Fishy Toes

Hey Darlings

Last week, during a busy day of Christmas shopping I decided to treat myself to a lovely fish pedicure. I'd read a lot about it, mixed reviews, and I wanted to try it out for myself. So I headed along to Appy Feet, in the St James Centre in Edinburgh.

[image from appyfeet.com]

If you've been living under a rock and not heard of this procedure, here's a little info taken from http://www.appyfeet.com/

The fish we use are original Garra Rufa also known as doctor fish, nibble fish or little dermatologist.

Although these little Minnow size fish have no teeth, they certainly have a big impact! When you immerse your feet into the warm water these curious little dermatologist will get to work by gently nibbling off any dead hard skin, leaving you pampered, healthy and glowing.

All over the world nibble fish centres are springing up and people are taking advantage of a totally organic pedicure. The fish will only work on unhealthy or dead skin, the healthy skin is left untouched.

Sounds good to me!

The ladies who greeted me were lovely, and I had to fill in a little form with my details and asked about any medical/skin conditions I may have. Then it was off to be prepared. I had to put on some crocs (sterilised between uses) and head over to the feet washing station. I then rinsed my feet under a little shower and then headed back to the foot spa area to dip my feet.

This was the scary bit. As you prepare to dip your feet into the water, the fish swarm below like they've not been fed in weeks, aaahhh. I gently lowered my feet in and they pounced. But it wasn't bad. It was a little ticklish to start with, then it settled into a strange but nice feeling. I have read the many descriptions of how it felt, and the one I relate to the most is pins and needles. Not uncomfortable or unpleasant, but odd. Something I believe you need to experience for yourself to understand.

I opted for a 15 minute session which cost me £10. I think this is really reasonable.

The fish really seemed to like my nail beds and the top of my feet, but I wish they'd concentrated more on the areas that needed it, like my heels. Once the session was over I was given a towel and some lotion to apply to my feet, and I was done.

Afterwards, my feet felt really nice and the areas the fish concentrated on felt super smooth. I'm definately going to return for another session, perhaps longer next time. It's a totally unique experience and I'd definately recommend it to those who are curious.

Have any of you guys tried the fish pedicure? Or does the idea totally gross you out? Let me know.

x.x.x