A Perth salon owner insists there is no need to fear the fish feet feeding phenomenon.
Advice issued by health officials that fish pedicures could spread dangerous diseases was dismissed as ”scaremongering” by Jo Reilly of Vanilla.
Eight months ago her Scott Street salon was the first in Perth to introduce the beauty treatment, which sees people plunge their feet into a tank of tiny garra rufa fish which nibble away areas of dead skin.
The craze has swept the nation and is offered in thousands of venues. But, amid fears of unregulated practice, the Health Protection Agency has issued guidelines for users, warning they could catch blood-borne diseases like HIV or Hepatitis C in dirty water.
Jo said there is no risk in the sort of controlled conditions offered at salons like hers.
She said: ”It is nothing more than scaremongering. It’s like saying don’t eat takeaway food because you might get poisoned.
”You have to use common sense. If you are going to a shopping centre and there’s a tank of fish there and you’re rubbing your bare feet on the floor and then putting it in water that’s had someone else’s feet in, then obviously there is a risk.
”But I wouldn’t do that any more than I would eat in a restaurant that I didn’t think was clean. We have very strict hygiene rules and a strict set of rules for people wanting to have a fish pedicure.”
The Health Protection Agency has warned anyone with underlying health issues, such as diabetes or a weakened immune system, should not take part.
Jo said she screens people for health problems and checks their feet thoroughly.
She said: ”If anyone has a cut or fungal infection they are told to come back another time. Any risk of infection like has been spoken about would only come about if someone had bled heavily into the water and then someone else had gone straight in with a cut.
”That simply can’t happen here and shouldn’t happen anywhere offering the service. We also use the latest UV sterilisation technique after every treatment so that the water is completely clean before any other customer.
”I would be furious if I found out anyone had caught anything at my salon and we have to be so, so strict to maintain standards.”
The Health Protection Agency said: ”We have issued this guidance because there are a growing number of these spas. When the correct procedures are followed, the risk of infection is very low.”