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Flipping Lids! Chinese Barber Offers Eyelid Shaves
China Daily ^ | 2017-11-25

Posted on 11/25/2017 10:19:09 PM PST by nickcarraway

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.

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 ($12) per shave.

"It was difficult at the beginning, but it became a piece of cake afterwards," he said.

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 sterilize 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.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Local News; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: china; eyes; shave
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To: lizma2; Freedom56v2

Do you put the fish oil in your eye?


21 posted on 11/26/2017 8:37:21 AM PST by Albion Wilde (I was not elected to continue a failed system. I was elected to change it. --Donald J. Trump)
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To: lizma2

I have this problem. It can be so bad in the morning that I’ve had to get Family Medical Leave Act coverage for the time I need to self medicate with a hot compress before work and eye gel every night. I also have punctal plugs, which plug up a duct so that you don’t lose a lot of tears. The dry eye can be very painful and annoying.

At this point, I’d try just about anything to help, but I’m gonna pass on getting my eyelids shaved.


22 posted on 11/26/2017 9:47:28 AM PST by radiohead
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To: Albion Wilde

No. I take krill oil orally. It thins the oils that clog up the glands in eye lids, and I am supposed to eat a lot of salmon—tho when costs are high, I just go with the krill oil and it seems to be enough. And I do the hot compresses when I feel some irritation coming on...

You have Freepmail :)


23 posted on 11/26/2017 10:02:59 AM PST by Freedom56v2 (If you think health care is expensive, just wait until it is "free" ;( PJ O'Rourke)
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To: Albion Wilde

No. Eating it increases the output of the oil producing glands in your lids.


24 posted on 11/26/2017 10:42:57 AM PST by lizma2
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To: Freedom56v2; lizma2

Thanks for the clarification!


25 posted on 11/26/2017 11:34:08 AM PST by Albion Wilde (I was not elected to continue a failed system. I was elected to change it. --Donald J. Trump)
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To: radiohead

I like the retaine products esp. MGD and PM

http://www.ocusoft.com/artificial-tears-2

For warm compress, I’ve got a cotton sox with dried rice in it. Throw it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Super easy.


26 posted on 11/26/2017 2:20:16 PM PST by lizma2
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To: Albion Wilde

You are welcome...I sent more clarification/info in another email


27 posted on 11/26/2017 2:52:40 PM PST by Freedom56v2 (If you think health care is expensive, just wait until it is "free" ;( PJ O'Rourke)
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