I'm a firm believer in stretching your boundaries and try everything (almost), at least once. So, when I heard of the new hit on the spa and beauty scene called "fish pedicure", I couldn't wait to see what it was all about.
By placing your feet in a tank full of mini carps your feet are said to become smoother and softer as the fish nibble away on your skin.
The secret is believed to have to do with the fish saliva, that contains an enzyme called diathanol, which apparently improves the skin regeneration process.
Fish pedicures are already common in Asia, and in Japan, people even take it one step further and go for whole-body fish spas.
Cold camden stall
After selecting carefully, I decided to try Zola Fish in Camden, who promises its customers that the pedicure feels like "very fine vibrations all over your feet".
Bracing the cold, a brave victim and friend and I set off to Camden Lock Market.
After asking a number of stall owners, and putting up with rather suspicious and confused looks when we asked for the fish pedicurist Zola, we finally found their outside stall.
Excited, giggling people sat on white cubes, water up to their knees, while the fish in the tanks flocked around their feet.
It looked really inviting and exotic indeed, and soon our fish baths were ready.
Frozen fish
However, it soon became clear that the water had not been heated and given the minus 1 degree temperature outside, the bath was anything but pleasant to put your already frozen feet in.
The fish in the tank appeared to be rather chilly as well, or maybe just completely full from feasting on many a feet before us, because they didn't seem to keen.
A couple of them tickled our toes slightly, but the rest seemed to prefer hanging out amongst themselves in the corner of the tank.
Fifteen long, and painully cold minutes later, and £10 pounds poorer, the result didn't exactly wow us as we tried to rub some life into our numbed legs.
But we did leave being one highly unusual experience richer.
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