Website design By BotEap.comWhat are these fish and what is “Psoriasis Therapy with Fish”?

Website design By BotEap.comThe scientific name for this amazing silvery-orange fish is garra rufa. Some just call themshoots of reddish trunks Prayed fool mouthsbut many are a bit more affectionate, referring to them as “doctor fish” due to their therapeutic effect on skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and neurodermatitis.

Website design By BotEap.comAt first glance, these fish don’t look very remarkable, but they do a better job than half the dermatologists I’ve been to!

Website design By BotEap.com“Dr. Fish” are freshwater fish belonging to the Cyprinidae family (their older brothers are the carp) and normally inhabit the watercourses of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin in the Middle East. They have a toothless, crescent-shaped mouth and usually grow to about 12 cm in length.

Website design By BotEap.comGarra Rufa fish normally eat algae, debris, zooplankton, and other pieces of the seabed. However, under the right conditions, they will also feed on dead and scabbed skin. That’s why they are absolutely Perfect for psoriasis

Website design By BotEap.comDo you use fish to eat psoriasis?

Website design By BotEap.comFor people with normal skin, Garra Rufa is used for an intense exfoliation or a great pedicure, but for people with psoriasis, they can mean much more than that. The plaques that are characteristic of psoriasis are like banquet tables for these voracious fish! They love to feast on dead epidermis, and once they’re full, there’s room for new, healthy skin to grow.

Website design By BotEap.comBon appetit, little fish!

Website design By BotEap.comThe Garra Rufa fish treatment first became popular in the open-air hot springs of two small towns in Turkey called kangal Y if you gowhere the first pools were opened to the public in 1963.

Website design By BotEap.comThe high temperature of the water means there are virtually no microorganisms for the fish to eat, so they go for the next option: scabby, crusty, dead skin! After the skin has been softened by the warm waters of the spa, which stays around 35C/95F, they have no difficulty chewing it.

Website design By BotEap.comIt does not hurt?

Website design By BotEap.comThe sensation of the nibbling fish is slightly delicate, like having thousands of miniature suction cups on your skin, and has actually been compared to a pleasurable micro-massage. Once you get inside, hundreds of garra rufa will swarm all over your body in an attempt to find that tastiest snack, psoriatic plaque!

Website design By BotEap.comTreatment at Kangal requires you to spend 8 hours a day for a period of 21 days in the pool, so they can guarantee you two things; that your skin will be more wrinkled than an old leather bag, but also immaculate

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, this is not a permanent cure. Many people experience a temporary remission or clearance of their psoriasis that can last anywhere from a few months to a year, but sooner or later, you’ll have to feed your fish again.

Website design By BotEap.comThis all sounds pretty suspicious. What are the risks?

Website design By BotEap.comThe idea of ​​slipping into a pool with fish swimming from person to person, sucking on skin here and there, can be a bit unnerving. The fish themselves can be difficult to disinfect, and 14 US states, including Washington, New Hampshire and Texas, have banned them. However, most have not and they are also legal in the UK.

Website design By BotEap.comMany spas treat the water with ultraviolet sterilizers to kill bacteria and have complex filtration systems to keep the water free of fish debris and food. The possibility of contracting an infection transmitted by fish is very low.

Website design By BotEap.comTea real danger it’s that some spas have been using cheap Chin Chin fish instead of the real Garra Rufa. The scientific name for these is Tilapia, and they are sometimes called Kiss Kiss Fish, but be warned, they are not content with a little kiss on the lips!

Website design By BotEap.comChin Chin fish are farmed in Chengdu, China and sold to the uninformed as Doctor Fish. The difference is that they have teeth! When they grow larger than 6 centimeters, these teeth can be large and sharp enough to pierce the skin and cause bleeding. Look at the fish before you jump in or dip your toes in.

Website design By BotEap.comIs there supporting research or scientific evidence that fish therapy or ichthyotherapy works for psoriasis?

Website design By BotEap.comWhile this fish treatment has not been fully verified, a reputable study can be found in Volume 3 of the Oxford Journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Website design By BotEap.comThe conclusions of the study were that fish therapy using Garra Rufa “could provide a viable treatment option for patients with psoriasis vulgaris“.

Website design By BotEap.comThe photo on the right was taken in the study to demonstrate the results of Doctor Fish therapy on three different patients after 3 weeks.

Website design By BotEap.comThe study also noted that Doctor Fish’s success in treating psoriasis could be due to a combination of the following factors:

Website design By BotEap.com– The Kangal hot spring is situated at an elevated elevation of 1650 meters. This means there is a lot of natural ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, which acts as phototherapy and has been shown to help with psoriasis.

Website design By BotEap.com– The hot springs have a special chemical composition, with high levels of selenium. Selenium deficiency has been linked to psoriasis, so this could be helpful.

Website design By BotEap.com– The removal of scales and skin lesions by the fish favors the penetration of UV rays to the dermis.

Website design By BotEap.com– The daily fish bath and micro-massage associated with fish can help reduce stress and increase emotional well-being.

Website design By BotEap.comSince treatment is still relatively unknown, it’s best to speak with a board-certified dermatologist before making a decision. It may not be right for some, but for others fish therapy has worked wonders for psoriasis.