A fishy affair...

If you are a spa aficiaonado, you would have heard of fish spa, the latest treatment to wash up on our shores! It's not new - it's been in Malaysia since last year and it is something I'd wanted to try for sometime and finally, today.
I was given a voucher by Kenko Fish Spa to enjoy a trial of their signature Fish Spa treatment at half the price (normal rate : RM38). But I paid RM38 for John & myself.

After registering ourselves, we were ushered to the washing area to clean our feet before entering the Spa. As we settled down and submerged our legs gently into the tank, a large school of greyish brown fishes called Garra Rufa moved at the speed of light and swarmed our legs! The next thing we know; those little 'biters' were charging all around our feet and attacking all the dead skin cells. For a moment, I felt a slight discomfort as mental visions of piranhas in a feeding frenzy caught on. The feeling was like a hundred pins and needles vibrating and prickling at your feet! Then I began to seriously wonder how would I entertain this 30mins of anxiety?!

Not long after, I soon started to get the hang of these little nibblers and began to feel more relax. This incredibly ticklish and squeamish feeling made John and I giggle a lot. As there were about 5 tanks, we were encouraged to try out all of it, so John and I decided to switch to the tank with the larger fishes. Within seconds after placing our legs down, the feast began...the repeated pecking of the larger Garra Rufas obviously applied more pressure to the skin and it felt more intense and stimulating!

While enjoying the 'massage', I read up some of the information provided on the Fish Spa. Apparently, Garra Rufas are found in the hot springs in the Eastern Europe eg. Turkey, Syria, Jordan etc. The locals there actually discovered the unique habit of these fishes to nibble away the dead skins of bathers in the hot springs. These fishes only feed on dead skin without destroying healthy skin in the process. They are natural exfoliant and by biting of the dead skin, they make room for new skin to surface and flourish. Other than promoting the healing of skin diseases, these fishes can also help increase blood circulation due to their 'micro-massage' capabilities. They also help lighten small scars and smoothen skin, allowing easier absorption of moisture. And the ticklish sensation that caused perpetual laughter help release stress and tension.

Our 30mins was over too soon but it was an experience filled with squeals of laughter and controlled giggles not just for John and I, but also amongst others who shared the same tank with us.
The verdict? We could see that our feet instantly feel squeaky clean, smoother and lighter. Hey, for RM38 this is certainly a new kind of skin-renewal therapy with definite results!