WASHINGTON D.C. — Fish spas that are supposed to rid your feet of old, dead skin can apparently take out your nails, too.
It's a disturbing medical case that happened to one U.S. woman in her 20s, according to a case report published by her doctor in JAMA Dermatology.
The unlucky female had apparently gone to get a fish pedicure, letting tiny Garra rufa fish gnaw on her toe gunk. Six months later, she noticed her toenails had stopped growing and were beginning to fall off — a condition known as onychomadesis.
The woman had no pain or previous trauma, no family history of nail disorders, and no other medical issues, leading her dermatologist to suspect the fish spa as the likely culprit.
It's not exactly clear how the fish effed up the lady's nails, but they aren't exactly sanitized in between feet feedings, and have been known to carry harmful bacteria. The water in the spa tubs are just as filled with microbes, not just because of the fish but from the water and the countless nasty feet that have been in them.
Doctors say the woman's nails will grow back, but not for a long long time, since toenails only grow a millimeter a month on average.
So yeah, might be best to just stay away from any toenail-snatching Dr. Fish pedicures.
