Fish Spa Pedicures
Your beach holiday is not complete unless the fish are nibbling on your toes
Fish spas have sprung up all over the place and seem to have stations at every resort town up and down the coast. They stand out with their large blue tanks of milling fish and the people up to their knees in water letting fish nibble on their feet.
It looks downright silly but although most people seem to do it just for fun it does actually have valid health and beauty benefits.
Customers lower their feet into tanks filled with Garra Rufa fish, little carp which nibble and suck the dead skin and calluses off the feet and ankles. This nibbling away of the dead skin not only smoothes and softens the feet but can stimulate blood flow and skin regeneration and can also activate acupressure points relaxing and revitalising the one being nibbled and some people find it soothing like a little fishy massage. The process certainly doesn’t hurt but does feel rather strange as if the fish are head butting against you and it can tickle rather a lot.
This skin treatment began in Turkey where the fish originate. Years ago bathers in water populated by the fish found that as the fish became used to humans they began nibbling on their skin, eating it for protein. These people found that this nibbling had a positive effect on various skin conditions and over time the fish became famous as a way to cure (at least temporarily) various skin diseases such as psoriasis. Nowadays these spas can be found all over the world, predominantly used for the feet there are spas in some countries where you can submerge your entire body into a tank and allow the fish the nibble away all over you at your dry or problem skin.
Here in Mallorca they are just used to spruce up the feet and it is a cheap and entertaining activity that most people find amusing. Children are welcome to try it and some spas have a discounted children’s price but do be warned there are generally no refunds for people who put their feet in the tank and find that they really don’t like the feeling!
The most obvious company in the North of Mallorca is Fish Spa & Wellness which has a chain of 6 locations along the north and east coast including Cala D’or, Cala Ratjada, Ca’n Picafort and Puerto Pollenca but you will also find independent spas dotted around beach towns like the North Shore Fish Spa which is attached to a hairdressers in Port D’Alcudia close to the main bus stop and beach, or Fishness in Peguera who offer massages and manicures as well.
The most important thing to check if you decide to give it ago is the hygiene of the spa. Several years ago controversy hit the fish spa industry when it was said that the fish could spread disease from customer to customer and that bacteria in the water could also cause infection. Generally now it is believed that risk of infection is minor so long as the spa has good hygiene regulations although you are still advised to give it a miss if you have a weakened immune system or if you have any open cuts on your feet or ankles.
Good spa’s will ask you to wash your feet thoroughly before entering them into the tanks and they should be able to tell you how often the water is changed in the tanks and have a filtration system in place. Don’t let it put you off this fun experience but don’t be afraid to ask some questions in the spa.
Wherever you decide to go, don’t pay a fortune, it shouldn’t cost you any more than €10 for 10 minutes. North Shore offers 20 minutes for €15 and Fish Spa & Wellness has a two person special of 30 minutes for €32 (€16 each) and a glass of bubbly thrown in, if you really love it they also have a loyalty card offering ‘buy 4 get the 5th free’.
Whether you’re after a pedicure with a difference or just an entertaining activity for the family keep your eye out for a fish spa in your town and consider letting the fish nibble your cares away.
