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PLUNGING IN (above): In fish therapy, Garra rufa fish will eat away crusty skin to reveal new, smooth skin. -- ST PHOTOS: ASHLEIGH SIM, PHOTO: UNDERWATER WORLD
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SOME people squirm wildly and cry out as they thrash in a treatment pool. Other alarmed types thump the walls. Strong men, meanwhile, have been known to giggle.
These reactions are from Singaporeans being eaten alive by fish.
No, it's not some sort of bizarre Jaws experience involving sharks and hot tubs. It's a new craze catching on in a big way - fish therapy.
Tiny toothless Turkish spa fish, of the Garra rufa species, nibble off the dead skin on your hands and feet, leaving healthy skin to grow.
The feeling? Something between hundreds of tweezers and tiny suction cups gently pecking at your feet.
According to enthusiasts, the feeding sessions by these 9cm- to 12cm-long fish can leave you feeling massaged, glowing and with improved skin.
Many people also believe that the Doctor Fish therapy can cure problems like psoriasis, a disease that causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin.
It's become popular in Japan, South Korea, China and Europe, and three places offering this service have sprung up in Singapore over the past year.
The latest outlet, Kampong Fish Therapy, opened last month in Thomson Road. It is owned by actress Yeo Yann Yann and make-up artist Dollei Seah.
The other two fish flesh-spots are Qian Hu Fish Farm in Lim Chu Kang and Underwater World in Sentosa.
People pay anything from $10 to $38 a session to be fish food - by immersing their hands or feet in a pool of water where thousands of freshwater Garra rufa fish chomp away on crusty skin to reveal new, smooth skin.
Hot spring spas in Turkey with such fish have been running for more than 100 years and some people with skin problems swear by the treatment.
For example, with psoriasis, the fish lick away the plaque which causes red patches and release a small quantity of dithranol, an enzyme which results in skin rejuvenation.
Dermatologists think that the fish therapy can provide only a short-term solution to some skin conditions.
Dr Chris Foo, consultant dermatologist at Raffles Hospital, said: 'There is currently no 'cure' for psoriasis. Fish treatment may give short-term relief to some patients but not all patients will improve, depending on the severity of their conditions.
'For all we know, the patients who have improved with fishy treatment may just as well have improved with creams from a dermatologist.'
But isn't there a risk of infection when people of varying degrees of skin problems share a pool?
All three outlets claim this would not happen as they do not allow people with open wounds in the pool, to prevent infected blood from coming into contact with others.
They also have an ultra-violet disinfecting system for the water, which kills germs.
Also, those with severe skin problems get their own tub at Kampong Fish Therapy.
Dr Foo thinks it is a hygienic move. 'Although diseases like psoriasis are not contagious, other bacteria infections can be transmitted through water.'
Ms Cecilia Koh, 27, who suffers from dry and rough skin, swears by the treatment. Said the assistant director: 'After two visits, my skin is smoother. It's something you get addicted to, the feeling of pins and needles outside your skin.'
The two pools in Kampong Fish Therapy have proved so popular - up to 70 customers on weekdays and 100 on weekends - that a tub is being introduced for those brave enough to immerse their entire body. A second outlet is also in the works.
The two owners declined to say how much they have sunk into the venture, but it wouldn't be small fry - a fish costs about $10 from a fish distributor, and they have bought some 6,000 fish.
The outlet's two pools can take up to eight people each and are a great ice-breaker, said Ms Seah, 34. 'In a regular spa, everyone is isolated. Here, families and friends can do it together, chit-chat and relax.'
Co-owner Yeo, 30, who suffered from calluses after months in heels filming 881, said her skin was visibly smoother and softer after repeated fish treatments.
She joked: 'My family runs a fish distributing business in Kukup. I left Malaysia 10 years ago to come here, and now I'm back in the fish business. It's karma. We used to feed fish to people, now I feed people to fish.'
Fish Reflexology at Underwater World is also doing a brisk business. Since it opened last December, it sees up to 60 people on weekdays and 100 people on weekends.
Besides a pool with Garra rufa, there is one with Oreochromis, a larger fish from Africa which also feeds on dead or diseased skin.
Its retail manager Tan Lay Hong, 52, said: 'We target tourists and families, and are not aimed at the beauty or medical market.'
At Qian Hu's Fish Spa, launched in September last year, some customers even buy the critters to re-create the spa at home. A small Garra rufa costs $10 and a larger one is $20.
Business development manager Jimmy Yap said customers usually buy one or two, but a Batam couple once bought 200 fish.
When LifeStyle visited the spa last Thursday, it was packed with more than 30 people of all ages soaking up the fish therapy in a large communal pool.
It was so crowded that some complained the 3,000 fish in the pool weren't enough to go around. But most were smiling.
Said manager Yvonne Lau, 27, who was there with her family: 'The whole family can come. There is no age limit. As long as you have feet, you can join in.'
chiahta@sph.com.sg
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