By Yuka Yoneda, Source: Ecouterre

We’ve heard of the Chinese expression “saving face,” but these photos of a new swimwear trend sweeping the country takes the saying to a frighteningly literal level. While it may look like bankrobber couture, the Face-kini is actually a sort of bikini you wear on your face. The mask was first spotted on the beaches of Qingdao, and is a way for Chinese bathing beauties to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. We’re all for skin cancer prevention, but is it worth absolutely terrifying everyone you come across and also getting an extreme farmer’s tan on just your hands and around your eyes?

Face-Kinis can be purchased in a wide array of colors and bathers can either match them with their full-body suits or contrast them to give their faces extra “pop.” Apparently, Face-Kinis started as a DIY garment that women made at home using scraps of fabric, but now they can be found at swimwear shops for 15 to 25 yuan ($2.40 to $4.00) each. We have to admit that since they’re reusable, that’s quite a value when compared to expensive sunblock.

Although the facial masks were originally created to block out the sun’s rays, they do double duty to ward off the insects and jellyfish that infest local waters.

So what do you think about the Face-Kini. Would you don one or would you rather risk skin cancer?