Thread Carefully

I am strangely protective of my eyebrows. Like, “MamaBear looking over her cub” kind of protective. Criticize my clothes or my hair, fine, but say one bad word about my brows and things get real.

So it’s a given I would be skeptical of any kind of grooming program that would dare to tinker with the “archways to the soul” (seriously, I’ve heard them called that before). Waxing seemed way too messy, and the thought of giving someone free reign of the tweezers sent me into waves of control-freak hysteria. But eventually my own grooming didn’t cut it. I needed an expert to tame my brows, but it couldn’t be with the traditional tools of hot wax or tweezers.

My friend suggested threading, the practice of using a thin piece of cotton thread to form a loop that catches a hair and removes it. I was admittedly a little weirded-out when I first witnessed this practice (where did all the plucked hair go?), but decided that I could first experiment with the rowdy hairs between my brows — the arch would come later.

My first experience first felt like a quick stinging, but I eventually got used to the strange sensation. The technician explained that she was pulling an individual hair with each pass, which would give her more control of the definition and shape of the brow. While I never had my eyebrows waxed, I can imagine it was less painful.

Some other interesting things I learned from my first threading expedition:

Some say that threading lasts longer than tweezing. Depending on the shade of your hair, users can go up to a month between sessions.

Threading causes relatively no redness, as it doesn’t tug at the skin like waxing. It’s a good alternative for those with sensitive skin.

The technique usually helps those prone to ingrown hairs avoid that nasty problem.

Threading originated in India and is widely practiced in the Middle East.

With a little research, I learned that threading (like most beauty treatments) can also have unwanted negative results. Some technicians can rush the process, which can lead to sloppy work. If you’re as protective of your brows as I am, I recommend asking around for the best threading service in your area. Though many don’t require appointments, scheduling one ahead of time can help you avoid those pesky waits if the salon is busy.