Video: That Time We Tried Pore Vacuuming In South Korea : Parallels In NPR's Elise Tries series, correspondent Elise Hu tests out new experiences in East Asia. In this episode: pore vacuuming, a hot trend in Korean beauty. A suction pen excavates grime from your face.

Video: That Time We Tried Pore Vacuuming In South Korea

Video: That Time We Tried Pore Vacuuming In South Korea

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South Korea in recent years has become the hot place for beauty product innovation, and it is often called the cosmetic surgery capital of the world.

By some estimates, South Korean women spend twice as much of their income on beauty products and grooming as American women — a figure that would be even higher if Korean beauty treatments weren't so affordable. (Treatments like facials and eyelash extensions can run as low as a third the typical U.S. price.)

One of the hot treatments for faces these days is pore vacuuming — also known as aqua peel facials — which I don't want to describe too much. You can see for yourself.