As smooth as a porcelain doll: Traditional Chinese facial threading at Third Market

By Sharon Chang
Translated by Angela Cheng

Chinese facial threading is an ancient beauty practice--still very alive today--that makes your face smoother and brighter, using only a spool of thread and white powder. Most Taiwanese associate this cosmetic skill with their grandmothers' era and it is relatively simple, using just two staggered threads to remove extra hair on one's face, shaving/shaping eyebrows and exfoliation.

　
Left: Containing powder, a small scissors and blades, this little box is a facial threading master's work chest.
Right: A facial threading master seems to bring ordinary threads to life as they fly across a customer's face.

As the threads are constantly rolled across your face, they also massage your skin and pores. In Taichung's Third Market (MinYi St. in South District, next to Taichung Cultural & Creative Industries Park), there are about 10 Chinese facial threading masters, whose operations are very basic--customers simply sit in a chair and facial threading begins immediately. Your hair is tied up, a bib is draped in front of you and white powder is daubed onto your face before the treatment begins. After shaping eyebrows and shaving the longer hairs around her customer's hairline, the master puts one end of the threads in her mouth and quickly proceeds with the rest of the facial threading. At the end, loofah water is used soothe the skin. The entire treatment takes around 20 minutes and costs NT$200.

　　
Right: Mrs. A-man learned facial threading at the age of 16.
Medium: 73This 73-year-old grandmother started receiving facial threading treatments when she was young and has made it a lifelong habit.
Right: Mrs. A-hao, 61, says that facial threading is comfortable, not painful, for clients and also keeps their skin radiant-looking.

Facial threading vendor in the market:

A-man Professional Facial Threading
Tel: 0923 374 079
Hours: 9 am-6:30 pm

Hong World Facial Threading
Tel: 0932 635 519
Hours: 8:30 am-8 pm

A-xiang Facial Threading
Tel: 0980 297 017

A-lun Professional Facial Threading
Vendor B50 on MinYi St.

Li-hua Professional Facial Threading
Vendor B28 at MinYi St.