a bench and put my feet in the tank. I think the water was probably 10-12 inches deep and in each tank there were hundreds of the little buggers. The fish basically swarm around your feet and ankles and suck away at the dead skin like mini vacuum cleaners. Feels as if your being bitten though. The smallest fish produced an experience that was fairly ticklish, the biggest ones actally nipped and hurt somewhat. Took a good few goes before I could stand more than 10 or 15 seconds at any one time because it's such a bizarre experience and feeling.
The whole session lasted 20 minutes in total which was more than enough time for me. Did it do any good? Hmm, hard to say. Couldn't really see or feel any difference afterwards. As a novelty though it was worth a go. I believe you can also do the full body treatment...definitely not for me!
The whole session lasted 20 minutes in total which was more than enough time for me. Did it do any good? Hmm, hard to say. Couldn't really see or feel any difference afterwards. As a novelty though it was worth a go. I believe you can also do the full body treatment...definitely not for me!
Edited by easytiger123 on Sunday 14th November 13:17
I've had this out in Singapore too and it's amazing, once you get past the tickles.
The only concern I would have for you is that the staff there were looking at your feet before you cleaned them, checking for diseases / symptoms like psoriasis and athlete's foot. They only let healthy feet in.
The only concern I would have for you is that the staff there were looking at your feet before you cleaned them, checking for diseases / symptoms like psoriasis and athlete's foot. They only let healthy feet in.
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