Beauty Quest Touches Off a Gold Massage in Japan

Want your skin to have that golden glow? Get it massaged with the precious metal.

“With its rich, bright shine, gold offers smoother skin than any massage cream,” said the manager of a beauty salon in Osaka, western Japan, which offers gold massage.

Japan is now one of the world’s largest importers of gold, largely due to a growing demand among newly affluent Japanese for all things golden.

Some Japanese sushi bars offer the rice and raw fish delicacy with thin gold belts wrapped around it. Others offer dried seasoning with gold in it to sprinkle on noodles.

Golden Sake

Some sell sake with small pieces of gold floating in it.

The Japanese have a long history of eating gold--they think it’s good for the health.

The full “Goldfinger” body treatment at the Osaka clinic, which takes about an hour, costs $230, while a facial massage is $60--more than double the prices for normal massages.

“It stimulates blood circulation much more than any other massage cream and eventually makes the skin shine more than regular cream massages can,” a beautician at the clinic says.

The clinic uses about a handful of ultra-thin gold foil sheets for each full body massage. All of the gold is absorbed into the skin, the manager says.

Demand Is Growing

Despite the high price, demand for the service is growing.

“An average of one customer a day shows up for a gold massage. Business has been going well,” she said, adding that quite a few customers return at least once a month.

The clinic said it has received several inquiries about the service from men but has had to turn them down.

“Our clinic is not large enough to have separate rooms for men and women,” the spokeswoman said. “We have to refuse men because customers must be naked for a session.”

One woman who requested anonymity said she had tried the gold massage and felt her skin was smoother after the treatment. But, she added, she could not afford the treatment again.

Mental Benefits Stressed

A doctor specializing in dermatology who declined to be identified said the positive effects of such treatment are likely to be more mental than physical.

“All one can get from this kind of massage is psychological satisfaction, no physical benefits at all,” he said.

“Gold is one of those materials that is nearly impossible to absorb. From that point of view, I can see no medical merit in a gold massage.”

He added that as long as the gold is pure, no skin problems should result from the treatment. However, if it contains lead or zinc, some customers could suffer allergic reactions.