Introduction
Fish Treatment Origins
Originally from southern Turkey and northern Syria, for centuries Doctor Fish™ have been known for softening and cleansing the skin of people who bathed in hot springs where the fish darted about. As the legend goes, the healing powers of the fish were discovered in modern times by a shepherd and his flock in Turkey in 1917. Apparently he stumbled into marshy ground with an injured foot and found the open wound besieged by these little fish. The wound healed and eventually word got out to the outside world about these efficacious little “man-eaters”.
Worldwide, these Dr. Fish have made a name for themselves as “bio-therapists”, “dermatologists” and “pedicurists”. Members of the carp family, this species of fish thrives in hot water (up to 43 degrees centigrade!), which make them ideal “hot plunge pool companions”.
It sounds crazy, but don’t knock it until you try it – it is surprisingly fun. These normally vegetarian fish home in on areas of dry skin, especially around heels and soles of the feet and finger nails. For a psoriasis sufferer, the fish target the plaques — areas of sore, red and thickened skin.
The British Association of Dermatologists, avers that this removal of superfluous skin flakes aids exfoliation, particularly with psoriasis sufferers, since “it may help topical medications to penetrate, which is why some people may notice some improvement, but we are not aware of other proven benefits”.
BBC News video “Fish pedicure a feet treat”
