Photos: Chinese barber offers eyelid shaves in Chengdu

At his roadside location in Chengdu, Chinese barber Xiong Gaowu deftly scrapes a straight razor along the inside of customers' eyelids in a traditional practice known as "blade wash eyes", that customers swear by for its relieving effects.

Updated on: Nov 28, 2017 11:29 AM IST

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A customer looks on as Xiong Gaowu, a street barber cleans his eye using a straight razor in Chengdu, China. At his roadside location, 62-year-old Xiong provides along with the barber’s classics of a trim and a shave, a wincingly close scrape right along the eyelids that few, if any hairdressers can offer --should a customer be brave enough to ask for it. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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A customer takes a selfie with Xiong Gaowu (R) midway a trim in Chengdu. Customers swear by the practice of “blade wash eyes”, as it is known in Mandarin, saying they trust Xiong’s skill with the blade. Xiong learned the technique in the 1980s and serves up to eight customers a week, charging 80 yuan ($12) per shave. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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Xiong’s assortment of tools are seen on his motorbike. “You should be gentle, very, very gentle,” Xiong emphasised. “It was difficult at the beginning, but it became a piece of cake afterwards.” (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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Xiong cleans his straight razor before going in for a traditional blade wash at his roadside barbershop. The technique appears to unblock moisturizing sebaceous glands along the rim of the eyelid according to Qu Chao, an ophthalmologist at a nearby hospital. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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Xiong Gaowu (C), engages with customers during a break on a workday. When Xiong runs his razor, it is most likely that he shaves the openings of the sebaceous glands which cause discomfort and dryness in the eye when they are blocked, hence the demand for this technique, Qu theorised. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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Xiong Gaowu puts eye drops on his straight razor before performing the cleaning technique. Although the ophthalmologist said there is risk of infection if the razor is not properly sterilized, Xiong’s clientele seems satisfied with the procedure. “My eyes feel refreshed after shaving and I feel comfortable” said 68-year-old Zhang Tian. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)

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Xiong Gaowu, cleans a customer’s eye using his traditional technique. While customers insist their eyes felt better after a shave, onlookers cringe at the sight of Xiong wielding a razor so close to the eye. “I am afraid to do it,” said He Yiting, 27, who winced as she watched Xiong attend to a customer. (Tyrone Siu / REUTERS)