The Face Threading Family: Keeping Ancient Beauty Ritual Alive | Beauty Choice Threading

As the saying goes, “A woman beautifies herself for the one who admires her.” Centuries before laser technology, women achieved a flawless complexion using just cotton thread and compact powder, deftly clearing facial hair to restore a radiant glow. Today, this ancient Asian craft, known as face threading (xian mian), is no longer exclusive to women. A Male practitioner Jack Leung learned the craft from his mother, Ho Sui Tin, and now carries on the tradition to preserve a vanishing piece of intangible cultural heritage.

Rooted in simple mechanical principles, face threading is a precise hair-removal technique. The process begins with the practitioner using oil-absorbing paper to remove excess sebum from the client’s face, followed by a light dusting of traditional begonia powder. The practitioner then twists a cotton thread with both hands and teeth, gliding the shifting loop across the skin to catch and pluck unwanted hairs from the root. Traditionally, people believed the skin’s natural renewal cycle lasts 21 to 28 days, and they would undergo the treatment monthly to maintain a smooth, refined complexion.

While the precise origins of face threading are lost to history, the practice is widely believed to have emerged in Central or Western Asia before spreading to China. Its earliest written record dates back to the Ming dynasty, appearing in Feng Menglong’s Stories to Awaken the World (Xingshi Hengyan). Across China, this craft takes on various names, including wanmian, jiaomian, and jiemian. In Ho’s hometown of Xinhui, locals affectionately call it tanmengzai-literally meaning “plucking little hairs.” Recognising its deep cultural value, Hong Kong officially listed face threading as an intangible cultural heritage item in 2014.

The thread that bound a family

From the age of two or three, Ho shadowed her grandmother and mother to learn face threading. At first, she viewed the practice less as a vocation and more as a fixture of the social life among her family and neighbours. It was only years later, while working at a hair salon in Xinhui, that she realised its true demand. Encouraged by clients who noted a widespread desire among older women for the traditional service, Ho transitioned into full-time practice.

When Ho moved to Hong Kong in 1998, she intended to sustain her craft. However, a lack of local familiarity forced her to put those plans on hold. Instead, she began offering complimentary sessions to elderly neighbours in their homes. This approach quietly earned her a stellar reputation, eventually enabling her to open her own threading boutique and support her three children.

Refining the craft for a superior experience

To perfect her craft, Ho has always understood the value of the right tool. In Xinhui, her work relied on a traditional cotton thread made by twisting three strands together. The turning point came when a client gave her some linen thread; discovering its superior durability and precision, she made the switch. Today, Ho uses custom-made cottonlinen thread, meticulously varying the thicknesses to suit different contours of the face.

Yet, mastering the tools was only part of her evolution; Ho has also continuously refined her technique to adapt to a changing clientele. “I noticed that people in Hong Kong have thinner, more sensitive facial skin,” she explains. “Combined with high stress levels and the hot, humid climate, some clients would experience swelling after a session.” To combat post-treatment inflammation, Ho experimented extensively until she found a solution: integrating enzyme-based skincare into the treatment, breathing new life into this ancient craft.

However, behind that beauty lies years of physical strain. Face-threading practitioners repeat the same motions day after day-constantly moving their hands, gripping the thread with their teeth, and holding the same posture for hours on end. This repetitive strain often leads to chronic shoulder, neck, and lower back pain, making the profession less appealing to newcomers than mainstream aesthetics. In addition, the popularity of laser hair removal has pushed face threading into a decline. Yet Ho’s children were not put off by these occupational hazards. Instead, sympathising with their mother’s toil, they chose to step up and carry on the family trade.

Passing the torch

Besides the eldest daughter, who was the first to join the shop, her brother, Jack, was also drawn to the craft. “Ever since we were kids, my mother would thread our faces. It made us appreciate the importance of grooming,” Jack recalled. “Whether it was for an interview or a major school event, getting thread was always the first step.” Witnessing their mother’s gruelling efforts to support the family, Jack and his younger brother spent a summer break back in their hometown, dedicating a month to learning the trade just to ease her burden. By the time he was 13 or 14, Jack was already threading faces for others in his spare time after school. Later, while attending university in Switzerland, he even threaded face for local Chinese people to earn spending money.

After graduating and returning to Hong Kong in 2012, Jack initially pursued a career in marketing. In his off-hours, he managed the family shop’s website and social media presence. Two years later, when his elder sister had to step away to care for her children, Jack quit his corporate job to step into the shop full-time, becoming one of the industry’s rare male practitioners.

A fragile heritage, a hopeful future

Jack initially intended his career pivot to be a temporary fix-a one or two-year stint to cover for his sister until she could return, after which he planned to head back to the corporate world. However, as the shop’s clientele grew and his skills gained recognition, a profound sense of achievement kept him going. Today, his mission extends beyond sustaining the family business; Jack has dedicated himself to preserving and promoting this intangible cultural heritage.

“There are only around ten face-threading practitioners in Hong Kong, and our family alone accounts for seven. Many beauty salons do provide the service, but clients told us others aren’t as thorough,” Jack admitted candidly. With so few practitioners remaining, and given the highly specialised tools and techniques required, preserving the craft is an uphill battle. Nevertheless, Jack leverages the press, the internet, and social media to keep the history and knowledge of face threading alive. He also delivers guest lectures and hosts workshops teaching the basics of the trade. Encouragingly, he has noticed a steady rise in male clients in recent years. “Some customers have told me that after a session, skincare products absorb better and makeup goes on flawlessly,” he said. “This proves that traditional techniques still hold value today. I believe that as long as we can connect people with the timeless appeal of this ancient beauty ritual, there is hope for its survival.”