We walk past a fish bar, but not the kind where you can pick up some cod and prawns. Oh no. It was one of those places where they put your feet in a tank of miniature piranhas so they can chew away all the dead skin. 

Luckily I couldn't see their teeth but I could sure feel them!




















It doesn't hurt of course. But it is a really weird cross between having lots of tiny electric shocks on your feet and a curious ticklish sensation from the fins. As they nibble they flap their fins against your skin. If you are ticklish on your feet I would definitely avoid these fish!

Garra Rufa, as the fish are officially named, became popular in nail and beauty salons a while back as a novelty part of a pedicure. The craze didn't really last from what I can gather and in fact in some US states and parts of Canada the practice of using these fish to clear dead skin from feet has been banned due to sanitary reasons.

Personally I don't see an issue. It's only dead skin after all. And the fish don't really eat the skin, they just clear it away while foraging for food they can actually eat. If anything I feel sorry for them in their fruitless task. With a memory of 8 seconds they keep forgetting they haven't found anything!

So, after 10 minutes of toe tickling were my flip flop feet any softer. Well, yes a bit. But I'd have to have my feet in that tank for quite a while longer to get the same effect as a foot file. So probably not the best use of money if you are offered it in a real spa.

RL x