The state of Washington has made fish pedicures, in which clients place their feet into a tub containing small carp that then ingest the calloused areas of clients’ feet, illegal in the state. In a notice sent to all the state’s salon owners, the Washington Department of Licensing states, “Fish pedicures include the care for the skin and cuticles of the feet and therefore, fall under the sanitation and disinfection rules in WAC 308-20-110. Those rules require that all tools and implements be sanitized, disinfected or disposed of after service on each client. Due to the inability of salons to meet these requirements in regards to the fish, and to protect consumers from the possibility of infection and disease, these rules do not allow for fish pedicures in Washington.” To read the entire notice, visit www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/fishpedicure100108.pdf.