If you’ve ever been to his spa in the past years, you might have noticed that a specific trend of massages has disappeared from many Western spas. It was a prevalent trend in the 80s and 90s and even made its way into popular culture in movies and TV shows. Of course, we are talking about the doctor fish treatment, also known as the fish massage. It might be gone from a lot of businesses in the Western world, but the reality is that there is a thriving industry of fish massages available in Korea. So, let’s take a deeper look at the current state of fish massages worldwide and the South Korean sector that still makes this service available.
Where did it go?
Before we talk about Korea it’s important to understand that the reason why the fish massages are not available in western regions anymore is due to many legislations. In many cases, there has been a lack of proper care taken to avoid contamination between clients which led to many people filing complaints with the government. One of the other issues that came to mind in the West when talking about the availability of fish massages was of course the care taken of the fishes themselves. Indeed, many people considered fish treatment to be animal abuse or animal cruelty which led to many countries preferring to outlaw it rather than start trying to legislate it. In the end, this led to a near-total ban on fish massages in many Western countries to avoid any issues that could come from them.
What does a fish massage entail?
Fish massages or fish pedicures are essentially the process of putting your feet in a VAT of water filled with red guarra rufa fish. These fish are very popular in the West of Asia especially since they populate a lot of the water streams including those that are polluted by humans. By putting your feet in a vat of water with these fish the idea is that they will eat the surplus dead skin covering your feet. This trend started especially in Israel as well as Turkey. It became so popular in Turkey that the government had to put in place regulations to avoid overfishing intended to capture the red guarra.
Benefits
You will find a lot of Korean spas offer fish pedicures because a lot of their benefits are well appreciated by those who want to take care of their skin. Not only is this procedure allowed to exfoliate the skin on the feet it can also help address a lot of issues related to your feet’ skin. Using this procedure can help deal with callous is as well as potentially make ultraviolet treatment for psoriasis more effective. These treatments are extremely beneficial in the long term and on repeat use especially if you are planning to avoid skin conditions that might be chronic. These treatments are beloved because not only are they non-chemical, but they are also painless since these fish don’t have any teeth.
Where to find fish pedicures in Korea?
One of the best places to find a proper fish pedicure spot in South Korea is of course to look at the capital, Seoul. Some of the most famous ones will be found in the most famous district of all Korea called Gangnam. One great place to start looking online is this website here https://fish-massage.com/ where you can get more information about the amenities offered in spas that offer fish massages. You will also see that many fish massage parlors offer other services adjacent to your skin care. This is a great way to not only get the most out of your experience but potentially even add services that can boost the positive effects of fish pedicures.
As you can see the many benefits of the fish pedicure make them the perfect care for those who have the time to spend some money at the spa. This becomes even more apparent now that skincare has become so important culturally worldwide, especially in Korea. As there is in higher and higher demand for skin treatments that allow you to have a very clean and smooth skin it’s no surprise that those who are making sure that they care of their skin from head to toe will try to benefit from these services. It’s also no surprise to find these services available in one of the trendiest districts in all of Asia. So if you want to keep up with the best and latest trends in skin care all around the world, following the trends going on in Gangnam is always a sure bet.
