According to an ancient Chinese tradition, one’s future can be read on its face. Stalls practising the face-reading discipline, which dates back more than 2,000 years, are still found in market streets and near temples in modern-day Hong Kong. A strong brow would translate to the person’s ability to plan ahead, high cheekbones could point to power.

Edward Lam, a 35-year-year old technician for a television station, has his eyebrows plucked by trained face reader Li Chau-jing, who makes slight changes to her clients’ brows to bring them better luck. A trained face reader, Li has taken the ancient Chinese tradition one step further, making slight changes to her client’s brows to bring them better luck. © Anthony Wallace / AFP

Today, this tradition may be combined with aesthetic concerns, in order to improve people’s chances in life. For instance, some Chinese face readers propose customers to pluck their eyebrows to help achieve their life goals.

"It’s an instant change and you can change it for everyone," Mrs Li Chau-jing told AFP, describing her clientele as ranging from just a few years old to in their 70s. "I can help a person in the shortest amount of time, by bringing them energy and happiness and the goal they want to reach," Li said.

Mrs Li has been running her shop in the working class neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po for six years and its walls are covered with photos of her clients’ eyes and brows. Women tend to come to her to solve emotional or relationship problems, men for better luck at work, she says.

According to this former make-up artist, women tend to look for a way to solve their marital and sentimental problems while men want to boost their professional opportunities. For Mrs Li, straight brows will bring more luck and happiness than curved. "If the brows are very straight, then those people will not have to suffer through many hardships," she says.

Customer Edward Lam, a 35-year-year old technician for a television station, said he felt more energetic after having his brows modified. "The biggest goal I have for fixing my eyebrows is to find jobs and to have better networking, and that my career will improve," Lam told AFP. "I believe that the impression I gave was better," he said of job interviews since having his brows worked on by Li.

While some may prefer eyebrow-plucking Li’s proactive approach, others are happy to stick to tradition. Nevertheless, the eyebrows trend has skyrocketed in China, and more generally in Asia, in the wake of the South Korean influence, a country where social success, for men and women, would be increasingly linked with a perfect appearance.

Salons offering eyebrow grooming have been mushrooming in China over recent years. Image-conscious urbanites can, for example visit Browhaus, a brow and lash grooming chain originally founded in Singapore in 2004 that has expanded to 40 outlets in 10 cities, mainly in Asia, but also in London and New York.