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Review
. 2020 Jun 30;12(6):e8936.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.8936.

Fish Pedicure: Review of Its Current Dermatology Applications

Terri Shih  1 , Samiya Khan  2 , Shawn Shih  3 , Amor Khachemoune  4
Affiliations
Review

Fish Pedicure: Review of Its Current Dermatology Applications

Terri Shih et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Ichthyotherapy or fish pedicure is a unique form of biotherapy in which the species Garra rufa or doctor fish is used to exfoliate the skin and potentially aid in healing diseases, such as psoriasis. The practice has gained popularity since its origins in Kangal Fish Spring in Turkey; however, safety concerns, especially among immunocompromised patients, remain. This article reviews the studied dermatological benefits of ichthyotherapy and theorized mechanisms of action. Included are cases examining both infectious and noninfectious complications of this procedure. This review highlights the need to educate susceptible patients about possible adverse effects and the need for more studies assessing this procedure.

Keywords: complementary medicine; crypinidae; fishes; psoriasis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Fish Pedicure Procedure
Fish Spa. (2008): https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoff_leeming/2723249699
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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