I often treat myself to pedicures, and recently found out about a new type of pedicure offered at a salon in Virginia: Dr. Fish pedicures.

According to an article from Yahoo! (AP) as read from my Palm Treo, Dr. Fish pedicures are a special skin treatment in which carp (fish) are used to soften rough, scaly skin. The owners of Yvonne Nail and Hair Salon report that 5,000 people have allowed the fish to suck on their feet.

John Ho runs the salon with his wife, Yvonne. Ho states that the treatment is good for individuals that desire to have nice feet. Instead of using razors and foot scrubs to soften feet, the carp (nearly 100 of them) are placed in the pedicure tank. Ho is always on the look out for the latest types of treatment for the salon, but was skeptical about the addition of fish pedicures. Ho didn't know if people would be willing to try the pedicure treatment. Because the water in the pedicure tank is hot, and is not an environment for plant life, the fish feed on the only available food source--dead skin!

The treatment has origins in Turkey and Asia, but Ho believes that the treatment is the first of its kind in the US. The treatment starts at $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. After the fish have their feast, the client's feet are then followed up with the remaining portion of the pedicure (nail filing, massage, nail color, etc). The article doesn't state this, but I'm assuming that the treatment fee is tacked on to the regular cost of a pedicure.

There are no current state regulations regarding this type of pedicure, but Ho initially had a communal type of tank (clients sitting down with their feet dangling in a huge tank). The county's health department "required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer" (Yahoo).

Hm. Between this type of spa procedure and upscale facials that use various types of animal feces to soften the skin and open pores (gag!), I'm not sure what's next!

Would you try a Dr. Fish pedicure?