Anyone had their feet nibbled by fish?

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What was it like?
Can you have it done if you've got a varucca?

I've had a varucca for about seven years, the Dr has says he can't do anything about it until I get rid of the dead skin. I've been trying to for ages, but it's very deep (sorry it's a bit yuk). I'd like to do the fish thing, but wanted to see if others have tried.

Haven't had the fish treatment, but a place is advertising it locally, and I am tempted (although I might just be boring and go to my chiropodist as usual to get rid of my hard skin).

But what got rid of my verrucas was DS1 standing on my hideously verrucaed little toe with his very muddy shoe, and my not having time to wash the mud off for about half an hour. After a year of misery and chiropody treatment every few weeks, none of which had had any effect on getting rid of it, the verruca gradually disappeared, as did the other two on the same foot.

I'm fascinated by the banana skin treatment, though. Do you just rub the verruca with the inside of the banana skin? Or do you have to leave it taped on? And how many times a day do you have to do it?

The fish treatment is FAB i would recommend it to anybody. I was proper twitchy at first and it kept tickling but when i got going it was amaaaaaze

Thumbscrew - have you tried Duck tape over the verruca? You have to persevere about a month, only taking it off every 3 days and covered in the bath. and im guessing you have used compound W? i had a verruca for 4 years similar to your story but slightly shorter. I dunno if you can have this treatment with a verruca tho

I don't just have rough skin - I have hooves! Like Beelzebub!

I would love to have this done. Can understand the blister and verruca ban as they are sort of open wounds and you wouldn't want fish poo to contaminate surely.

I took my DS5 into the water on holiday in the Maldives - a great big wave slapped in his face and he threw up his earlier lunch due to swallowing the brine. From out of nowhere a huge shoal of tiny fish leaped out of the sea and tried to swim into his mouth to eat the vomit. If I can survive having 100 of the little bleeders flapping inside my tankini I reckon I can man up for this.

Oh I can also recommend the foot razor too if people aren't up to the fish.

I soak my feet for 20 mins then just use one to shave off the dead skin.

DH just loves clearing it up for me

Well thank you very much you lot. I was hungry till I read about feet eating fishies. Bleurgh!

Some friends and I went to have it done at Camden. The fish had not had covers on overnight, the water temperature was below 20' (which is way to cold for tropical fish), so the fish were slow and practically dead.
We all had groupon vouchers and did not even use them as the place was so grotty. I know it is Camden but that is no excuse.
Waste of money I think. Perhaps a more upmarket place would bhe better.

The banana skin thing is as follows - get a banana skin (obviously), cut a small piece of peel big enough to cover the verruca, then put it on the verucca with the inside of the peel, i.e the soft white side not the hard yellow one, touching the verucca. Cover it with a piece of tape to hold it in place. I found the wide plaster strips that you cut to size with scissors, to work quite well. Leave it on overnight, it will have gone black and yucky by the morning, just throw it away (the foot might need a wash!). Repeat every night with a fresh piece of peel. If you can bear to keep it on during the day it will help but my DD found it too uncomfortable. We did a bit of pumice-ing as well to get rid of some of the hard skin but not much. After about two weeks the hard skin on the verucca literally just fell off, bringing the verucca with it. Not painful at all. I don't know whether there is something in the banana skin itself, or if it is just the covering up that worked. Apparently the duct tape thing also works by starving the verucca of oxygen.

Have none of you thought how cruel this is to the beautiful tropical fish?

Fish are very sensitive to any changes in water, so someone putting their feet in a tank of them could bring anything into tank even if you just used showergel or soap on your feet, which most do.

Also if the fish are being moved into the tank for the feet everytime they are being caught will be causing them stress.

They may seem fine when you get it done but I doubt many of them live for a long time if they are exposed to whatever is on your feet and not being in a normal tank which is carefully monitored and maintained.

The people doing this just want to make money and I doubt most of them are experts in fishcare.If a fish or a hundred fish die they don't care.

Take care of your feet some other way instead of funding the explotation of other living creatures.

I love having pedicures but the thought of those poor wee fishies ingesting my hard foot skin makes me want to heave. Sorry!

Hi I run a fish foot spa plus also a mum I never let anyone in with any infections verruccas etc & I do check feet whilst they are being washed. I keep everything cleaned with anti bacterial to protect everyone. Yes children can use it as it is a great sensory experience for them & its not just for hard skin there are loads of other benefits too. Health & safety regularly check us too.

goodmanners....I am very sorry but that made me laugh!!

I had it done at CP spa and hated it! I couldnt stop laughing and it hurt sometimes too, felt like little electric shocks to me :(

They do not let people who have any type of verruca or corn on their feet, as well as anyone with fake tan on which I think is acceptable! I dont think a fish wants to eat peoples infections, even if it does like dead skin! haha

For all the fish-o-phobic amongst us-visit footcare4me.com . Plenty there to make your feet beautiful (they dont sell fish!)