Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Statement on “Fish Pedicure” Procedure
October 8, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Susan Stanford
512-463-3208
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) received several inquiries about a procedure known as “fish pedicure” or “doctor fish.” This procedure involves a customer placing his or her feet in a footbath in which fish eat dead skin cells on the customer’s feet. The issue is whether cosmetology and barber establishments may offer this procedure in Texas.
TDLR concludes that this procedure is not permitted in Texas under TDLR’s health and safety rules.
TDLR researched the health and safety aspects of the procedure, including seeking the opinion of officials at the Texas Department of State Health Services. Based on this research, we believe that the procedure poses an undue risk to public health and is not consistent with TDLR’s health and safety rules at 16 Texas Administrative Code, Sections 82.100 – 82.114 (barber) and 83.100 – 83.114 (cosmetology). TDLR rules do not permit this procedure because the same fish are used on multiple customers and could transmit infectious diseases. Additionally, the use of live fish does not allow for the footbaths and the holding tank for the fish to be adequately cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the rules.###