According to this article in a Chinese newspaper, beauty-seekers in Southern China (and other parts of the world) are soaking themselves in pools filled with a type of small fish that eat human skin:
Garra Rufa, a type of small tropical fish, also nicknamed Chinchin Yu, nibble fish or simply doctor fish, are put in hot springs. As they can live and swim freely in at least 43-degree-hot waters, they are naturally used for the treatment of skin diseases in such spas. When placed in the spa, these fish can feed themselves on the dead cells of the human body, since they only consume such cells, leaving the healthy skin of the human body to grow. The whole process is reportedly free of pain. It won't hurt and the bather might feel a pleasant tingling on his or her skin.
Link. Wikipedia says the fish only do this when they don't have anything better to eat: Link. Image: photo.eastday.com. (Thanks, C.M.)
Reader comment: Jon Power says,
Following your fish-eat-dead-skin story, I'm sure you're aware of the use of fly maggots to clean wounds. The maggots only eat dead flesh and so keep the wound raw and healing. They have a remarkable effect on closing up deep wounds over time, but not surprisingly, people are a bit squeamish of the idea. Link.
