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While the thought of feeding on dead skin cells may not sound particularly appetizing to you or me, it can actually be a treat for some creatures, including the fish Garra rufa, or doctor fish as they’re commonly known. These little aquatic “doctors” are well-known in Japan as a form of skin treatment, and there are many facilities where you can have a whole tank full of the fish nibble on your hands or feet.  Now, it so happens that one of the reporters at our Japanese site came up with a brilliant idea — if the fish can clean and beautify the skin on your hands and feet, then couldn’t they also give you an amazing facial if you stuck your face in the tank? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn’t there?

A man on a mission, our brave reporter promptly proceeded to gain permission from the owner of a doctor fish facility, the Fish Spa Kurokawa Ashiyu in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, to try the treatment on his face.

▼ So, was he ready to face the challenge of the skin-eating fish?
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▼ Time to take the plunge!
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As soon as our reporter plunged his face in the water, the fish swarmed towards him with what could only be called gusto. Wow, could it be that his face was really that dirty? The fish kept on feeding enthusiastically, naturally without the slightest regard for our reporter’s feelings. Mmm … all that dead facial skin must be yummy!

▼ See all the fish gathering around our reporter’s face!
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Interestingly enough, our reporter said that having the fish feeding on his skin felt like being kissed all over his face. Yes, it was as if numerous girls were kissing every part of his face, including his lips, nose, forehead, cheeks and even inside his nose.

Now, as fun as the kissing sensations may be, keeping your face underwater is bound to get, well … breathless, after a short while. So naturally, our reporter had to periodically come up to take huge gasps of air before going back under again. The process went on for about 10 minutes, by which time it started to feel a little like water torture.

▼ Going through a bit of water torture … gasp!
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And how did our reporter’s skin feel after being nibbled on? It actually felt amazingly different! To his delight, the sticky oiliness was gone, and his skin felt soft and smooth — soft enough to make you want to touch it over and over again. And it even looked like his skin had cleared up to a slightly lighter tone than before.

▼ His face felt wonderfully clean!
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▼ Feeel that new, smooth skin!
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▼ Here’s a short video of our reporter trying the facial fish therapy.

So, what did you think of our little experiment? In this case, our reporter tried out his idea somewhat on impulse, and the result fortunately seems to have been a success. The owner of the doctor fish shop was even kind enough to tell us that customers were welcome to bring their own snorkel and really submerge their face in the water. He also told us that the water in the tank was warm tap water and shouldn’t be irritating even for people with sensitive skin. Would you care to have some little fish feast on your face for possibly smoother, clearer skin?

[Shop Details]
The Fish Spa Kurokawa Ashiyu
Address: Kitaya 2F, Kawabata-dori, Kurokawa Onsen, Minami Oguinimachi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture
Tel: +81-967-44-0566 Fax: +81-967-44-0566
Business Hours: Open from 10a.m., closing time varies

Report by: Sekai no Shogo (Shogo of the World)
Photos: RocketNews24

▼This is the location of the shop: