Feet and Fish

What do fish have to do with your feet? Well, have you heard about the latest way to get rid of rough, dead skin (callouses) on your feet? A few salons through out the US have started using tiny little fish called garra rufa or doctor fish to eat the dead skin off of your feet and toes. After the fish are done with your feet a standard pedicure is performed. It sounds like the fish do not have any teeth, so they do not eat living skin. However, with any new treatment, I would advise caution and suggest you follow the 10 tips for a safe salon pedicure provided below.

1. Bring Your Own Instruments

This will help decrease the risk of catching viruses, bacteria and fungus. Things to bring include: nail nipper, cuticle nipper, cuticle pusher and curette cleaner.

2. Ask About Instrument Cleaning

Does the salon sterilize their instruments or do they just disinfect? Sterilization of instruments by autoclaving is the better choice.

3. Ask What Type of Foot Bath is Used

Usually the whirlpool foot bath is either piped or pipe-free. It is thought that pipe-free is better because piped whirlpool foot baths have been found to contain bacteria in their pipes, jets and water filtration systems. The pipe-free whirlpool foot baths can easily be removed for cleaning. If the foot bath uses a liner, make sure that a new liner is being used each time.

4. Ask If Disposable Items Are Used Only Once

Items such as nail files, foot files, buffers and toe separators should be used only once. You may want to consider bringing your own disposable items with you.

5. Make Sure Technician's Hands Are Clean

The nail technician should wash their hands in between clients. If they do not wash their hands, request that they do or that they wear gloves. Be cautious of a technician with fake (artificial) fingernails. It is hard to clean the area between the fake fingernail and the real fingernail.

6. Ask If the Salon and Technician Are Licensed

The salon and technician should both be licensed by the state governing board.

7. Don't Shave Legs 24 Hours Before Appointment

Nicks and cuts from shaving create small openings in the skin where bacteria can enter. If you have any open sores, wait until they heal before getting a pedicure.

8. Tell Technician Your Medical Conditions and Medications

Certain medical conditions and medications can increase the risk of infection. Examples include: Diabetes, lymphedema, PVD, neuropathy, HIV and autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Examples of medications include: chemotherapy agents and blood thinners such as coumadin.

9. Check If the Salon is Clean

The salon itself should be clean and well kept. This is usually a good indicator of how well they take care of their instruments and other salon equipment.

10. You Should Have No Pain

Getting a pedicure at the salon should not be a painful experience. Just like any business, there are good salons and not so good salons. Find a pedicure salon that follows strict sterilization procedures and find a technician who does not cause pain or do you harm.