Owner of Hong Kong’s “fish spa,” Mrs Ko
Sick of tough, scaly feet? Talk to Mrs. Ko, who teamed up with her husband to launch Hong Kong’s very first “fish spa,” where visitors have their dead skin nibbled away by fish, leaving behind fresh, smooth feet. She talks to June Ng about the ancient spa technique.
HK Magazine: What inspired you to open up a “fish spa”?
Mrs. Ko: My husband and I went to Singapore last year, and we saw how popular these fish spas were. I decided to try it out, and was amazed at how smooth my skin was afterwards. It didn’t hurt at all and the effects lasted a really long time, so I decided to try opening an outlet here. It’s not only popular in Singapore—Japan, Korea and mainland China all have these spas as well.
HK: Is hygiene a problem?
K: Most of these places in other countries just have everyone putting their feet in the same tank of water, and yes, it’s a little worrying. That’s why we make sure to only have one tank per customer per day, and we sterilize the fish and the water with an ultraviolet filter afterwards. The timetable is kind of like a fireman’s shift.
HK: Does it hurt? What if they want to nibble off a giant callus?
K: The fish don’t have any teeth and they’re very gentle, so all you feel is a tickling sensation. As for calluses, if you want them removed you’ll have to soak it in water until it’s soft—it’s hard work for them to tear off hard skin and they’re smart enough not try it.
HK: Do you have to starve the fish to get them to work harder? Do they get fed or do they have to live off dead skin?
K: We don’t have to starve them, but we won’t give them breakfast on the day they have to work, just to make sure.
We feed them of course—When they’re not working they’re just regular little fish.
HK: What if your clients freak out?
K: That’s why we pick the cutest looking species among all the variations of spa fish. The original Turkish spa fish looks like a miniature shark, so that’s why we decided to go for this puffy little fish, which is only about two to three centimeters and looks absolutely innocent and harmless.
HK: But what happens when they grow bigger? Do you flush them down the toilet?
K: Of course not! We have a deal with the supplier—once the fish grow too big for the service, we send them back for another job—producing offspring!
