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.
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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.
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"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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)