In the struggle for clientele, beauty salons are offering new services, some of which are frankly exotic. One of these procedures - fish peeling - appeared in our country relatively recently. Large aquariums in which specially bred fish swim can be found in large spa centers, water parks and even in some shopping centers. Maybe the thought of putting your feet in there seems a little scary. In fact, there is nothing painful or unpleasant in the procedure, rather, quite the contrary!

Wonderful fish

The fish that swim in these aquariums are called Garra Rufa. Their natural habitat is the countries of Western Asia. Garra Rufa love warm water: around body temperature and even higher. They learned how to most successfully cultivate these fish (i.e., specially grow them) in Southeast Asia, namely Thailand and Malaysia. In these popular tourist countries, aquariums with fish that do fish peeling can be found right on the beach. It was from there that this procedure spread throughout the world.

The main question of all clients who are not familiar with the procedure is: “Does it hurt to peel fish?” After all, a terrifying picture appears in your head: fish are gnawing your skin with their teeth. In reality, Garra Rufa doesn't even have teeth! They remove dead skin using special plates in their mouths that resemble sandpaper. In addition, fish saliva contains a special enzyme that softens and disinfects the skin.

We can say that peeling with Garra Rufa fish is similar to an unedged European pedicure.

Features of the event

Fish peeling is a procedure consisting of several stages:

• skin cleansing;
• direct peeling;
• application of care products.

It is necessary to clean the skin before the procedure so as not to harm the fish that clean the skin. After all, they are living beings, and their stomach will not be able to digest the cream you applied to your feet or road dust. This stage is very important, since fish can even die if they eat something wrong.

The next stage - peeling the legs with fish - goes like this. The client sits on a bench near the aquarium with Garra Rufa and plunges his feet into it. You must try to keep your legs motionless: when moving, the fish will spread to the sides. The procedure is carried out within 15-20 minutes. By the end of this time, you can notice that the fish become less active - they have already done their job. You may feel a slight tickling during the process, but overall, fish peeling promotes relaxation. Since Garra Rufa are heat-loving fish, the water in aquariums is warm and pleasant for humans.

After the required time has passed, the legs are removed from the aquarium and wiped dry. A caring cream is applied to them and a light massage is performed. The effect of the procedure is soft skin without rough areas.

Peeling with Garra Rufa fish is done not only for the feet, but also for the hands.

Therapeutic effect

In addition to cosmetic, the procedure has and therapeutic effect. It turns out that Garra Rufa stimulates blood circulation and metabolic processes by massaging the skin with small antennae located near the mouth. Thanks to this effect, fish help treat skin diseases: psoriasis, eczema. In addition, the procedure will be useful for people suffering from nervous diseases due to its relaxing effect.

Contraindications and features

There are no significant contraindications for fish peeling. It cannot be done if you have:

• open wounds;
• lupus erythematosus;
• malignant tumors.

In addition, it will simply be ineffective if the legs are in poor condition. Fish are not able to cope with large old calluses and a thick layer of keratinized skin. In this case, a classic trimmed pedicure is more suitable.

If you like to cut everything down to the meat, then fish peeling is only suitable for you as a pre-treatment before a classic pedicure.

Key Point

As with all cosmetic procedures, choosing the right location is very important. Choose a salon carefully, ask for certificates for fish. The thing is that “fake” Garra Rufa, brought from China, can be used in dubious places. Not only will these fish not cleanse your skin, but they can harm it.

Be careful: if you experience discomfort during peeling, stop the procedure immediately!

Aquariums in which fish are kept must be clean. In good salons they are decorated with pebbles, shells, beautiful algae and corals. Aesthetic appeal allows the client to relax and tune in to a pleasant mood.

The number of fish should also be optimal: usually about 200 in an aquarium for peeling feet. If there are few fish, peeling will simply be ineffective.

The spa administrator talks about the procedure in the video.

Peeling with Garra Rufa fish is a fashionable and increasingly popular procedure. This is another gift from the East, which was appreciated by cosmetologists, doctors, and spa visitors.

Fish cleansing is used for the face, hands or feet. Some have founded their small businesses on this idea. But at the same time, not everyone knows how and when this procedure should actually be carried out, what its real benefits and harms are, and what side effects may occur after peeling with fish.

What is the essence of the procedure?

Foot peeling with fish, ichthyomassage, fish pedicure, fish peeling - all these are names of the same procedure, which means the removal of keratinized skin on the feet with Garra Rufa fish.

“Garra Rufa” translated from Turkish means “doctor fish”. Indeed, these nimble little fish not only bite off microscopic particles of dead epithelium, but also secrete an enzyme that promotes rejuvenation and regeneration of the skin of the legs.

And not only the legs, fish treatment is also carried out for the hands, face - the whole body. Everything is extremely simple. The client comes to the salon, where they provide a fish cleansing service, changes into a bikini, swimming trunks, or simply exposes the part of the body that will be treated, and immerses it or the entire body in an aquarium with fish.

They immediately get down to business and begin to remove with their lips those pieces of skin that have already become keratinized and interfere with cell regeneration. Peeling the legs, arms, and face in this way is suitable for both men and women.

Where did this method come from?

Fish began to be used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes in the Middle East more than five hundred years ago. It was noticed how schools of small fish were constantly scurrying around huge sperm whales. They feed on the rough skin of whales, simply biting them off a living sea giant. The sperm whale does not feel anything; the fish are just a tool for cleansing. And the fish are satisfied and exist perfectly in such a symbiosis with the whale.

This method was taken as the basis for a new procedure, which very quickly became a tradition. In the East, it is believed that with a fish massage, a person can relax as much as possible, immerse himself in nirvana and indulge in meditation. This is not to mention the fact that the skin of your feet will become impeccably soft and smooth.

The homeland of Garra Rufa fish is the countries of the Middle East - Türkiye, Iran, Iraq. More precisely, the coastal waters of these countries. But in other regions, Garra Rufa will feel great if one condition is met - maintaining a comfortable water temperature for them, namely at least 32 degrees Celsius. The fish belong to the carp family, although they live in the sea. And the first description of this species can be found in the works of Johann Haeckel in 1843. Visually, they resemble leeches: they have a long body, a large head, on the sides of which there are eyes, and between them a large round mouth.

Massaging your legs or arms with fish gives a double effect:

• rough skin is removed;
• The renewed skin softens and becomes more elastic.

This effect is achieved due to the enzymes contained in the saliva of Garra Rufa, as well as tissue massaging, which is carried out using long antennae located on both sides of the fish’s head. After the procedure, clients note a significant increase in skin elasticity, improvement in complexion, smoothing of fine wrinkles and folds, healing of wounds and abrasions.

How is ichthyomassage performed?

So, what awaits the client who decides to order this type of massage and cleansing for his feet, hands, and possibly the whole body?

1. First, the client is taken to a separate cabin where there is an aquarium with fish. The client removes the necessary part of the body from clothing and immerses it in warm water.
2. In warm water, the rough skin of the feet gets wet and softens. Garra Rufa easily find it, stick to it in the right place and begin to pinch it off microscopic pieces.
3. The antennae of the fish are in constant motion - they massage the skin, stimulating blood circulation.
4. Enzymes that are released along with Garra Rufa saliva not only soften and rejuvenate the epidermis, but also treat fungal diseases, heal cuts, abrasions, cracks, eliminate acne and lighten age spots.

The duration of the session is set individually, it all depends on the area being treated, the condition of the skin of the legs or arms. When all the keratinized scales are removed, the fish themselves disappear and move to another area. Typically one procedure lasts no more than 20 minutes.

How will the client feel? Nothing but the pleasant warmth of the water and relaxation. Treatment of the legs in this way is completely painless, the patient does not feel any discomfort. Fish bites feel like a slight tingling sensation, more like a tickling sensation. In order not to disturb the little doctors and not to disrupt the process, you should sit quietly, without making sudden movements with your legs or arms.

Contraindications and possible harm

Turkey has the largest health resort where you can get a foot massage with fish. Here, such a procedure will not surprise anyone; you can even get it from an open source. But in many European countries this method of caring for the feet, and even more so for the face, is prohibited. Why, what harm can it cause?

Some doctors believe that when treating feet in this way, the rules of sanitation and hygiene are not observed at all; the fish can infect a person with the disease from which the previous client suffered. But the owners of spas offering fish foot peeling services claim that this is impossible. The water is irradiated with ultraviolet light and passes through special complex filters, even the slightest harm is completely eliminated.

Another thing is that the procedure has its contraindications:

• erythrolerma type psoriasis;
• systemic lupus erythematosus;
• malignant neoplasms of the legs or other parts of the body.

There is one more point that explains why some patients are dissatisfied with the results of such care for their feet or hands. This is how it is with us: if any new product appears and becomes popular, it is immediately counterfeited. Fish foot peeling is no exception.

The Chinese have learned to raise fish that are very similar both in appearance and in their behavior to Garra Rufa. But these are not doctors at all, but real predators. Garra Rufa bite only the keratinized epithelium from their feet; they are not interested in living cells. And Chinese chin-chin also affects healthy, living tissues. Of course, this causes pain, irritation of the skin on the legs and customer dissatisfaction. By the way, if we talk about the likelihood of contracting infectious diseases, then when using chin-chin to treat your feet, it really is.

Nowadays there is little that will surprise a modern resident of a big city. At the same time, competition between beauty salons is growing. Therefore, clients are increasingly being offered exotic services, which, as a rule, have long been known in Europe and Asia, but are new for Russia.

An example of such a service was peeling with Garra Rufa fish. Sometimes this service is called ichthyomassage, fish therapy or Fish Spa.

In addition to cosmetic, fish peeling also has a psychotherapeutic effect, since watching fish, soft touches of fins, and flowing water promote relaxation, restoration of vitality and normalization of mood.

What kind of fish are these and what's the catch?

Fish of the Garra Rufa species belong to the carp family. They live for about 10 years and can grow up to 12 cm in length. Salon fish rarely live to such a respectable age.

They were first used for medicinal and then for cosmetic purposes in China and Thailand. Then fish spa salons began to open in Europe.

They have a therapeutic effect thanks to:

• the ability to remove dead skin cells without mechanical damage: fish do not have hard teeth, so they can only gnaw off the epithelium that is ready for exfoliation;
• fish saliva contains a special component Diethanol, which promotes the healing of skin microtraumas;
• The water in which the fish swim is enriched with mucus, which is secreted by the skin of the fish, and also has a beneficial effect on the skin.

It is the fact that the fish do not have sharp teeth that determines the safety of the procedure for the client. They scrape off the surface layer of the skin like a grater without damaging its integrity. Therefore, no viruses or pathogenic bacteria can penetrate the body and cause disease.

But salons now don’t always use harmless fish. Since the demand for them is now huge, fish of other species can be sold under the guise of Garra Rufa. They are similar in appearance, but have teeth. For which they are nicknamed Chin-chin.

Chin-chin may cause skin damage. Their bites are not as sensitive as those of piranhas and do not cause blood, but the microtraumas they cause facilitate the penetration of pathogens into the client’s body.

Some salon owners specifically purchase them, noticing that clients prefer the distinct sensation of bites and a more pronounced peeling effect, and therefore come more often.

Video: Fish peeling for beauty and pleasure

Sellers of fish peeling services claim that the infection is nowhere to be found, citing the fact that the fish undergo veterinary control, the water in the aquarium is changed, and the like. That's all true, but:

• the fish are checked only once, when they “start” work, no one inspects them every day and after each client (and they can have 10-12 clients per day);
• there are no serious monitoring procedures or official requirements from the SES for the operation of equipment for fish therapy, the timely change and treatment of filters and containers for keeping fish and the implementation of procedures for serious monitoring and official requirements;
• it will not be possible to treat the fish themselves after each client, since they are alive and no means of disinfection or sterilization can be used on them;
• No one in the salons closely monitors that there are no cuts or injuries on the skin of the client’s treated area.

In most American states, fish peeling is prohibited due to the fact that there is no effective way to disinfect fish peeling equipment.

They refuse the service in Thailand and the UAE due to the fact that during procedures using Garra Rufa and Chin-chin fish there is a risk of contracting mycoses, bacterial and viral infections, including such serious ones as HIV and viral hepatitis. Also, fish that peel can become a source of worm infection.

Indications

In addition to cosmetic benefits, fish therapy also has a therapeutic effect on a number of diseases accompanied by skin manifestations:

• psoriasis;
• vitiligo;
• lichen planus;
• ichthyosis and hyperkeratosis;
• neurodermatitis;
• children's allergic eczema;
• skin mycoses;
• eczema;
• acne disease.

Contraindications

The procedure can be performed at any age, even small children. Treatment with fish is contraindicated only if:

• lupus erythematosus;
• psoriatic neuroderma;
• malignant neoplasms of the skin.

How to prepare

No serious preparation is required. The only condition that must be observed in order to get a more pronounced effect from the procedure is not to use moisturizer and other cosmetics for 1-2 days before the procedure.

How does the session work?

• Usually before the procedure the skin is washed with soap. In a number of salons, a disinfectant is additionally applied to the skin.
• Then the arms up to the elbows or the feet up to the ankles are immersed in an aquarium with fish.
• If you need to cleanse the entire skin of the body, then the procedure uses pools or baths in which fish are first placed.

Typically the procedure lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. To perform a pedicure, you need about 300 fish; to treat your hands, 150-200 fish are used.

During the session, the client feels a tickling, sometimes a slight tingling sensation. The overall feeling is pleasant and relaxing.

In some salons, before diving into an aquarium with fish, the skin of the hands or feet is first steamed in warm water. This allows you to get a more pronounced effect from fish peeling due to the fact that softened and swollen skin is easier for fish to gnaw.

Usually, in slightly warm aquarium water, the upper stratum corneum of the skin absorbs enough water and softens only after 7-10 minutes after immersion in the aquarium. And after steaming, the fish can start working immediately.

Video: Fish cosmetologists

Prices for fish peeling in Moscow

How many procedures are needed?

Usually, after the first session, few people see a noticeable result, especially if there are areas of roughness on the skin, such as corns or dry calluses. Therefore, it is usually recommended to undergo 8-10 fish peeling procedures for 15 minutes each.

Foot peeling with fish It is carried out in special salons, as well as in hot countries on vacation, for example, in Thailand. The main purpose of peeling is to cleanse the keratinized skin of the feet, improve microcirculation, and rejuvenate the feet.

The procedure is carried out by special small Garra Rufa fish of the carp family. The fish, about 3 cm in size, surround the leg, especially in the foot area, and begin to bite with their small jaws without teeth. Typically, up to 300 fish that eat rough skin cells are used for Fish Peeling. According to experts, fish secrete special enzymes that can save a person from skin diseases.

Garra Rufa fish are good at smoothing the skin, they find damaged areas of the skin and treat them. Their “biting” is practically painless, but you may feel slight discomfort. I would compare it to a “microcurrent” massage, or when you lay your leg down, it hurts a lot, and then it gradually recovers. This feeling of restoration is somewhat similar to Fish peeling.

The first time it is always very scary to put your feet into the fish, especially when they attack the whole flock and stick around it. The procedure lasts about 10 minutes, but it takes about 3 minutes to get used to it, then it’s no longer scary.

Cleaning the skin with fish is not very popular in Russia, but in Europe and the USA it is a fairly popular service. In Thailand and China, Garra Rufa is especially popular and has been benefiting people for several decades.

The fish live in the northern part of the Middle East (Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Jordan) in reservoirs. Adult fish that are 4 years old reach a length of about 6 cm. Adults about 3 cm in length are used for the procedure, otherwise there will be no effect.

After peeling your legs with fish, your legs feel lighter, your mood improves, and the feeling of fatigue disappears. The skin is not particularly smooth, but the procedure greatly affects blood circulation in the legs. Blood circulation in the feet improves, receptors and points located on the legs are activated. Fish peeling is an excellent foot massage for extreme sports enthusiasts.

Treatment is carried out in the following order: the legs are pre-treated with a disinfectant solution, then immersed in a special tank with fish for 10 minutes. Some scientists have concluded that the fish can be dangerous because they tear off pieces of skin from both diseased and healthy legs. It was also noted that people with diabetes and

Peeling with fish, or the so-called “live peeling,” is considered a fairly useful and popular procedure among consumers. This method was invented in Japan. Today, fish spas are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and Asia.

Peeling with fish, its benefits and benefits. In fact, such a procedure has a lot of advantages. To begin with, it is worth noting that this method allows you to cleanse the skin of dead tissue without using chemicals - everything happens in a completely natural way.

For the procedure, small garra rufa fish are used, which are delivered to beauty salons around the world from eastern countries. These fish gently cleanse the skin of dead epithelial balls without affecting living and healthy tissue. On the other hand, this peeling method is also soft, which improves blood circulation in the upper layers of the dermis and stimulates rejuvenation processes.

On the other hand, fish secrete a substance called dithranol, which also promotes the processes of renewal and restoration of the skin. By the way, modern cosmetology uses dithranol to make masks, creams and other care products.

After the procedure, the skin becomes smooth, small wrinkles disappear.

Peeling with fish: how does it happen? This procedure is carried out only in beauty salons. Fish peeling is used for hands (before manicure), feet (before pedicure) or for the whole body.

First you need to take a shower. It is recommended not to use creams before peeling, since these substances are harmful to fish. Then the cosmetologist examines the skin for the presence of fungal diseases, psoriasis or open wounds - if there are none, then you can begin a pleasant procedure.

Hands, feet or the whole body (it depends on your choice) are immersed in special aquariums with fish. As a rule, peeling with garra rufa fish lasts no more than 20 - 30 minutes. This time is enough to cleanse the skin of dead tissue. Clients say that the effect is noticeable after the first session. In order to completely improve the skin, you need at least 8 - 10 sessions of fish therapy. No more than one procedure can be performed per week.

After peeling, the skin is treated with special nourishing and rejuvenating creams. It has been proven that the effectiveness of any product after such natural cleansing of the skin increases by 100 percent.

Sometimes this procedure is combined with aromatherapy, which only complements the delightful experience.

Peeling with fish: is it dangerous? After the excitement caused by the emergence of a new and pleasant way of cleansing the skin, doubts began to arise about the safety of such a method. In fact, these fears have no basis if the procedure is performed correctly.

Firstly, many people wonder if it hurts. In fact, the procedure is completely painless. The fact is that garra rufu fish do not have teeth, so they pinch off pieces of dead epithelium. The procedure is ticklish, especially the first time.

Secondly, it is necessary to talk about the myth about transmission of infection. If the procedure is carried out correctly, then there can be no talk of any infection. Before peeling, the cosmetologist must examine the client for open wounds or any skin diseases. In addition, the water in which the fish are kept is regularly purified with modern filters and is subject to

Clients are satisfied with this technique and the number of its fans is constantly growing. It turns out that peeling with fish affects not only the skin, but also the nervous system. This procedure is calming and uplifting.