The International Nail Technicians Association (INTA) has come out against the “fish pedicure” being performed by a salon in Virginia that was the subject of a flurry of media coverage in July. The service requires clients to place their feet into a tub containing approximately 100 small carp that nibble dead skin from the callused areas of clients’ feet. The INTA opposes “any such technique that could cause potential harm to the consumer as well as the long-term viability of the professional nail industry.”

Says Dr. Robert Spaulding, the author of Death By Pedicure and The Science of Pedicures, “This type of service should not be allowed or approved by state cosmetology boards in any type of salon. Basically, it departs from any known convention of appropriate approved disinfection standards.”

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