Eyebrow threading is one of the trendiest grooming practices today. It is done both by men and women to remove stray hairs from their brows and give it a more defined shape. Threading also works for other body parts such as the upper lip or face. If you’re new to grooming, this hair removal practice can sound quite confusing or even worrying. Indeed, thinking about hair pulled from your brows using a thread can hold you back from trying out this method.
While it could be unfamiliar to some people, this practice actually serves as an efficient and reliable way to give your eyebrows the precise finish that you aim for. The perfect eyebrow threading procedure does wonders in creating more defined brows and a fresher look. Learn more about this grooming method with this comprehensive guide.
What Is Eyebrow Threading?
Definition and Origin
Eyebrow threading is a grooming practice done to take out unsightly stray hairs from the brows. Threading does an excellent job in grooming eyebrows and giving them a more defined shape. Moreover, it involves removing several hair strands in a row-by-row fashion using a thread. This thread is used to pull the hair and in turn, remove it efficiently from the skin. Many people turn to eyebrow threading due to its longevity and effectiveness in removing hair. Notably, eyebrow threading shapes the brows and makes them look significantly cleaner compared to other hair removal methods.
Although threading is considered to be one of the most popular hair removal methods today, it was actually said to have originated in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Currently, men’s eyebrow threading became a trend as more males also take part in trying out various grooming practices. As sure as the eyes serve as the window to the soul, men’s eyebrows also help highlight their best features. Indeed, groomed brows can make you look instantly younger and fresh.
Materials and Essentials
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If you happen to have purchased an eyebrow threading tool, you still need to prepare more materials to carry on with the grooming treatment. If you wish to do it yourself, learning about the essentials will gear you up before pushing through with the procedure. First, you must have a thin cotton thread. This will, of course, be used to pull out hair strands from your brows or other body parts. Although you will be mainly using said thread, you also have to prepare a small pair of scissors. You will use it to cut hair that only need some trimming—thus, helping you achieve a more defined brow shape.
An eyebrow or spoolie brush is also helpful in brushing brow hair into place and ensuring that you don’t go overboard with threading them. Next, you must ensure that you have a gentle face powder. You will be using this to decrease friction as you thread. Doing so will help reduce any irritation from the treatment. For aftercare, it’s best to have a cold pack ready for post-threading inflammation. An aloe vera gel can also do the trick in reducing pain or any redness. If you’re a beginner, using a guide will be of great help in ensuring that you thread in the right places. To do this, you can use an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner. You can simply wash this off or take it out with a makeup removing wipe.
How Does Eyebrow Threading Work?
Procedure
The process of eyebrow threading is a pretty simple one. If you go to a waxing salon, all you really need to do is sit or lie down as an aesthetician works on your brows. Notably, eyebrow threading for guys works the same way as it does for women. Like learning how to cut your own hair, threading involves some techniques and essential steps to help you carry out the procedure in an optimized way.
Steps
The steps included in the eyebrow threading method are:
- First, cut a piece of cotton thread using a pair of scissors. The length should be at least 11 inches. This can be adjusted based on your preference or comfortability.
- Next, make a knot by looping the thread together. Ensure that it is fastened well to avoid the hassle of re-knotting it as you start threading.
- Once you created your knot, place two of your fingers within the thread’s loop. Then, twist them on your hand to create an x-shaped loop. Repeat this process until you’ve made around three to four twists.
- While ensuring that you don’t lose your x-shaped loop, proceed by inserting your thumb and index fingers inside it. As you do, make sure that you are pinching with one hand and keeping the other set of fingers quite loose.
- Once you got the hang of the hand placement, you can start threading. To do this, position the v-shaped part of your cotton thread near the region that you wish to remove hair. Then, pull the twist over the hair to take it out. Make sure that you are pulling in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Moreover, pull as fast but as precisely as you can to make it less painful.
- Take note of the proper thread position and repeat the pulling movement to take out hair strands row by row.
Longevity
Now that you know how eyebrow threading works, you might also wonder how long eyebrow threading lasts. If you’re a brow grooming novice, you might want to get an idea of the hair removal method’s longevity. On another note, this aspect can help you decide whether you want to try out a different eyebrow grooming procedure from your former one.
Of course, there is no one specific answer to how long eyebrow threading lasts for everyone because various factors can affect its longevity. First, people’s hair growth varies from one another. Moreover, the frequency of threading can also affect the speed of eyebrow growth and in the long run, even its thickness. Generally, eyebrow threading results can last for up to two to five weeks. If you’re a first-timer, expect your brow hair to return to normal at a much faster pace.
Does Eyebrow Threading Hurt?
As a trendy grooming practice, more and more people join the hype of eyebrow threading. Indeed, it is an effective and reliable way to take out unwanted hair and define brows perfectly. However, you might be holding back as you ask yourself: “is eyebrow threading painful?” This is certainly understandable—especially if you’re a newbie when it comes to eyebrow grooming. Like most hair removal methods, threading the brows can definitely cause some discomfort or pain.
The pulling of hair will naturally ache quite a bit or cause some soreness. However, the pain that eyebrow threading brings is not one that is too intense to handle. In fact, it hurts less compared to other hair removal practices. This is due to how threading targets the roots of your hair strands compared to other methods that just strip off the ends. If not done right, these procedures can even pull on your skin or cause scratches and cuts. On another note, threading has a similar sensation to plucking or tweezing hair. The pulling of hair could cause discomfort but it almost instantaneously subsides just as well.
Different Factors
It’s also worth noting that male eyebrow threading could give different intensities of pain due to various factors. For one, your pain tolerance will certainly affect the amount of how eyebrow threading could hurt. If you can manage hair waxing pretty well, you’ll likely find threading to be much more tolerable. If your skin is more sensitive, you can also expect threading to cause relative than other people who have a higher pain tolerance. On another note, pain levels from threading can also alter depending on the body part that you wish to remove hair with the procedure. In terms of eyebrows, the lower brow tends to be more sensitive compared to the upper region. If you have thicker hair growth under your brow, you might find the procedure to cause more discomfort.
Threading Pain and Aftercare Tips
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Being a first-timer can make you feel wary of the discomfort that comes with eyebrow threading. Of course, this is understandable when it comes to trying out new or unfamiliar treatments. Do bear in mind that the soreness or pain from threading won’t last for days. Nonetheless, it certainly won’t hurt to try out tricks that can help reduce discomfort during, before, and even after the session. Make your threading experience hassle-free and efficient with these helpful tips:
- Before the procedure, it is best to first make sure that the area you wish to thread is completely clean. For your brows, you may wash your face before the treatment. You can also use a face cleanser or astringent to remove any residue or dirt from your brows.
- Avoid tanning or sunbathing before your threading appointment. These activities can make your skin more sensitive and make the procedure more uncomfortable for you.
- Let your eyebrows grow out for at least two to three weeks before your threading appointment. This is especially helpful if you’re a first-timer because your brow artist would get to see the natural growth of your eyebrows. This way, they can apply the best threading method and hair removal approach during your session.
- To lessen the pain as you thread, holding your eyelid and stretching it a bit can help. Doing so will make your skin more pulled and as a result, make the hair threading process even easier.
- Regular thread appointments are among the most underrated yet helpful tips in eyebrow threading. A consistent threading routine can help maintain your brow hair growth. This way, your eyebrows will look more defined, and the stray hairs will grow slower and thinner. In the long run, you won’t need to get your brows threaded as often as you need during the first few times you did.
- After the procedure, you can try out various products to apply to your newly threaded brows. These include a cooling lotion, aloe vera gel, cold compress, or other soothing lotions. Some people also use cooling waters or oils that can also minimize discomfort after getting brows threaded. Such products will help reduce the redness and inflammation from the threading. Make sure that what you’ll apply is free of perfume or other strong chemicals that could irritate your sensitive skin more.
- Above all, don’t forget to talk to your brow aesthetician. Letting them know about what you want your eyebrows to look like will help you achieve your dream look. If it’s your first time threading, asking them about the procedure will certainly help you learn more and enjoy the experience.
Comparison to Other Eyebrow Procedures
Comparing threading with other eyebrow procedures is another great way to fully grasp what this grooming practice entails. Aside from eyebrow threading costs, each method also involves various tools and steps that make it stand out from one another.
Shaving
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This is one of the common hair removal methods that people do to groom their eyebrows. Shaving entails using a sharp razor to remove the stray hairs from the upper and lower brows. This method is safe and effective in achieving a better eyebrow shape and look. Like other hair removal procedures, there are pros and cons associated with shaving. One of its positive aspects is that it is relatively easier. Merely shaving on the brows requires fewer tools and less effort. If your pain tolerance is low, shaving serves as a better option for you. Indeed, this hair removal method does not hurt as much as waxing or threading does. With the right application and technique, shaving also causes little to no irritation or inflammation.
However, shaving also poses some disadvantages. For one, the results from shaving eyebrow hair last for a shorter time compared to threading. For some people, brow hairs grow back in just a couple of days. This is because shaving merely cuts the hair from the surface compared to eyebrow threading that removes the hair from its roots. In relation to this, hair from shaving also grows thicker compared to threading. Among the disadvantages of shaving is that is much more prone to injuries. If not done with care or a sharp enough razor, shaving can make you more prone to cuts and can then be more painful compared to threading.
Plucking
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If you can withstand the pain of pulling the hair from its root, then this option could also work for you. Plucking is a great way to remove stray brow strands because it also causes little to no irritation. The process entails merely plucking out hair strands as close to the roots as possible. The tweezers are placed near the skin and then carefully used to pull the hair in the direction of its growth. The process is done one hair strand at a time which makes it slower to threading eyebrows that removes hair row by row.
If you wish to have more control in deciding which hair strands to remove, plucking serves as a better option compared to threading. Indeed, some brow artists actually use tweezers to take out one hair strand at a time after threading brows. This gives an even cleaner and more precise outcome. Among the most apparent cons of plucking is the longer time you will need to endure pain compared to other hair removal methods. With threading, the discomfort comes and stops as soon as the pulling of hair is over. Plucking will be much more painful because the eyebrows are groomed one strand at a time.
Waxing
The eyebrow threading vs. waxing comparison is one of the best ways to understand the different hair removal methods better. Waxing the brows involves the application of warm wax and pulling out stray hair with a cloth or strip in the opposite direction of its growth. This process results in smoother skin and effective hair removal. Indeed, waxing and threading are much quicker compared to plucking out hair one by one. If you have thicker brows, these two methods prove to be easier.
If you wish for slower and thinner hair growth, eyebrow threading or waxing are both great options. Both hair removal methods target the hair roots which makes the results last for a much longer time compared to shaving. Similar to threading, waxing also works best with much longer brow hair. Growing out your eyebrows before your appointment is also a great way to achieve optimal results. Notably, among the cons of waxing is that it is much more painful compared to threading. Overwaxing could also damage skin cells and even hair follicles. To avoid these problems and risks of burns from hot wax, eyebrow threading will surely prove to be a better option for you.
The Best Eyebrow Threading Experience
Without a doubt, the eyebrow threading before and after results will show a significant difference from each other. To acquire the best threading experience and outcome, learning what you can about the hair removal method will prove to be helpful. Moreover, you can try out eyebrow threading and tinting together. Doing so will certainly help you acquire well-shaped brows that could highlight your other facial features, as well.
