A Meeting with Dr. Fish

Last week I was on a shopping excursion with some friends when we decided to make an impromptu visit with Dr. Fish.

"Dr. Fish" is the name of the treatment where the little fishes come and eat off the dead skin of your feet.

I've actually been wanting to try this out for awhile, and managed to rope friends Christina and Andrea to going with me. Since we were shopping in myeongdong, we visited a place called "The Foot Shop."

It was really nice inside lots of wood design, which I love. They spoke japanese and korean at "The Foot Shop," I'm not sure how great their english is. When you walk inside the first thing you see is the reception area, and just next to it, the seating area where guests are allowed to soak/wash their feet after changing (the provide lockers to store your things & complimentary clothing just like a jimjilbang [찜질방]). We opted for a 40 minute session that included a foot massage that was 29,000--which you pay upfront.

Everything was all fine and well until the three of us were sitting around the small basin that held the fish. Then nerves set in and none of us wanted to be the first to put our feet in. We were a bunch of nervous giggles and squeals, so much so, that the man in charge told us we were wasting time (we only had 40 minutes & the clock was running!) I don't know what it was, I knew that the fish didn't have teeth and that they would be doing me a favor, but everytime I tried to put my feet in, they would all rush to that spot and all I could see were their mouths opening and closing, waiting to be fed.

Andrea was the brave soul who went in first. I followed shortly after, then Christina. It was a gradual process, dipping your feet just a bit at a time in order to get used to the sensation. I knew it was going to tickle but it wasn't so much ticklish for me as it was just... odd. And in the beginning I couldn't look at the fish feeding on my skin. If I did, I would psych myself out and in the next moment I was pulling my feet out of the water. For the first 5ish minutes, I had to turn away and watch the TV next to me to distract myself from the fact that the odd prickling feeling on my feet was due to a small school of hungry fish.

But after awhile I got used to it and it everything was a-okay between me and the fish. It actually felt kind of nice. After a while, we each got moved to a different room where we got foot massages. As Andrea said, "I'm kinda a slut for foot massages."

At the end of the treatment, as well as during, we were served some tea & by the end of it, the three of us were all very relaxed.

It wasn't until later that I read online about the risk of infections due to the "Dr. Fish" treatment. But I talked to a friend of mine back home, and she told me that the fish can spread infections from other guests, but that it was probably the same risk as going to get a mani/pedi.

Nonetheless, it was a memorable experience for me that was both hilarious and very much needed. A pampering session is always good in my book!

Subway Directions:
- Myeongdong Station, line 4 exit 6.
- Walk down the center road of the shopping district, hang a left at the second street.
- Located at the "T" at the end of the street.