Desire Resort Forums

I read on the Desire website about the fish therapy that offers you the amazing properties of the Garra Rufa, fish from Indonesia that will give you a gentle and relaxing massage while removing the dead skin of your feet. This tempting treatment will restore the natural beauty of your skin and leave it softer than ever. (25 mins)

Has anyone done this?

If so, how did you like it? Was it worth it? Would you do it again?

Thinking about doing it when we go back in May.

Sounds enticing, but note the Wikpedia take on the practice: The practice is banned in several of the United States and Canadian provinces as cosmetology regulators believe the practice is unsanitary, with the Wall Street Journal claiming that "cosmetology regulations generally mandate that tools need to be discarded or sanitized after each use. But epidermis-eating fish are too expensive to throw away".[6] The procedure is legal in Quebec, with a few clinics in Montreal.[7]

Before being outlawed in most U.S. states, the novelty of fish pedicures was viewed as a possible revenue enhancer for struggling nail salons, which had experienced less "luxury spending" from their regular clients during the recession. One New Hampshire salon owner who was shut down had assured local health authorities that she cleaned out fish tanks between pedicures and would never use the same group of fish with two different customers on the same day.[8] The state government still ruled the practice to be unsanitary.[9]

TV journalist John Stossel has ridiculed state laws against fish pedicures, arguing that they represent a case of the government becoming a "Nanny State", where individuals no longer can make their own decisions about their well-being. He participated in an "illegal" fish pedicure on his Fox Business Network program to illustrate his point.[10]

In the UK, the Health Protection Agency issued a statement on the 17th October 2011 warning that fish foot spas could potentially spread blood borne viruses such as Hepatitis and HIV if infected clients bleed into the spa water.

Probably overkill, but worth considering if you are trying the therapy. I don't know that anyone has ever indicated suffering a problem from the procedure

Yes, we did the fish spa treatment last May when we were at Desire. My husband won it in a contest at the pool. Desire was just beginning to offer the fish treatment and we were the first couple to do it. It was really nice and our feet were very smooth. So much more smooth than from a regular pedicure. Of course, after returning home to the New Jersey, we found out from a friend (who happens to own a salon/spa) that the fish spa treatment is illegal in the US. Apparently the fish have to be disposed of after each person's treatment and it is very expensive to do so. In Mexico, I don't think they have such regulations. Just a thought.