Doctor fish is the name given to two species of fish: Garra Rufa and Cyprinion
Macrostomus. Other nicknames include nibble fish, kangal fish, little dermatologists and doctorfishen;
in non-medical contexts, Garra rufa is called the reddish log sucker. They live and breed in the outdoor pools
of some Turkish spas, where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. The fish are like combfishes in that they only
consume the affected and dead areas of the skin, leaving the healthy skin to grow, with the outdoor location of the treatment
bringing beneficial effects. The spas are not meant as a curative treatment option, only as a temporary alleviation of symptoms,
and patients usually revisit the spas every few months. Some patients have experienced complete cure of psoriasis after repeated
treatments, but due to the unpredictable nature of the disease, which is strongly influenced by endogenous factors, this may
simply be regression towards the mean.
Garra rufa occurs in the river basins of the Northern and Central Middle East, mainly in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. It
is legally protected from commercial exploitation in Turkey due to concerns of overharvesting for export. Garra rufa
can be kept in an aquarium at home; while not strictly a "beginner's fish", it is quite hardy especially the Garra Rufa Wild
Breed version which is rated the best in the world today.
In
2006, doctor fish spa resorts opened in Hakone, Japan, and in Umag, Croatia, where the fish are used to clean the bathers
at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in Hainan, China, as well as Belgium, The Netherlands,South Korea, Singapore, Hungary
from 2010 ,Slovakia, India, Thailand, Indonesia,Malaysia, and Hong Kong. In 2008, the first widely known doctor fish pedicure
service was opened in the United States in Alexandria, Virginia and later in Woodbridge, Virginia. They are used to help treat
patients suffering from various skin disorders, including psoriasis and eczema, since the fish will eat and remove any dead
skin.
Garra Rufa is the original species of Doctor Fish used for Fish Spa Therapy Treatment. These
fishes are able to work together as a team to improve skin conditions through natural exfoliation removing
dead skin cells by constantly nibbling on the skin areas while producing enzyme secretions to allow newer skin to regenerate.
This enzyme secretions are currently being studied and researched by medical insititues. Their strong
nibbling ability has been the signature of this treatment since 400 years ago in the Turkish Kangal Springs.
Garra Rufa is also mostly known as the Doctor Fish or Dr Fish.
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