For those who dare: This Chinese barber offers traditional eyelid shaves - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

For those who dare: This Chinese barber offers traditional eyelid shaves

Reuters, Chengdu | By
Nov 25, 2017 02:47 PM IST

Customers swear by the practice of “blade wash eyes”, as it is known in Mandarin, saying they trust barber Xiong Gaowu ’s skill with the blade.

Chinese street barber Xiong Gaowu deftly scrapes a straight razor along the inside of his customer’s eyelid. “You should be gentle, very, very gentle,” said Xiong, who performs traditional eyelid shaves at his roadside location in Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan.

Xiong learned the technique in the 1980s and serves up to eight customers a week.(Reuters)
Xiong learned the technique in the 1980s and serves up to eight customers a week.(Reuters)

While customers insisted their eyes felt better after a shave, onlookers cringed at the sight of Xiong wielding his razor. (Reuters)
While customers insisted their eyes felt better after a shave, onlookers cringed at the sight of Xiong wielding his razor. (Reuters)

Customers swear by the practice of “blade wash eyes”, as it is known in Mandarin, saying they trust Xiong’s skill with the blade. “No, it’s not dangerous,” said 68-year-old Zhang Tian. “My eyes feel refreshed after shaving and I feel comfortable.” Xiong, 62, said he learned the technique in the 1980s and serves up to eight customers a week, charging 80 yuan (approx Rs 800) per shave. “It was difficult at the beginning, but it became a piece of cake afterwards,” he said.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The technique appears to unblock moisturizing sebaceous glands along the rim of the eyelid, said Qu Chao, an opthalmologist who works at a nearby hospital in Chengdu. “Patients will feel their eyes are dry and uncomfortable when the glands are blocked,” she said. “When he is shaving, it is most likely that he is shaving the openings of these glands.” She said there was a risk of infection if the equipment was not sterilised.

“If he can properly sterilise the tools that he uses, I can still see there is a space for this technique to survive,” Qu said. While customers insisted their eyes felt better after a shave, onlookers cringed at the sight of Xiong wielding his razor. “I am afraid to do it,” said He Yiting, 27, who winced as she watched.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

Oscars 2024: Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On