A newly emerged "fish spa" is becoming fashionable in many hot
spring resorts, and has attracted even more customers, all curious
about this peculiar treatment.
At such a spa, many Garra Rufa, a type of small tropical fish,
also nicknamed Chinchin Yu, nibble fish or simply doctor fish, are
put in hot springs. As they can live and swim freely in at least
43-degree-hot waters, they are naturally used for the treatment of
skin diseases in such spas.
A girl soaks in the hot
spring enjoying the "fish spa" in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong
Province.
When placed in the spa, these fish can feed themselves on the
dead cells of the human body, since they only consume such cells,
leaving the healthy skin of the human body to grow. The whole
process is reportedly free of pain. It won't hurt and the bather
might feel a pleasant tingling on his or her skin.
The fish species are often found in the river basins in the
Middle East, including Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey, and thus is
also called Turkish Fish. It is legally protected from commercial
exploitation in Turkey due to concerns over harvesting for
export.
In 2006, the first Asian Doctor Fish spa resort opened in
Hakone, Japan. These fish are used to clean the feet of the bathers
at the spa. Recently, such spas become fashionable in resorts in
China and South Korea.
Two bathers soak in the hot
spring enjoying a "fish spa" in Haikou, south China's Hainan
Province.
(CRIENGLISH.com August 13, 2007)
