I wasn’t sure what to think as I dipped my feet into the tepid water full of tiny little fish that immediately “attacked” my toes and ankles.  As quickly as I put them in the tank, I whisked them right out, took a breath and thought “heck, they’re only tiny little fish that want to suck at my dead skin”!  So in they went again and after a minute or so I was at peace with my mini pedicurists, the Garra Rufa fish (also known as “doctor fish”). Aqua Sheko, the chic fish spa in Soho London, has a clever way of describing what this 20 minute treatment consists of: “Submerge your feet into a warm pool of finned therapists for an exotic exfoliation by a team of tiny mouths.”

Though that might not be enticing to all, it’s exactly what it’s like!

And there is a strong history to these little “suckers,” they were discovered centuries ago in a hot spring in Turkey.  Some bathers innocently put their feet in the water and fist started nibbling away.  Today the fish are exported all over the globe and are very popular paritcularly in Asian spas (Japan was one of the first countries to start using the fish in modern treatments) and have recently made a big splash (!)  here in the UK.

The treatment might be fun to do with friends (and Aqua Sheko in Soho has a great vibe and promises to offer up sake cocktails in the very near future), but it also has health benefits that have been celebrated for ages – they are said to relieve the discomfort of psoriasis and other skin ailments.  In fact, the other gentleman visiting Aqua Sheko the day I was there was there for the curative properties – he’d discovered the fish in a Google search and was thrilled to find that he didn’t have to travel to Turkey to give them a go!