Fish Pedicure: Hope's First Hand Experience

Okay, it's done. Hope's been to Yvonne Salon to have a school of little fish nibble at her feet. Sounds creepy, right? She thought so too, especially when they went after the tender skin between her toes or congregated under the bridge of her foot. If you ever swam in a lake as a kid and had a blue gill nip at you, it's like that times ten.


It was a family affair: once Hope's girls got wind of the fish pedicure, they had to try it out. That's their feet sharing a tank. They giggled at how ticklish it was and enjoyed themselves immensely. Apparently, they didn't see the fish poop floating around.

We expected the salon to smell like a pet store; but it didn't, it was spotless. The three women in charge were friendly and informative. Shannon explained how Yvonne had learned about the garra rufa fish (or doctor fish) from a client. From Turkey originally, they're used in Asia to treat skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema, as well as in spas for manis and pedis. Yvonne traveled to China where she learned about the fish biz (she even experienced the full body tank) and brought the fish home. She's looking to open a couple of more stores in the D.C. area, as well as open franchises, and supply other spas with fish. By the never ending telephone ring, we'd say she's onto something hot.



The results are mixed: while our feet look great and feel smoother than ever; we still feel squeamish. It's doubtful we'd return, though it's worth a try if you're adventurous. We'd try anything for a good pedicure. And tonight, no sushi for us.