Most of us aren’t born with perfectly shaped eyebrows. In fact, the majority of us are not! Eyebrows tend to be either thin or bushy, and there is always stray hair that just doesn’t seem to fit the desired shape. While plucking is a great way of getting rid of the occasional stray hair, both regular maintenance and resilient eyebrow hair may require other methods such as eyebrow threading.

What Is Eyebrow Threading?

Eyebrow threading is an ancient hair removal method that first started in India. This technique uses thread to capture and remove unwanted eyebrow hairs in an easy and efficient manner.

Pros and Cons

There are many pros and cons to threaded eyebrows. Here are just a few of the main ones:

• Easy, fast hair removal: On average, the process of eyebrow threading will take fifteen minutes
• Maintenance is a breeze: While you may need to pluck a few stray hairs after having your eyebrows threaded, you’re generally good for about four to five weeks.  Keep in mind that threading is not a permanent solution, so maintenance is required.
• Clean, precise finish:  Threading gives you a clean, precise finish. At most salons, you should make sure to indicate your desired eyebrow shape if you have a preference.
• It doesn’t hurt that much: Threading is a lot less painful than most people think! While you may still experience some mild pain and irritation, most people report that threading isn’t as painful as waxing or tweezing.
•  Funny side-effects: Your face is home to a lot of nerves, which may be irritated during the threading process. As a result, you may find that your eyes are watery or that you feel the sudden urge to sneeze.

Threading vs. Waxing

While threading and waxing both remove hair quickly and efficiently, they are different processes. Here’s a quick comparison:

• Cost: About the same! You should expect to pay $10-40 plus tip for threading, depending on where you live, which should cost around the same price as waxing.
• Pain: Some people believe that threading isn’t as painful as waxing, while others say it’s about the same in terms of pain level. Because threading pulls less hair at a time, it’s thought to be less gentle by some.
• Irritation Risk: Some people may have irritation from a specific type of wax. While threading can irritate sensitive skin types, it is less likely to do so than waxing.

 Who Should Consider Brow Threading?

Most people are great candidates for eyebrow threading. You should definitely consider this method if you find yourself constantly plucking and waxing unwanted hair. If you have hair that’s a mix of light and dark, or if your eyebrow hair is naturally fine, ask a beauty specialist before you attempt to thread eyebrows, as this can result in the growth of darker, thicker hair.

How to Find a Good Place

Finding out where to get eyebrows done isn’t necessarily the same as finding a professional who is good at eyebrow threading. Fortunately, we have a few tips

• Be specific in your search: Enter “eyebrow threading near me,” “threading salon near me,” or even “thread eyebrow” plus the name of your city to get local results. Remember, not all salons that offer eyebrow maintenance will necessarily offer threading.
• Look at reviews: Again, you’ll want to look at review results that deal with eyebrow threading specifically. The salon may have great reviews for eyebrow waxing, but this isn’t going to ensure they have a  person who can thread eyebrows.
• Check safety standards: Make sure that the salon is up to date on local and national safety and cleanliness standards.

Threading Appointment Tips

Here are a few things to keep in mind on the day of your appointment:

• Speak up: If you want a specific shape, make sure the therapist knows this because many will thread based on what they believe will look good from their experience.
• Trim or no trim: If your eyebrow hair is long, a trim can create a clean look. However, you’ll want to skip the trim if you have naturally fine hair.
• Check carefully: A good threading technician will want you to be absolutely satisfied with the results. When they give you a mirror to check your look, make sure you do so carefully. It’s tempting to say “looks good” immediately, but this is actually the time to speak up if you see something amiss. 
• Say yes to aloe: Most salons offer innovative natural products, aloe vera gel or a similar variant to soothe irritation. This provides a cooling sensation and feels amazing, so unless you are allergic, you definitely want to say yes. You can also stock up on soothing aloe blend for other skincare needs.
• Check out other options: Some places offer additional options, including head massage, face masks or eyebrow fill-in after threading. These are definitely worth exploring- especially the head massage.
• Redness is normal: While the procedure is gentle, having cotton thread against your skin may cause redness for a short period of time.
• Follow post-care directions: A good salon will give you tips about caring for your eyebrows after the threading. One common tip is no makeup, such as concealer or foundation, for several hours after the threading- this is an important one to follow because makeup can clog your pores, which are sensitive after threading.
• Set your timeline: After your first threading appointment, keep an eye on how quickly your hair tends to regrow. Once you start feeling the need to pluck your brows, it’s time to set another appointment. On average, threading needs to be redone every 5-8 weeks depending on your hair type.

DIY Threading

If you’re wondering “what is threading,” definitely do a lot of research before you try to do it yourself. Threading eyebrows without sufficient training and experience is a risk, and you should definitely be doing so with caution. Sure, the eyebrow will grow back if you mess up, but this will take some time.

There are plenty of great online tutorials on how to thread eyebrows. Before you get started, you’ll need:

• An eyebrow or lash brush
• Quality cotton thread – this is super important
• A way to mark desired areas