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updated 9:06 a.m. ET Feb. 24, 2009

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A trendy pedicure that lets fish nibble dead skin from the feet has been nipped in the bud by Florida regulators.

The Florida Board of Cosmetology has banned the procedure, even before it was known to be offered anywhere in the state. The board said salons had been inquiring about its legality and decided to issue the decision before it became a problem.

The treatment is popular in Asia and has spread to some U.S. cities. A client sticks feet, hands or other body parts in a bowl or pool, and the small fish chow down on soft decaying skin.

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Texas, Washington, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have also outlawed the practice. A spokeswoman for the Florida board says there's concern because there's no way to disinfect a pool of fish in between uses.

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