"Fish are friends, not food," animated sharks famously declare in 2003's "Finding Nemo." But are they pedicurists, too?
On TikTok, videos have gone viral of people getting so-called "fish pedicures," often while traveling outside of the U.S. In the videos, people stick their bare feet into tanks of fish, which swarm their toes. The fish then eat away at dead skin cells and calluses, leaving their feet supposedly silky and smooth.
Originating in Turkey, the practice has become popular for tourists traveling abroad − and though the videos of their shocked reactions can be entertaining, dermatologists encourage travelers not to participate. If not done in a sanitary fashion, these fish pedicures can be seriously dangerous. In the U.S., they've even come under legal scrutiny and are not permitted in multiple states, including California.
Plus, there are safer, simpler ways of taking care of your feet that don't involve fish.
"I don't know why people would do that instead of just exfoliating," says Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and surgeon who hosts the podcast "Give Good Face: Clean Clinical Science." "If you're on vacation and you see something and it looks interesting, it doesn't mean you should do it."
