Flesh-eating fish pedicure is fin-tastic!

30 July 2010

Our reporter Lucy Dickinson tests the water

PADDLING my feet in a tank full of 200 fish so they can remove the dead skin - knowing how unbearable I find them being tickled out of water - was not something I expected to do.

But hearing how a new fish pedicure, or natural foot therapy, was creating a buzz in the health and beauty world - and in Hornchurch - I thought I should embrace it, jump in feet first, of course, and give it ago.

So, this week I was the first customer to dip my toes into one of the tanks at Sole Sensation fish pedicure and spa in Station Lane, and despite the occasional flinching was surprised by the experience.

I was followed by EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks, who plays Janine Butcher, who opened the salon on Wednesday.

The aim of the ichthyotherapy, or the use of acquatic creatures to treat wounds, is to remove dead and dry skin, and is effective for people with skin disorder psoriasis.

The tiny Middle Eastern Garra rufa or doctor fish, is tasked with munching on human feet to help heal them.

The sensation felt similar to hovering your feet over water jets in a jacuzzi.

The fish swam at my feet from all angles and between my toes, which tickled at first, but once I got used to it, I found it soothing. And it's not painful.

The fish are members of the carp family and don't have teeth - they effectively suck on your skin.

Their skin healing, exfoliating, cleansing and softening properties were discovered in the 19th century in Turkey, but the concept has only more recently begun to evolve as a popular treatment in the UK.

Romford co-owner Paul Hutton and his partner Samantha Hutton decided to adopt the idea for a business venture after a holiday in Thailand in January where they both had a go.

They created a partnership with friend Klly Scollard and his brother Lee Scollard, also from Romford, on their return and Sole Sensation was born.

Paul said: "We imported the fish two weeks later. We imported them 1,000 at a time.

"We had to apply for a licence from DEFRA because they were coming from outside the EU.

"They live up to seven years."

Their salon is the first to open in Essex and the first in the country to offer, along with their 12ft tanks, a full body tank, containing more than 1,000 fish for anyone wanting to fully submerge themselves for an all-over makeover, which they say they've had bookings for.

Sole Sensation is believed to be the third company to launch the treatment in the UK.

They offer treatments for between ten and 20 minutes, costing between £10 and £20 or a 45-minute full-body dip for £65.

Klly said: "Ideally if you did a course of three treatments a week over a month or so you would see a difference.

"But of course it depends on how bad your skin is when you start."

Each tank, apart from the full-body one, holds 150 -200 fish in water kept at 35degrees and filtered every 20minutes.