clys workshop

source: http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Women%2527s%2BMatters/Story/A1Story20080825-84184.html

BY: Hedy Khoo

THE latest health fad in town involves letting little fishes nibble your legs to get rid of dead skin.

These fishes are dubbed “doctor fish”, but two sisters who went for the therapy earlier this month ended up having to visit real doctors instead.

Dermatologist Patricia Yuen says:

1. No proven medical benefit from fish spa. Fish might bite off skin cells, but it is not a medical treatment. If water is not treated for hygiene, it could be a breeding ground for fungi.

2. Possible to get fungal and bacterial skin infection from submersion in the fish tank.

3. Symptoms of fungal and bacterial infection and redness of the skin, blotchiness and itchiness. With scratching and after-treatment, a brown pigmentation may appear. Brown patches will disappear eventually anytime from a few weeks to a few months.

This article was first published in The New Paper on August 24, 2008.