Jay, Ryan and Alan try out a 'fishy' spa experience
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - You may think having fish nibble on your feet is an exotic vacation experience, but you can try it out at the Garra Spa in Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. The spa just opened this month.
Owner Christopher Ray tells us the fish spa experience is totally safe. Each customer gets their own tank with its own patented, four-part filtration system.
"The water is constantly being cycled out, it runs through carbon filters and then it's being cycled back in. So within a 20 minute session, all of the water within the tank is completely being cycled four times," he says.
And don't worry about the fish, either. They're completely safe, too.
"Our business revolves around the fish so naturally we want to keep the fish as healthy as possible," Ray adds. "We remove any oils, any lotions from the legs before we put them in there just to make sure the fish are good."
The fish, which come all the way from Turkey, are attracted to the vibrations in the feet. So as soon as your feet hit the water they head straight towards your pulse.
And, fun fact: the fish don't have teeth, so they're not really "biting" your feet. They're actually rubbing their skin up against yours, so it's more like they're "kissing" your feet.
You can watch in the video player above as Jay Towers, Ryan Ermanni and Alan Longstreet check it out. They say the sensation is much different than they thought it'd be.
Aside from it being a fun day out, we're told the experience is great for blood flow and circulation. Your feet will also feel softer, too.