The Popcorn Stand: A different kind of fish story

It all sounded fishy to me, but it’s apparently true. You can actually lose your toenails if you get a fish pedicure.

I know what you’re asking. What exactly is a fish pedicure? Yes there’s a fish pedicure that involves a species called Garra rufa that eats dead human skin. But apparently this type of pedicure can cause your toenails to fall off.

A young woman’s toenails started separating from her toes months after she began the fish pedicure and her doctor concluded it was because of the fish pedicure.

“I think that this is probably more common than we think,” said Dr. Shari R. Lipner, an assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine and director of the nail division, who concluded the fish pedicure was indeed the cause of the lost toenails.

Actually the old fuddy duddy is behind the times as fish pedicures apparently have been around for 10 years.

“Their attractiveness was likely due to unfounded claims that the treatment would leave feet smoother and smelling fresher, increase circulation, eliminate fungus and bacteria, and treat psoriasis and eczema,” said Lipner about the fish pedicures.

I don’t know how anybody would think sticking your feet in water with a bunch of fish would make them smell fresher, but so be it.

So I’ll stick with eating fish and not having fish eat me.

— Charles Whisnand