Who's making money with Garra Rufa fish Pedicures?

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Poor fishies! :sad:
 
I have never been in the market for buying one as being mobile would slosh around a bit :)
Being serious though it's never been something I would fancy having done just doesn't appeal to me. Give me a real live person any day. And as Gigi said poor fish :(
Vicki xx
 
The Fish Pedi is something that I couldn't imagine fitting in with the nail and beauty treatments I offer. I work hard at making treatments worthwhile, relaxing and enjoyable. To me, I have never even had the desire to try one - it looks totally gross. It doesn't look that great for the client either - very boring.

All those poor fish dying - perhaps the clients feet are killing the fish rather than the conditions.

I have a few clients that have tried the Fish Pedi but it sounded more like a non-event and really just curiousity that promted them to go, usually with a friend for a treat (some treat eh!). I did have one lady that said she would perhaps go back as apparently they are good for skin conditions.

Give me a marine spa pedi any day!:biggrin:
 
I always thought they would be a fad, like those detox foot spas that were popular (for about 5 minutes) a few years ago. If I remember correctly they didn't even do what they were supposed to either.

I still can't get over how slack they are at letting people put their feet in without a proper check. One of my clients told me she went with her friend and when they checked her feet they found a verruca, her friend insisted it was a corn and they let her have the treatment !!! What is the point in checking if they are going to take the clients word and if they are working with feet surely they should no the difference :suprised:
 
This treatment is wrong on many levels JMO
 
The thing is, that the fish aren't half as effective at removing dead callus as a proper pedicure done by a professional. People go once to have the experience for a bit of fun and then nada!

I don't even think it is a fad .. I think it is a giant gimmick!! An expensive, giant gimmick at that. I wouldn't invest a single brass farthing in it ... it gets a big thumbs down from me on every level for a salon.

I haven't heard one single professional rave that they are making money with fish pedicures. More importantly, I haven't heard one single client say that they would repeat the experience.

I had a fish pedicure, twice infact. The first one was out of curiosity and the second was with my daughter cause she wanted to have one with mummy:) Also it was on offer for £5.00 otherwise I would'nt have gone again. It was o.k but it definately does'nt get rid of hard skin like a good pedicure does. Can't beat a luxury pedicure. Fish may nibble your toes but they can't give you a relaxing leg and foot massage can they? Lol. I believe some places are now adding polish to the treatment now though.
 
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I went on a hen weekend at a spa they had them so I had a go, it was ok not a treat though. I did not find it nice or tickly or not nice just ok!!! I wouldnt have it done again. That is the trouble you might want to try it but I dont think you will bother again. I would rather have a normal pedicure any day xxx
 
If popularity doesn't die out soon just through lack of interest i can see it being stopped soon anyway.
I don't think anyone likes to see anything ill treated even fish.They stopped fish being won at fetes because they were dying and i should imagine it wont be long before the poor little Garra rufa fish are taken off the beauty menu.
 
If popularity doesn't die out soon just through lack of interest i can see it being stopped soon anyway.
I don't think anyone likes to see anything ill treated even fish.They stopped fish being won at fetes because they were dying and i should imagine it wont be long before the poor little Garra rufa fish are taken off the beauty menu.

I think it has died already along with the poor wee fishies, and I don't think it was ever popular ... just a quick moment of diversion for the curious.

Shows that we should all think things through thoroughly before jumping onto bandwagons too quickly. :D

Some things you just know on every level are going to be huge. You think it through carefully from top to bottom. You try it yourself to make an informed opinion ... unless you are one of the ones who jump on every bandwagon and can afford to buy in for a short term and then get out and move on to the next 'big' thing. I would not do that as the first thing that goes is any credibility one might have had with their clients; they soon loose trust in you.

My clients trust me .. they would honestly try anything I recommend to them which is why I am very careful with what I recommend to anyone (in the salon and here on the site) because my reputation is on the line. If it isn't something really good for business and effective then I won't recommend it.
 
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When you have had it done once that's it, you've done it. It's a gimmic and I don't know anyone who goes for regular garra treatments.

The spa I currently work at recently put a tank in. Within a few days half the fish had died! The big ones had been eating the little ones :( I think it's unfair to keep them in an unnatural environment and shoving feet in there every 15 minutes. Poor little things!
Rhiannon x
 
What ever about it being a poor treatment, I hate the thoughts of the poor fish :sad: I thought it was crual when I first heard of it but then you hear their dying all the time! And when you talk to salon owners who have them it's more of a nuisance that they keep dying. I know it might sound sad to some of you but do any salon owners care about the fish? :sad:
 
I think it's vile and couldn't care less about any salon owners losing money doing it. Poor fish having sometimes revolting pairs of manky feet stuck in their tank over and over. It will soon come to an end imho.
 
What is interesting is that Garra Ruffa fish are native to hot springs of the Euphrates and Tigress rivers where people do go to bathe and have their skin treated by these doctor fish fish.This has been going on for hundreds of years.
The fish have now had to become legally protected in Turkey because so many are being caught and exported to spas etc abroad.
Therefore what is often in the tanks are not actually Garra ruffa fish but the less hardy Chin Chin which look like the Garra Rufa but they readily die and are also not as effective they also have to be very young as when they get older they acually bite and can cause cuts.
 
theres 2 local places near me. 1 place i went into had a 2 and a half hour waiting list to go and have it done. So i went to somewhere else.. After plucking up the courage to get over my fear of fish... finally getting my feet in and screaming my head off i did 15 mins and i must say wasnt very impressed. Hardly made any difference at all. I must admit i only did it in the first place as clients keep asking me about it so i thought id give it a go to share the experience. Probably wouldnt have it done again. x x
 
What is interesting is that Garra Ruffa fish are native to hot springs of the Euphrates and Tigress rivers where people do go to bathe and have their skin treated by these doctor fish fish.This has been going on for hundreds of years.
The fish have now had to become legally protected in Turkey because so many are being caught and exported to spas etc abroad.
Therefore what is often in the tanks are not actually Garra ruffa fish but the less hardy Chin Chin which look like the Garra Rufa but they readily die and are also not as effective they also have to be very young as when they get older they acually bite and can cause cuts.
Interesting! I did not know that. Must look into it.
 
Interesting! I did not know that. Must look into it.

Yes do and the more you read the more interesting things get.

I didn't link to anything because i reported the info from various places.

A fish keepers website states that Chin chin fish are not doctor fish at all but a form of tilapia fish which are quite aggresive and cannabalistic and will attack anything put in the water so they are trying to bite you and not nibbling.

They have to be discarded if they get too big because they get very sharp teeth.

Doctor fish like the garra rufa have actually been medically studied and have been found to have a healing enzyme in their saliva which is why they do actually help eczema and psoriasis.So more reason why we should respect them.
 
Yes do and the more you read the more interesting things get.

I didn't link to anything because i reported the info from various places.

A fish keepers website states that Chin chin fish are not doctor fish at all but a form of tilapia fish which are quite aggresive and cannabalistic and will attack anything put in the water so they are trying to bite you and not nibbling.

They have to be discarded if they get too big because they get very sharp teeth.

Doctor fish like the garra rufa have actually been medically studied and have been found to have a healing enzyme in their saliva which is why they do actually help eczema and psoriasis.So more reason why we should respect them.

This makes sense because I have read posts where clients have reported being bitten and bleeding.
 
Yes do and the more you read the more interesting things get.

I didn't link to anything because i reported the info from various places.

A fish keepers website states that Chin chin fish are not doctor fish at all but a form of tilapia fish which are quite aggresive and cannabalistic and will attack anything put in the water so they are trying to bite you and not nibbling.

They have to be discarded if they get too big because they get very sharp teeth.

Doctor fish like the garra rufa have actually been medically studied and have been found to have a healing enzyme in their saliva which is why they do actually help eczema and psoriasis.So more reason why we should respect them.


It is very interesting.

Maybe they will be adding piranha fish next for those with truly manky feet.
 
It is very interesting.

Maybe they will be adding piranha fish next for those with truly manky feet.

Ouchie!! Hope there are no sharks about!
 
I have just got a Fish Spa in my salon.

It is not ready for use yet as you have to make sure the water is spot on before the fish arrive.

My salon is based in a small ex mining village. We have had SO much interest and people buying vouchers already. The local paper have been out and done an interview about it and environmental health have been and assessed and are happy.

We have bought our tank outright so no expensive lease costs. I will make it a success. Failure is not an option in my world.

The location is vital I think.

PS I decided to start my own after visiting Appy Feet @ meadowhall. It removed my dead skin and relaxed me beyond believe and yes Geeg I have been back many times.
 

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