As a foreign female here in northern China I have found many amusements but perhaps the most pleasurable ones involve taking care of my physical body. Although the Chinese are highly pragmatic they also are highly hedonistic. Women here take the time to enhance their beauty. With a little bit of cash a woman in China can work wonders on herself, ranging from weekly manicures to full face plastic surgery. As with all things Chinese prices for all beauty services vary in price and quality; many are negotiable on the spot.
Let's start at the bottom: foot massage parlors, with a variety of soaks, scrubs and massage techniques, abound in China. Oriental medicine purports that the foot contains special pressure points. If massaged correctly stress, even illness will be prevented or relieved. After a hard week on your feet there is nothing better than to sit in one of these small, cozy parlors soaking one's feet in preparation for a pedicure and foot massage. Prices begin at under US$10 for a sixty minute procedure.
"A woman's second face is in her hands," states an ancient Chinese proverb. Chinese women meticulously take care of their hands, rubbing moisturizing creams and whitening lotions into them regularly. Most women also make use of the ubiquitous manicure stations set up in shopping areas and beauty parlors. For less than US$2 I regularly receive a full manicure with three coats of polish on my nails from a very experienced lady who sits at a table in my local shopping center. Extensions and special art deco appliqués cost from US$8-12 more -- but this is much less than any Western nail shop.
Or a woman may receive a variety of services at the many private beauty salons that have mushroomed up around China. These parlors, exquisitely feminine, offer a cozy ambiance in the company of other women. The parlor I patronize gives facials on massage tables covered with red velvet, with soft music piping through the filtered light. Eight tables are lined up side by side and they're always fully occupied when I arrive. While waiting for a free table I often get my nails buffed or my eyebrows cleaned up. Pretty young girls in nursing uniforms gracefully offer their guests cups of green tea. And a Chinese facial is well worth waiting for: this ninety minute procedure involves gentle massage, pressure point acupuncture to relieve stress, a firming mask, and a variety of cleansing and moisturizing lotions deftly applied by trained cosmetologists. Your hands and arms, as well as the upper vertebrae of the back, are also massaged to enhance and relax. Facials can run from US$4 to as high as US$40, but I've found that a normal US$8 massage more than does the trick. Some of these beauty parlors also offer permanent makeup and even minor plastic surgery.
Small independent operators, however, have sprung up in China. These permanent make up parlors sometimes are attached to hair salons or even independent plastic surgery clinics. Gaudy sign boards advertise services with pictures of red lips, arched eyebrows and dramatic tattoos. Prices vary, depending upon the type of ink the operator uses and the overhead she must maintain. I've had my eyebrows done, but only after diligently surveying the work of the young woman I carefully chose. China has no specific regulations for these new beauty industries. Liability insurance is unheard of, so if you choose to have a procedure done it's at your own risk. Check the artist's work, her hygiene, and if possible, her equipment before undergoing something that is going to last indefinitely.
Although my luck has been good with permanent make up, my hair cuts in China have sometimes been horrific. To learn to be a hair cutter takes only a few months in most parts of the world, and China is no exception. Combine an inexperienced stylist, radical hair styles, as well as the difference between Western hair and Oriental hair, and you may end up with disaster. Moreover, permanents are still done through heated rollers, often singeing the hair. Hair colors here are oriented toward Oriental hair types; the color may not take properly on Western hair. A good hairstylist is hard to find anywhere in the world. With the huge language gap all I can suggest is that you take a translator and a detailed picture whenever you go inside a hair salon. Remember: you get what you pay for. A cheap cut will not compare to a pricy cut unless you are very, very lucky. Once you find a professional who meets your needs don't experiment any further.
Bath houses in China vary from luxurious spas that take up huge five story buildings and offer hotel accommodations, fitness rooms, splendid buffets and even co-ed dry sauna recreation areas as well as bathing facilities. Every bath house I've visited offers clients the option of receiving a through scrub down from a professional masseuse for about US$2. This invigorating exfoliation not only cleans the skin but improves circulation. After a scrub clients may choose from a variety of milk based massages. These organic lotions soften and moisture the skin, and range in price from US$2 to US$15. A weekly trip to the bath house never fails to bring compliments.
Finally, the ultimate beauty enhancement: plastic surgery. My elderly girlfriend visited last year, specifically to look for an affordable but professional face life. We toured the United Family Hospital, the Ever Care Medical chain, and a variety of private, small clinics operated by independent doctors but nervously skirted by the small, garish beauty plus plastic surgery parlors. Our results: the big medical facilities in Beijing cost as much as US clinics but their service seemed less patient oriented. The smaller medical clinics could give no guarantee but their prices were under half the larger facilities. And the small beauty parlors with attached surgeries were indeed cheap but they seemed below western hygienic standards. Luckily, when I found a Chinese colleague who'd had an eyelift at a small medical clinic my friend decided to go ahead there. For US$550 she had her drooping eyelids fixed and was quite satisfied with the procedure, sleeping three nights at the clinic and receiving antibiotics as well as much emotional support from the friendly staff.
Wherever a woman lives, no matter her age, occupation or marital status, she is going to be preoccupied with looking her best. Here in China this task can be accomplished by Western and Eastern women alike. Venture forth into the world of Chinese beauty and you will not be disappointed.
(China.org.cn by Valerie Sartor, April 20, 2007)
