I've always been intrigued by the Garuffa Fish pedicure treatment and was desperate to have a go myself with so many Groupon/Wahanda vouchers and things going around last summer. But then I read this and it put me right off!!: (whether its true or not debatable but rather not risk it)
[h=2]HEPATITIS C FROM FISH TANK TREATMENTS[/h]Last month the government’s Health Protection Agency warned that fashionable fish pedicures, where tiny Garra Rufa fish nibble away hard skin, could spread potentially deadly diseases.
If a customer already infected with a blood-borne virus such as HIV or hepatitis bleeds into the water in the tank, then there is a very small chance the virus could be passed to another client, either via the fish or contaminated tank water.
To reduce risks, no one with open cuts should be treated and those with psoriasis or diabetes should avoid fish pedicures altogether.
Read more:
How a trip to the beauty salon could poison you | Mail Online
[h=1]Fears fish foot spa pedicures could spread HIV and hepatitis C[/h]Fish foot spa pedicures could spread diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, health experts have warned.
The government’s Health Protection Agency said those with diabetes, psoriasis or a weak immune system are particularly vulnerable and should not take part in the beauty craze at all.
In new guidance to be published today, they said the risk of infection for users of the increasingly popular treatment, in which dozens of tiny fish nibble dead skin from customers' feet, is ‘low but could not be completely excluded’.
Health warning: There are fears fish pedicures could spread HIV and hepatitis C, the Health Protection Agency have warned
The agency says fish tank water contains micro-organisms and believes problems could arise from bacteria being transmitted by the pedicure’s garra rufa fish, from the spa water itself or from one customer to another if the water is not changed.
If a user is infected with a blood-borne virus like HIV or hepatitis and bleeds in the water, there is a risk the diseases could be passed on.
According to the agency’s guidance, the risk is ‘extremely low’ but it ‘cannot be completely excluded’.
An agency spokesman said: ‘We have issued this guidance because there are a growing number of these spas.
‘When the correct hygiene procedures are followed, the risk of infection is very low.
‘However, there is still a risk of transmission of a number of infections — this does include viruses like HIV and hepatitis.’
The HPA has recommended that spa water is changed after each client.
The equipment cannot be conventionally sterilised because the process could harm the fish, of which there are about 200 in every tank.
The pedicures - which have long been popular in Asia where the fad began - have been banned in some U.S. states, including Florida, Texas, New Hampshire and Washington, due to fears that infections could spread through open wounds.
The trend, which is meant to leave clients with smooth and attractive feet, has spread to beauty salons across the country and there are now around 280 fish spas in the UK.
A spokeswoman for HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust said: ‘The risk of picking up infections is minimal but people must be careful where they choose to go.’
Read more:
Fish pedicures and foot spas could spread HIV and hepatitis C | Mail Online