CHESTER’S high street foot spas have hit back at national newspaper claims that fish pedicures could transmit diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
Fish pedicures have been one of the success stories of recent years in Chester, with three city centre spas doing a roaring trade in the treatment which involves tiny garra rufa fish nibbling the dead skin off customers’ feet.
But this week, the front page of The Sun reported that although a recent report by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) stated the risk of infection associated with fish pedicures was ‘very low’, if correct hygiene procedures are not followed infections could be passed on through water that has been left unchanged.
But these fears have been dismissed by the Chester businesses where staff say they’re confident the allegations won’t affect custom, because they go out of their way to ensure exemplary hygiene standards.
The family-run Heavenly Feet shop in Godstall Lane was the first fish spa to open in Chester last year.
Manager Sara Roberts, who runs the shop with her mother Eilir and sister Sioned, admitted she was aware that elsewhere in the country, spas were opening that did not use specialist equipment in their water.
“At Heavenly Feet, all treatments are done by trained therapists and all clients are given a full foot consultation to ensure there is no open wounded skin.”
