About a year ago, there was a new trend hitting the nail salon circuit – but now, it might be in hot water: fish pedicures.

A salon in Gilbert, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix, is suing the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology for overstepping its legal authority to stop fish pedicures from being offered at area salons. The board has shut down a Fish Spa where small Garra Rufa fish, or small carp, eat away dead skin from the bottom of feet.

The board claims that when exfoliation is being administrated, it’s falls under the board’s rules and regulations, which essentially is what the fish do: exfoliate feet.

The lawsuit states that the salon acknowledges that the board is entitled to regulate pedicures. But it specifically argues that having fish eat away the dead skin on a patron’s feet is not a pedicure and, therefore, outside the board’s jurisdiction.

The board claims that since the fish cannot be properly stored and sanitized, they are a health code violation. Is this going to be the new trend following the fish pedicure around? There are several states and cities that allow fish pedicures but since this is a new area of beauty treatments, it’s difficult to tell whether other cosmetology boards will follow suit.

Tell us what you think! Are fish really performing pedicures or just exfoliation? Should the beauty service fall under the rules and regulations of the board?

The doctor is in … the fish tank!

There is a new trend in pedicures, and it involves using fish to get the job done. These fish are commonly known as doctor fish. During these fish pedicures, clients soak their feet in water filled with tiny swimming carp that munch on the bottom of their feet. Sounds gross, but the trend is already popular in Turkey and some Asian countries.

How the pedicure works is the fish eat away at rough, dry spots on the bottom of your feet. Some think that this method is safer and more sanitary than using a razor to shave off the skin. So far, Virginia is the only state where this fishy pampering has popped up.

Depending on what kind of treatment you choose to receive, you can dip your feet in your own fish tank for 15 or 30 minutes. After that, it is business as usual. That is with a person performing the rest of the pedicure. Some who have had the treatment say it is the best pedicure they have ever gotten. Only time will tell if a fish tank pedicure will swing your way.

We at BeautySchool.com would love to hear any stories about the new fish pedicure treatment. Does it work or doesn’t it? Tell us!

I must apologize because I’m about four days overdue for my review of the homemade sugar scrub. To be completely honest, I haven’t had time to try it yet! We’ve been busy at home preparing for a shindig this weekend, so my focus has been on improving the quality of our yard for an outdoor party, rather than the quality of my skin! And since that party is this weekend, there’s a good chance I won’t be able to make the sugar scrub until next week. Forgive me, please!

In the meantime, for this Friday post, I found an incredibly interesting article about feet. It’s long, so I thought today was a great day to share it so you could take your time this weekend to read it and soak it all up. There are some theories that I’m not sure I agree with – mainly – “shoes are bad for our feet.” Maybe in a world where all floors are made of powdery white sand or clover, but I can’t imagine how getting a nail stuck in your bare sole would be “healthier” than wearing the average shoe?

Going barefoot is just not a solution for this day and age. But problems with our feet are not going to change either way. So what can we do? Buy good shoes, give your feet appropriate rest, get pedicures and foot massages, and of course, see a doctor if your feet are especially ailing you. Or, become a person that can help alleviate the problem by going to massage school or learn to be a nail technician where you can give pedicures! And we have all of those at BeautySchool.com!!