Garra rufa is a small fish of the Carp family. In wildlife, they are common in Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. They live in fresh water bodies with thermal springs, where the temperature stays at 30–37 degrees.
Garra rufa resemble other members of the family in appearance. They have large scales, gray back and sides, large fins, but the fish themselves are small (see photo). They grow up to a maximum of 12 cm. Under natural conditions, they are not aggressive; they feed on plankton and small remains of organic matter. Since the times of the Ancient East, people have noticed that Garra rufa are able to eat keratinized skin from the human body. They began to be used to eliminate cosmetic problems and dermatological pathologies and were called doctor fish.
Procedures using waterfowl are popular in Turkey. For example, in the area of the Kangala thermal lakes, medical centers and sanatoriums are equipped, where ichthyotherapy is common. There are also spas in Europe and other Asian countries that offer fish peeling. They use Garra rufa grown in artificial ponds: it is prohibited to export medicinal waterfowl from Turkey.
Below we consider what benefits Garra rufa can bring to humans, whether they cause harm, and how the doctor fish differs from other waterfowl. You will also learn about the use of ichthyotherapy in childhood and in the presence of pathologies.
What is fish peeling?
Fish peeling (fish peeling, fish peeling) is a cosmetic and SPA procedure aimed at cleansing and healing the skin. It is based on the use of live Garra Rufa fish - small fish of the Carp family. Their length does not exceed 10 cm, they have no teeth, but at the same time they have very strong lips. These fish live in open thermal springs in Turkey and Egypt.
The main diet of these fish is plankton and small organisms. The peculiarity of Garra Rufa is to apply to keratinized and affected areas of the skin, followed by their gentle removal. The fish does not touch healthy skin, thereby eliminating the risk of injury.
Garra Rufa saliva contains dietanol, which promotes restoration and healing of the dermis. After just a few procedures, a tonic and rejuvenating effect is noted.
The average duration of one session is 30-40 minutes. The final result of the procedure depends on the duration of the session, frequency and number of fish.
For preventive and relaxation purposes, it is recommended to conduct 1-2 sessions every few months. Full peeling involves a specific course lasting 30-60 minutes.
Intensive courses under the supervision of a specialist are recommended for patients with psoriasis and dermatitis of various forms.
In eastern countries, fish peeling has long been widespread. Currently, this service is provided in many beauty salons around the world.
Area of use
Spa peeling with fish is used to treat the hands and feet, as well as the back, legs, shoulders, buttocks, décolleté and even the face. That is, a person can completely immerse himself in a bath with Garra Rufa fish and enjoy the pleasant process of cleansing the skin.
The rarest type of procedure is facial peeling, which has a slight lifting effect. With long-term use of this procedure, removal of dead cells, post-acne and freckles is observed.
Photo of hand peeling with fish
A little about diseases
A disease that often affects aquarium doctors is ichthyophthirosis. The danger of the disease lies in its lightning-fast development and progression, which leads to global infection within the aquarium. In the first 10 days, symptoms practically do not appear. The causative agent of the disease is a parasitic ciliate found throughout Southeast Asia. Infected individuals become covered with bumps called pustules.
At the end of the incubation period, a mass pestilence begins. In the absence of preventive measures, the entire flock is likely to die. A product consisting of methylene blue oxalate and malachite green oxalate, which are taken in an amount of 3.5 g each and diluted in 1 liter of purified water, will help save the fish.
Carp doctor fish are widely used in the commercial sphere, but they are no less interesting for home breeding. Frisky and agile representatives of the Garra Rufa are unpretentious to food and conditions of constant keeping. They will certainly become favorites of experienced aquarists and will create a separate atmosphere in the room, close to nature.
Preparation for the procedure
Before the procedure, you should adhere to some rules:
- A few days before peeling, stop using body creams as this may make it difficult for the fish to function.
- Visit the salon where you plan to have the procedure. The dermatologist will examine your skin for open wounds. If they are present on the body, then the cosmetic session should be postponed until the wounds have completely healed.
- If desired, use a steaming bath before peeling to facilitate and speed up the removal of dead skin cells.
- Wash your body using soap. If necessary, apply antiseptic to areas of skin that will be exposed to fish treatment.
For foot peeling you will need 300 fish, for manicure - 150-200 pieces.
Compatibility with other types
Despite its small size and lack of teeth, garra rufa is classified as an aggressive species. They can coexist next to fish of other species only if the aquarium is large. It is not recommended to breed them in small containers with representatives of other varieties.
Crowding does not have the best effect on the behavior and order in the school, even if only doctor fish live in the aquarium. Sometimes the hierarchy is broken and fights occur. If all placement conditions are met, then the fish are very peaceful and playful.
How does fish pilling work?
There are several types of fish peeling:
- Partial immersion - during the procedure, only certain parts of the body are treated, for example, arms or legs. This treatment is most often used, and is carried out both in medical institutions and beauty salons. When choosing an establishment, pay attention to the sterility and cleanliness of the room where the peeling will take place.
- Full immersion is a highly specialized physical therapy that is carried out in medical institutions or terminal sources. During the procedure, you are completely immersed in a fish bath.
After immersing the feet, hands, or entire body in water, the fish immediately attack the affected areas of the dermis, starting to treat them. You will not feel pain, since Garra Ruf has no teeth, and, as we wrote above, they touch the skin with their lips.
Such touches resemble light tickling. Some patients compare it to touching bubbles of mineral water. The skin treatment is pleasant, so the procedure can be classified as relaxing.
Fish are active only in relation to the skin of an adult. They are indifferent to children's dermis, since it does not have the same problems as adults, and there is no stratum corneum on it.
Fish body peeling
Reproduction
Under natural conditions, the breeding season falls throughout the warm season, from March to October. Eggs are spawned among stones; individuals do not exhibit parental qualities. After a few weeks, the eggs hatch into fry that are able to survive and feed on their own. For sale, they are bred on special equipped farms, stimulating spawning with hormonal drugs or increased temperature. They are practically not suitable for reproduction in an aquarium.
Sex differences lie in size - females have a larger body size than males.
Advantages and disadvantages of the procedure
Peeling with fish has its pros and cons.
The benefits of the procedure are as follows:
- Painlessness - a fish manicure or pedicure will not cause you any discomfort. The water temperature in the Garra Rufa aquarium is around 32 degrees Celsius. This temperature helps to quickly soften the skin, so that dead tissue is removed without any pain.
- Simultaneous massage stimulates metabolic processes, increases blood circulation and cellular respiration.
- The relaxing effect helps eliminate neurosomatic tension and distracts you from the hustle and bustle.
- The targeted effect is applied only to coarsened tissues. At the same time, healthy skin remains untouched, unlike chemical analogues of the procedure.
- Enzymes contained in fish saliva have a softening and antiseptic effect.
- After the procedure, the skin becomes softer and more tender, despite the fact that the effect of a regular pedicure is several times better. But, you must admit, it’s easier to drag a man to a fish peel than to a beauty salon.
Possible harm and disadvantages of the procedure:
- Even a course of 5-7 peeling sessions will not replace a classic pedicure. This procedure will only slightly reduce corns, mycoses and calluses, if any.
- The Sanitary and Epidemiological Station does not control such establishments. In a young market, there are no standards for disinfecting equipment or checking clients for open wounds.
- It is prohibited to sterilize live fish using either chemical or thermal means. This is what caused the procedure to be banned in 14 US states. Even when cleaning the aquarium after each client, infections remain, which occur when fish defecate pieces of human skin.
- During the procedure, it is not Garra Rufa fish that can be used, but their Chinese fakes, Chin-Chin fish. They look similar in appearance, but there is a significant difference: chin-chin fish bite off healthy skin.
- Fish are checked for the presence of viruses and bacteria only upon initial intake. After this, no one monitors their condition, which is fraught with various complications in the form of infectious diseases.
- The complete safety of the procedure cannot be confirmed, even if each client brings a health certificate. Some foci of inflammatory diseases can be spread by fish throughout the body.
- Garra Rufa and Chin-Chin fish are capable of transmitting mycoses, viruses and bacteria, as well as worms, hepatitis and HIV. Therefore, to the question of whether peeling with fish is dangerous, the answer is to some extent positive.
Spa peeling with fish has contraindications
Breeding
In the wild, fish reproduce by spawning eggs into rocks and immediately lose interest in them. The fry grow on their own without the participation of their parents. On farms where garra rufa is bred, they try not to disseminate information about the process in order to reduce the number of competitors. Most likely, to provoke fish to spawn, hormonal stimulants are used and water parameters are changed.
You can find information about breeding at home, but it raises quite a lot of doubts, since there are no officially confirmed facts about this. Thus, various sources indicate that as a spawning tank you need to use a ring-shaped aquarium with a capacity of at least 100 liters with a strong current. The water temperature in it should be gradually increased to 30 degrees. Once the eggs are spawned and fertilized, the parents should be immediately removed from the future offspring. If eggs and fry end up in a pond with adults, they will be eaten.
Doctors' opinion
We suggest that you read reviews from doctors about peeling with live fish.
Anatoly, cosmetologist
The fashion for spa peeling with live fish has appeared quite recently. Few clients expect amazing results from the procedure; many simply like the sensation of tickling on the body. Personally, I recommend carefully checking the salon that performs fish peeling, and only then agreeing to the procedure.
Elena, dermatologist
I do not recommend using fish peels to remove dead skin cells. Firstly, this is dangerous, since the fish are only checked for infections at the initial stage. Secondly, the effect of the procedure appears only after several sessions.
Feeding
Rufa are absolutely unpretentious; at home they eat frozen, live, dry and vegetable food.
They will be happy to eat:
- bloodworm;
- daphnia;
- Artemia;
- tubifex;
- small worms;
- spinach;
- fresh cucumber;
- zucchini;
- sweet varieties of apples.
Vegetables and fruits are given only after being scalded with boiling water. Dry food should have a predominance of plant components.
Features of the diet in salons
In SPA salons, rufa is fed with special food, in which the necessary elements are specially selected.
Feeding the fry
The fry feed on their own immediately after birth. They are fed with ciliates, live dust, and Artemia nauplii.
Parents do not take part in the future life of their offspring, so the fry hatch from the eggs completely ready for independent living
Reviews
Below are reviews from women about spa peeling with live fish.
Veronica, 26 years old
I have rough skin on my feet. I used various products to soften it. Then I decided to try fish peeling. After 3 treatments, the skin on my legs became softer and more tender.
Inga, 36 years old
A friend recommended spa peeling with Garra Rufa fish. At first I was skeptical about this procedure, then I agreed. This is a fairly relaxing procedure that improves the condition of the skin. True, it is not cheap, so you have to look for its analogues.
Fish peeling is a modern cosmetic spa procedure that helps improve the condition of the dermis. But at the same time, it is dangerous, since Garra Rufa fish can spread infectious diseases - this is worth remembering before going for fish peeling.
Adviсe
- Keep it in a pack.
- Do not breed other types of underwater creatures with Garra.
- Maintain a constant temperature of 30–35 degrees.
- Provide bright light.
Garra Rufa are unusual pets for aquariums, known to people for a couple of centuries. Their popularity continues to this day and is due to their ability to perform cosmetic procedures. But Garra is also an excellent underwater pet to keep in an aquarium, which will delight aquarists with its activity and unusual behavior.
Why is opisthorchiasis dangerous?
When infected with opisthorchiasis, a reaction first occurs to the release of parasitic toxins:
- increased vascular permeability;
- swelling of soft tissues and internal organs;
- rashes and skin itching;
- allergic reactions.
Since the main site of parasitism of the liver fluke is the gallbladder, the bile ducts, to which the helminth is attached, inflammation develops in their walls (cholecystitis, cholangitis), the movement of bile slows down and is blocked. There may be blockages of small ducts by helminths and the formation of stones.
At the same time, the outflow of pancreatic juice from the pancreas is disrupted with the expansion of its ducts and the proliferation of connective tissue (fibrosis). The most severe forms occur with destruction and cirrhosis of the liver, peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum). The long-term, long-term presence of the liver fluke in the biliary system can result in liver cancer, gall bladder cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
