June 7, 2011 5.01 pm This story is over 152 months old

Ticklfish opens second salon in Bailgate

Doctor Fish: Ticklfish opened a second salon in Lincoln, this time in the Bailgate.

A new Ticklfish salon opened on June 4 in the Bailgate, the second salon in Lincoln, with the other located in the Waterside Shopping Centre.

The new outlet has several therapy rooms and eight staff.

The project took over six weeks to finish and all the original features of the listed building have been left untouched or replaced.

Sharon Ellis, Co-owner of Ticklfish, said: “This new outlet will definitely help spread the demand from our other store. We were finding it hard to cope and having a large space like this has allowed us to expand.

“Unlike the Waterside branch, this spa has a full-body bath which the fish therapy can be used in. This is very helpful for clients with skin conditions that are all over their body.

“Conditions like eczema are unable to be cured and this new bath facility allows even the most extreme cases to use the therapy.

“Clients using the bath are told to bring their own swimsuits but they cannot be too brightly coloured or else they scare away the fish.”

“We get a mix of clients, from those more interested in the experience with their friends to people with skin problems” Ellis explained.

The full body bath in the Bailgate salon

Ticklefish specializes in fish therapy along with other beauty treatments like waxing and facials. Fish therapy uses Garra Rufa, commonly known as Doctor Fish, which eat the dead skin from clients’ hands and feet.

The treatment is used both for the experience and also to help people with skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. It is used to soothe itching and calm down irritations on the skin.

The fish eat away the dead skin and then moisturise it with a special enzyme in their saliva. Used first in Turkey, where the fish originate from, it dates back to the 1800’s.

With a total of three fish therapy salons now operating in Lincoln, the practice has grown in popularity since the first store opened in November 2010.

Photos: Kelly Moore for The Lincolnite