Procedure when fish eat legs. Fish for peeling

Hello everyone.) This Sunday I visited one very interesting procedure- peeling of hands and feet with live Garra Rufa fish.

I don’t know if this is true or fiction, but there is a story about how such an unusual procedure was born. The uniqueness of Garra Rufa was revealed to man not so long ago, at the beginning of the 20th century. It happened in Turkey: two brothers found a hot spring in which thousands of small fish swam. As soon as the men entered the water, a flock of fish rushed to their feet and began to gently and gently bite the skin. The brothers liked the sensations from the actions of these creatures so much that they began to constantly come to the hot spring.

One of the brothers had a serious skin disease. He noticed that after swimming with the fish in the spring, he felt better. A month later, the disease went away, the brothers boasted of their smooth, velvety skin. The rumor about the miracle fish swept across the country. So the man began to cooperate with Garra Rufa.

I went to the Fish Spa Center in the city of St. Petersburg, which I found out quite by accident, having stumbled upon one site where various promotions and discounts are placed, for a promotion from this center. Went purposefully to try this curiosity and was not disappointed.

In the very center it is very cozy, I will show some photos. There is a cozy sofa, TV, the atmosphere is very pleasant, homely.

This is how the aquariums are located, the procedure can be done immediately by two at the same time, which my sister and I took advantage of. Before the procedure, they give out disposable slippers, pour warm water into a basin (the basin is disinfected before and after the client, this is done in front of the client, which is very pleasing) to wash your feet, and then you need to sit on a stool and put your feet in an aquarium with fish.

Fish therapy, or otherwise, the biopeeling procedure, will also be useful for people suffering from various skin diseases, of varying severity, primarily such as:

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy
- Vitiligo and lichen planus
- Ichthyosis and hyperkeratosis
- Neurodermatitis
- Children's allergic eczema
- Fungal diseases of the skin
- Chronic eczema
- Acne disease
- Trophic skin lesions

Fish therapy is not used for diseases such as:

lupus erythematosus
- Psoriatic erythroderma
- Malignant formations

The saliva of Garra Rufa contains a unique enzyme that creates a healing effect. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, disinfecting, sedative effect. But even if you don’t have any skin diseases, it’s just nice, funny and very uplifting.)

We lower it .... The fish instantly stick around the legs, even unexpectedly.))) I did this procedure for the first time, and I was terribly curious - but how is it. So - it's not at all like any ordinary cosmetic procedure. The fish are very friendly and "sociable". Unlike the "Chin Chin" fish that are sometimes used in place of the Garra Rufa, the Garra Rufa has no teeth and does not bite, but scrapes the skin with its jaws. Thus, they clean off dead cells without injuring the skin at all.

We sat comfortably on stools, the administrator offered us pillows under our backs so that we could sit comfortably, and we enjoyed the procedure for half an hour. When the fish cling to the legs and begin to "bite" there is a sensation of vibration, as they do it at the same time. Indeed, it really relaxes the legs, not only peeling, but also such a kind of live massager.)

This is what it looks like (photo from the phone, so I immediately apologize for the quality):

And not mine, but a better photo of the process itself:

After peeling the legs, the peeling of the hands was carried out in the same way. The fish are not shy, you could even touch them.))

I really liked the effect. Of course, very rough skin areas of the fish will not be cleaned with one procedure, but the skin on the legs and arms became noticeably smoother and softer, small corns softened and were eliminated by the fish, and even after the procedure there was a very pleasant lightness in the legs, like after a massage. Fish peeling perfectly relieves tired legs, and also very uplifting and relieves stress. My sister and I had a great time and were positively charged for the whole day.

Peeling legs + arms cost us 320 rubles according to a discount coupon, the full cost in St. Petersburg is 800 rubles.

Is it worth going? Definitely YES! It’s worth trying it at least once, or maybe the fish will charm you so much that you want to visit more often. My sister and I decided that we would definitely return.

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

Cleansing with fish is used for the face, and for the hands or feet. Some have founded their own small businesses on this idea. But at the same time, not everyone knows how and when this procedure should actually be carried out, what are its real benefits and harms, 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 the names of the same procedure, which means the removal of keratinized skin on the soles of the feet with Garra Rufa fish.

"Garra Rufa" means "doctor fish" in Turkish. Indeed, these nimble, small fish not only bite the 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, the treatment with fish 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 completely in the fish tank.

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

Where did this method come from?

Fish for medicinal and cosmetic purposes began to be used in the Middle East more than five hundred years ago. It was noticed how flocks of small fish constantly scurry around huge sperm whales. They feed on the coarsened skin of whales, simply biting them off a living sea giant. At the same time, the sperm whale does not feel anything, the fish for him are only a tool for purification. And the fish are satiated and perfectly exist in such a symbiosis with the whale.

This method was taken as the basis new procedure which quickly became a tradition. In the East, it is believed that when massaged with fish, a person can relax as much as possible, immerse himself in nirvana and indulge in meditation. This is not counting the fact that the skin of the legs will become perfectly soft and smooth.

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

Massage with fish legs or arms gives a double effect:

• rough skin is removed;
• softened and become more elastic rejuvenated skin.

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 head of the fish. After the procedure, clients note a significant increase in skin elasticity, improvement in complexion, smoothing of small wrinkles and folds, healing of wounds and abrasions.

How is ichthyomassage performed?

So, what awaits a client who has decided to order this type of massage and cleansing for his legs, arms, and possibly the whole body?

1. First, the client is taken to a separate cabin, where there is an aquarium with fish. The client releases the necessary part of the body from clothing and immerses it in warm water.
2. In warm water rough skin feet soak and soften. Garra Rufa easily find it, stick in the right place and begin to pinch it off in microscopic pieces.
3. The antennae of the fish are in constant motion - it is they who massage the skin, stimulating blood circulation.
4. The enzymes that are secreted along with the saliva of Garra Rufa 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 treated area, the condition of the skin of the legs or hands. When all the keratinized scales are removed, the fish themselves fall off and move to another area. Usually one procedure lasts no more than 20 minutes.

How will the client feel? Nothing but the pleasant warmth of water and relaxation. Treatment of the legs in this way is completely painless, the patient does not feel any discomfort. The bites of the fish are felt as a slight tingling, rather, tickling. In order not to disturb the little doctors and not to disturb the process, one should sit quietly, without making sudden movements with the legs or arms.

Contraindications and possible harm

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

Some doctors believe that with such treatment of the legs, the rules of sanitation and hygiene are not observed at all, the fish can infect a person with a disease from which the previous client suffered. But the owners of spas with fish peeling legs claim that this is impossible. Water is irradiated with ultraviolet light and passes through special complex filters, even the slightest harm is completely excluded.

Another thing is that the procedure has its own contraindications:

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

There is another point that explains why some patients are dissatisfied with the results of such foot or hand care. This is how it is with us: if any new product appears and becomes popular, it is immediately faked. Fish peeling of the legs is no exception.

The Chinese have learned to grow 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 keratinized epithelium from their feet, they are not interested in living cells. And Chinese chin-chin also affect healthy, living tissues. Of course, this causes pain, irritation of the skin on the legs and dissatisfaction with customers. By the way, if we talk about the likelihood of infection infectious diseases, then when using chin-chin for processing legs, it really is.

Garra Rufa fish, which clean the feet, is a popular exotic pedicure method. Not a single remedy from a pharmacy or salon can be compared with it. One treatment session improves appearance skin and accelerates regeneration processes.

Beautiful and well-groomed legs - important attribute modern girl. Beauty salons offer a wide range of services to give the body an aesthetic appearance. This includes various forms of pedicure, one of which was foot peeling with special fish.

The exotic procedure originated in Turkey, where women carefully monitor the beauty of the body. A few years ago, fish for foot massage and cleansing of keratinized skin became popular among residents of the CIS.

Some experts consider the procedure dangerous. The reason is the inability to disinfect aquatic animals. There is an opinion that foot fish are carriers of dangerous diseases, including HIV. No cases of disease transmission after fish peeling have been reported. Aquariums that contain fish are usually cleaned and carefully processed. Water is changed after each client.

Before the start of the session, the client's legs are examined for open wounds, inflammation, suppuration.

The cosmetic service is painless, suitable for clients who want to avoid rough hardware treatments of the skin. After the session, a person can order additional pedicure services (elimination of corns, calluses on the fingers, nail treatment). It is easier to clean the skin after the procedure, as it becomes soft.

What fish are used

In most countries where fish peeling is used, Garra Rufa fish is used. This small representative of the carp family does not exceed 12 centimeters in size. It lives in water bodies of countries with a warm climate: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey. Garra has no teeth and cannot bite a human. She sucks the skin, eating keratinized tissue. Close relatives of this species are goldfish and Labeo, which are kept in many people's aquariums. In some countries, it may be called a doctor fish or a cleaner. This is justified by the fact that long-term observations have confirmed the fact of the treatment of various dermatological diseases with the help of these animals. The more often the fish will eat diseased tissues, the easier the symptoms of diseases will become. For a comfortable existence, Garra Ruf is kept at a temperature of 30-37 degrees Celsius, which is the optimal temperature for humans.

The people of China have made the peeling procedure really extreme. For this purpose, they use a fish called Chin-Chin, which is aggressive and has teeth. Chin-Chin (looks like a gourami) can bite, digging into human skin. Each bite is accompanied by unpleasant painful sensations. With age (lives about 2 years), Chin-Chin's jaws increase. An adult can bite and cause serious damage to a person. After reaching the 5-centimeter line, the fish is replaced. An animal can gnaw human flesh and bring a dangerous infection into the bloodstream. In Europe, the use is prohibited, however, unscrupulous salons offer to clean the skin with similar fish. They do not inform clients about the possible consequences.

You can build a spa at home. You need to purchase fish, a special aquarium and a manual for their maintenance. Garra Rufa can be bought at any pet store. Their price is relatively low. The average cost of one individual fluctuates around 50 rubles in Russia, 15 hryvnias in Ukraine.

How is the procedure and its benefits

The procedure for the service is simple. Before the start of the session, the client's feet are washed. The beautician examines the limbs for open wounds. After that, a person dips the limbs into a special aquarium in which there are fish for peeling the legs. The procedure takes from 15 minutes to half an hour. In one tank there are from 100 to 250 individuals.

Clients note that the procedure is painless and brings pleasant sensations. A few minutes feel tickling, which they quickly get used to.

Among the useful qualities of fish peeling note:

1. Elimination of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. The skin on the legs becomes smooth and silky to the touch.
2. Acupressure. Starting from human limbs, the fish massage the skin and stimulate blood microcirculation, improving the entire process of blood circulation.
3. Wound healing. Fish not only clean the skin of the feet. Garr's saliva contains a specific enzyme that speeds up the process of skin regeneration. For this reason, peeling is used for eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and other skin diseases.
4. Relaxation. During the session, clients note complete relaxation of the muscles, which is quite useful for psycho-emotional health. Improves mood, psychological and physical condition.

In one of the cities of Turkey there is a SPA complex, which offers huge tanks with such fish. A person can bask and at the same time clean the whole body from keratinized skin.

Contraindications

Although the skin cleansing procedure is safe, it has certain limitations. Resorting to the event is not recommended for people with diseases that can infect or harm their own health:

• lupus erythematosus;
• AIDS;
• hepatitis C;
• psoriatic neurodermatitis;
• malignant neoplasms.

Clients with open bleeding wounds on the dermis are not allowed for such a procedure.

Before attending events, it is advisable to consult a doctor, and if necessary, undergo a diagnostic study to find out if there are any contraindications.

Provided there are no contraindications, such peeling can be used by everyone, regardless of gender and age. A session with fish is useful for an adult and a child. The only difference is time. Men need a longer "treatment" due to the thickness of the skin. In addition, the representatives of the stronger sex are less likely to resort to the help of any means to care for the dermis. There are much more keratinized tissues that the fish will gnaw on on the body of a man.

The foot peeling procedure is not only a useful pedicure method. This is a pastime that leaves an unforgettable impression. What needs to be done for this? Find the right salon and enjoy a fish peel.

The small fish that is used in pedicures is called Garra rufa. But these are not just cleaners eating dead skin, who simply clean the heels. Some open-air thermal spas in Turkey use the fish as a symptomatic treatment for psoriasis. Fish eat dead skin on psoriatic plaques without touching healthy areas. Such cleaning is very effective - after such treatment, there is an improvement in the condition of patients for six months or more.

A fairly new service for us is well known in the East. There therapy with the modern name of fish-peeling has been carried out for more than 5 centuries. With its help in Turkey, Syria and some other countries, psoriasis is effectively cured. Moreover, the action of one course lasts more than six months. But is it worth turning to such an exotic method for regular foot care? And in general, fish pedicure - what is it?

Who are Garra Rufa

Under the mysterious name of Garra rufa, small nondescript fish are hiding. gray color living in the coastal waters of the countries of the Middle East. They can be found among the marine fauna of the coast of Turkey and Iran, Iraq and Syria. Unremarkable in appearance, these fish are very interesting because of the peculiarities of their existence.

For example, they feed not only on marine plankton, but also gladly accompany whales on their wanderings across the ocean. In whole flocks they eat the remains of organic substances that cover the skin of the largest mammal. Such a symbiosis is beneficial for everyone - the whale gets rid of unnecessary microorganisms, the fish receive a constant source of food.

The only limitation that does not allow everyone, without exception, Garra rufa to follow the whales all his life, is the temperature of the water. They feel comfortable in water bodies at 32 degrees, the temperature below depresses their vital activity, because of which the fish die or fall into a state of "hibernation".

Benefits of the procedure

The use of fish that do pedicures in cosmetology is not accidental. Initially, the reason for the spread of the technique was its exoticism: all salons do pedicures with files and graters, and we offer fish - tempting! But over time, cosmetologists increasingly adopted the experience of Turkish specialists who, with fish pedicure, cure diseases such as foot fungus, eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis of various nature. Thus, from an exclusively cosmetic technique, it became a therapeutic one.

She has other advantages as well.

• Painlessness. Pedicure with Garra Rufa fish does not cause discomfort. During the first minutes, the patient feels a tickle, and then gets used to the work of the fish. The reason for this is the lack of teeth in small orderlies. Their mouth resembles a “suction cup”, with which they suck epidermal cells from the surface of the skin.
• Efficiency. Pedicure with fish allows you to make the skin of the feet tender in 20 minutes. There are 100-200 inhabitants in the aquarium at the same time, who gladly pounce on the “treat” and absorb exclusively dry, dead skin. Because of a large number in the water, the fish manage to process the feet completely, without gaps. At the same time, they do not touch living skin. Firstly, they are not interested in it, and secondly, they cannot bite it off.
• Comfort. Peeling with fish is quite pleasant. The legs are located in the water at a comfortable temperature, and they do not stand at the bottom of the aquarium, but "swim" in it. It is interesting to watch the work of little workers, the total duration of the session is short. The main thing is not to make sudden movements so as not to scare away the fish. Thanks to this feature, the procedure can be used for women's and men's pedicure.
• Skin rejuvenation. To improve the tone of the feet in complex therapy, a pedicure with Garra Rufa fish is used. Reviews of cosmetologists testify to the effectiveness of the practice, because in the saliva of fish there are special substances - enzymes. They not only soften the skin, but also stimulate their renewal, which is why they are used to make expensive and effective cosmetic preparations.

Disadvantages of the technique

In addition to the advantages of Garra Rufa peeling, there are also disadvantages that you should also be aware of.

• Risk of skin infection. Unlike cosmetic equipment, which is sterilized in every reputable beauty salon, there is no way to disinfect fish. There is always a risk that if there are microcracks on the feet, they will get an infection that has been preserved in the mouth or on the body of the fish from a previous client. For this reason, fish peeling is banned in many countries around the world.
• The risk of getting to know chin-chin. This is also a fish, which the Chinese pass off as a real Garra Rufa. Outwardly, they are very similar, but the difference between chin-chin is the presence of teeth. Therefore, during the procedure, the fish may begin to bite. If this happens to you, remove your legs from the aquarium immediately, as instead of gentle peeling, you may get injured living tissue.
• High price. Reviews about fish peeling always indicate this point. But the price of the technique is justified. Firstly, the procedure requires a lot of fish, and each one is expensive. Secondly, it is problematic to acquire them today: for example, their export from Turkey is prohibited. Thirdly, there are requirements for the maintenance and feeding of "orderlies", which also entails costs.

If you want to appreciate the merits of this exotic technique, try it in a familiar beauty salon and only without wounds on the skin of your legs. And then your acquaintance with the amazing creations of Garra Rufa will be pleasant.

Fish peeling is a very ancient but not widespread procedure that came from the Middle East. These fish are called Garra Rufa. In Turkey and Egypt, you can find many open thermal springs where they live.

They are used to treat certain skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Now procedures from Garra Rufa have “migrated” to big cities, they are used both in private clinics and in some public medical institutions (for example, in Turkey).

About how the procedure of peeling with fish proceeds, what effect should be expected from it and to whom it is shown is described below.

Garra Rufa - what kind of fish is this?

Callie Papantoniou

dermatologist

Before you start peeling, you should ask the experts for various information. For this procedure, only Garra Rufa fish should be used, there are no other options. Worth asking necessary documents in the cabin. The purpose of the method is to eliminate rough skin. Peeling does a great job with it. In addition, the procedure tones and soothes. This is especially useful for people with skin diseases, as their occurrence is often provoked by a stressful situation. And when a person watches the fish, he calms down, relieves stress, normalizes the nervous state.

Actually, that's all necessary information for this event. With a competent approach to choosing a quality place, as well as observing elementary hygiene standards, the procedure will lead to positive results, cure dermatological diseases and make the skin soft.

Great alternative acid peels, which has no less effectiveness, and at the same time has no side effects.