Brazilian doctors led the way in a new burn treatment, using tropical fish skin to heal severe injuries. The tilapia skin acts like a biological band – aid when grafted on, helping in multiple ways. It controls pain, protects the wound, and serves as a collagen scaffold for healing.
This innovative technique led to some social media comments that a burn victim looked “like a mermaid.” The 2016 breakthrough was the first in medical history to use aquatic animal skin as a wound – dressing.
Maria Ines Candido was among the first patients treated with tilapia fish – skin in a pilot project at the IJF Burns Unit. After a gas – cooker explosion at work, she had second – degree burns on her arms, neck, and part of her face.
She said, “Nurses used creams when I first arrived. I was already in extreme pain, and some wounds were deep. Putting creams on the wounds felt like torture, and washing them off with water was also very painful.”
Maria Ines thought the tilapia fish – skin treatment was futuristic, like from a “sci – fi movie.” She said, “I loved the treatment and would recommend it to others like me. I was surprised and grateful that it had no smell.” Maria also said she’s nearly fully recovered as the fish – skin dressing greatly helped her.
Analysis shows tilapia skin has the right amount of type – one collagen and high humidity, so it dries slowly. Suppliers say farm – raised tilapia are filleted for food, with 99% of the skin thrown away and 1% used for arts and crafts. Now, the discarded skin, donated for free, is used in the project. These features speed up burn – healing and provide essential proteins.
Dr Maciel, president of the Burns Support Institute, said, “We found tilapia fish – skin works better in healing, soothing and curing severe burn wounds. It takes about the same time to heal as traditional topical creams. But this method reduces patient trauma and pain as the dressing doesn’t need daily changing, unlike traditional treatment.”
The fish – skin also reduces fluid, plasma, and protein loss from the injury, cuts infection risk, and is cheaper. Before use, researchers cure, decontaminate, cool, and preserve the skin, removing scales, muscle tissue, toxins, and disease – transmission risks. It also gets rid of the fishy smell. The tilapia skin has similar tensile strength to human skin, is flexible, and can be easily shaped around a wound. It stays in place, covered by bandages, for 7 – 11 days before removal.