Fish Feet!

Long time no see! While I was at home this weekend I barely went near my laptop so haven't had a chance to blog yet. I had a lovely time this weekend just shopping, eating and relaxing!

We didn't get back until late on Friday evening so I didn't really do anything until Saturday. I originally planned to stay indoors and catch up on writing and blogging but my sister persuaded me to go to the Hairdressers with her. Unfortunately they had no appointments so we decided to go to the new Fish Pedicure salon that recently opened in our town.

Garra Rufa Fish Pedicures are so popular at the moment, and I know they'll probably die out just as quickly, but I still wanted to blog about the experience.

The fish foot spas are a natural pedicure method that has originated from Turkey. It is a unique skin treatment that massages and exfoliates feet using the Garra Rufa fish. Although most people think that the fish have teeth to nibble off dry skin, they in fact have toothless suction-cupped mouths which enables them to lift away dead skin from your feet easily. The treatment is totally painless, but you may feel a slight tingling sensation. The Garra Rufa fish only work on unhealthy skin that has been softened by the water, and their hard work leaves your feet feeling soft and refreshed.

A lot of people are worried that letting fish suck on your feet can cause some diseases but the water in the tanks is continuously filtered to ensure it is kept clean. The UV lighting within the tank minimises bacteria growth and the fish stimulate acupuncture points, helping to regulate the nervous system, relax the body and ease fatigue. Blood circulation and flow is greatly increased during the treatment and the Garra Rufa fish can help to improve some skin conditions. People with broken and sore skin as well as warts or verrucas are not allowed to take part in the pedicure, which eliminates the risk of catching anything.

The Salon that has just opened near me is relatively small, with only 5 tanks, but I quite liked the cosiness of it. We were asked to soak our feet in a bowl of warm water for five minutes before being told we could put our feet into the tanks.

The feeling of having to put your feet into a tank full of fish is so unnatural that I didn't want to do it! As soon as I did, all of the fish were drawn to my feet and began nibbling at all of my dry skin. The sensation was the weirdest thing ever and at points I couldn't bear the thought of what I was doing and wanted to pull my feet out quickly. It didn't help that I am quite ticklish on my feet and at one point one of my reflexes made me kick my foot out a bit too violently.

Because it was so weird, I still can't decided whether or not I enjoyed the experience. My main advice would be to try not to think about what you're doing. Two people who were also in the salon with us were reading papers and not paying attention, therefore weren't squealing and giggling like my sister and I.

When our 15 minutes were up we were told to dry our feet and they were sprayed with hygiene spray. I have to say my feet felt really soft and smooth after the treatment, but there were still bits of dry skin that the fish hadn't managed to get. I think a bit longer than 15 minutes would be good for me and I would have loved it if a proper Pedicure followed.

I think I'd definitely recommend this treatment and I think I will try it again, but I'll try to stay a bit calmer!

I swear for the rest of the day I felt like I had fish hanging onto my feet. It was such a weird sensation that even when I think about it now I feel all funny! But my feet felt so nice afterwards that I am definitely doing it again.

On Saturday evening Vince and I met up with our friends for a yummy Pizza Hut! I've not laughed so much in so long and for some reason we all had the giggles that night. We were the last ones left in the restaurant and I think our Waitress was a bit annoyed with us after we mucked up the orders and Vince spilt a drink across the table!

On Sunday my Sister and I took another trip to town in order to do some Shopping. We were initially looking for things for the baby but Weston is so rubbish that we barely found anything. I think I brought a teething toy and a Parasol and that was it! So instead we treated ourselves and my sister spent the gift cards I got her on a lovely Maxi dress! I treated myself to a new cardigan and some shoes, which I'll post about soon! We had a nice little lunch in BHS and a bit of a giggle. I can't wait until the baby arrives! I still have so much that I want to buy her!

So that was my weekend in a nutshell! We're back in Southampton now and I've been at work all day. We're currently waiting for our Chinese to be delivered so I best be off!

Just a quick thing before I go. When I got home I managed to have a look at the review I had published in the Portsmouth News. So, have a look (Click the image to view large!):