Posted on 11/21/2008 6:59:49 PM PST by nickcarraway
A woman with the skin condition psoriasis has travelled to Turkey to sit in water and be nibbled by flesh-eating fish in a bid to find a cure.
Samantha Grayston, 38, from Kent, said she returned from her three-week trip to find the "doctor fish" treatment had worked and boosted her confidence.
She spent six hours a day at the spa near Kangal in eastern Turkey.
Psoriasis occurs when cells replace themselves too quickly, often causing emotional as well as physical distress.
Ms Grayston said: "People do tend to stare at you. It's because they just don't know what it is. It makes you rather insecure - it upsets me."
But then she travelled abroad for her treatment, which she said felt like "fingers tapping on your body".
The fish work by chewing away the excess cells caused by psoriasis, allowing the mineral water to reach the skin.
The spa water is rich in selenium - a mineral with skin-healing properties.
Afterwards, Ms Grayston said: "My skin is looking absolutely brilliant for the first time ever all over my body.
Ms Grayston said she no longer worries about how people will react
"My skin is smooth. You can still see that I have psoriasis - but it's pink rather than red."
She added that she could now go out without worrying about what people would see and how they would react.
"I don't need to worry because I know they can't see it," she said.
Her fiance Graham Smith said: "When she walks out with her shopping, her shoulders are back and her head is up.
"She's not conscious of anyone looking at her or checking out the redness of the skin.
"She's actually got a suntan for the first time and she smiles all the time now."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Man bites fish isn’t news.
Looks like they have a long way to go. Quite the feast.
Don’t need to travel so far, find any pond containing Gambusias or oher onnivorous minnows, and just sit still.
I wonder if it’s ok for the fish to eat people during lent?
lol, this has been around a while. saw it a few months or maybe a year ago.
Yes, but never on Fridays. :)
For deeper muscle problems, you need to sit in a tank of piranhas, the surgeon fish.
Reminds me of my hernia surgeon, contemptuous blank stare, yellow tail, etc.
So delighted to see you! I’ve forgotten what this thread is all about, oh yes, the lady that believes guppies can cure her. ok.
Why doesn’t it just return after a period of time passes?
Because the head sturgeon provides a gar-antee ;-)
I have psoriasis, and I’ve had dozens of small fish do the same to me while floating in lake Allatoona.
They eat me up, and it actually helps.
Very finny.
I have psoriasis luckly it’s underneath my hairline. I can’t imagine it everywhere on the body...it is very uncomfortable...those who have it suffer...stop with the catholic jokes....:(
I wonder how long this treatment lasts?
It says in the article she expects it to last about 18 months.
Suffer isn’t the word. I’ve had days when my skin is literally burning all over. Doesn’t do much for your self esteem either.
Thank God for Embrel, it has been a miracle drug for me.
Leni
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