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Eyebrow waxing

Goldie

I'm scheduled for my very first ever eyebrow wax tomorrow, and I was just wondering if anyone had any tips? The person who usually does my leg waxing is doing it, and she said she loves the artistry of doing eyebrows so I feel I'm in good hands, but is there anything that I should ask for or about in terms of shapes, etc?

Also, I'll need to buy a pair of tweezers to maintain it after. I've heard good things about Tweezerman -- what shape do I need? Slant, point, both?

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19 replies

Latest reply was from tarzy

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I've never gotten my eyebrows waxed, so I couldn't really help you there. I always pluck mine. I like the slanted end tweezers best, with a slightly rounded end. Revlon makes a good "professional" pair, you can get them at the drugstore. I'd avoid the very pointy ended ones. I have some of those and I always manage to pinch myself because they are too sharp.

marianna

Veteran

I always have my brows threaded so I don't know much about wax, but one word of advice is to tell the aesthetician to keep them fairly thick (ie: not too thin!) A thicker brow looks better than super unnatural thin ones, IMO.

Also, I always tell my person to keep my natural shape and just "clean it up." Seems to work well!

shana

Veteran

I usually get my eyebrows threaded which I highly recommend if you can find a place to do it!

I usually ask for a rounded arch - a regular, angled arch seems a bit harsh on me.

I've heard in general that you should not get waxed during that time of the month or shortly before as it may be more painful. Not sure if that's an old wives tale though!!!

Yes, an angled tweezerman is what I use in between threading visits.

You will love it! Especially if you've never done it before, it's like getting a face-lift! You're never going to believe how much difference a pair of well-groomed eyebrows can make! Good luck!!!

Vani

Veteran

I always do what Marianna does and get fab results and a lot of compliments. Good luck!

Louise

Veteran

I now get mine waxed after years of plucking. She just tidies them up keeping to the natural shape, I've never asked for it this is just the way she does it and I like it. It shouldn't hurt too much though Shana is right it does hurt more around that time of the month though this is the same for leg waxing. Tweezerman are the best tweezers IMO. I have had mine since I was 16 which makes my pair 14 years old and they are still as perfect as the day I bought them! I have a slanted pair, they are expensive but I'm guessing my cost to use ratio is probably down to nothing x

Sihaya

Veteran

It might hurt more the first time than in successive times so don't let the first time discourage you. Though of all the places I have waxed on my body, the eyebrows are the least painful so you're starting in the right spot! I really echo the point about telling them a couple of times to keep it thick. I have found *very few* good eyebrow people who really know what they're doing. I recently found one after a couple of years of really terrible folks. As a result one of my eyebrows is different from the other and they're a lot thinner than before! Another reason to keep them as thick as possible up front is to accommodate for mistakes over the years. They don't always grow back to their original thickness after waxing. I like tweezers with slanted tips as they pinch less. You might have to experiment with several pairs before you find your favs. When you tweeze in between waxes (I get mine waxed once a month), only tweeze between your brows, maybe a little below, but *never* on top. Even one wrong hair plucked can change the shape of your eyebrows. Now that I've probably made you totally paranoid, I love waxing as I only have to go once a month and it's a very clean look.

Mac

Veteran

I don't find it very painful to get my brows waxed but definitely if you can do it soon AFTER your time of the month, it's less uncomfortable than just before your time of the month. If you're worried about the pain, you can always take an icecube and run it over each brow for about 5 seconds just before she applies the wax - the ice will numb your skin long enough for dull any possible discomfort.

Re. shape, I guess I'd ask her to be very conservative in how much she takes off the first time. I HATE those super-skinny brows some women have. And if she's waxed and you look at yourself and feel as though they're still too heavy, you can have her wax again and take off a bit more, whereas if she takes off too much the first time, you're kinda stuck.

My skin tends to be red for a few hours after the waxing, so you might want to keep that in mind. First time I had mine waxed, it was during a lunch hour- I had to go back to work and make a big presentation in the afternoon with rather red skin!

bj1111

Veteran

so timely, this thread. just had my eyebrows done. favor a natural look that follows the shape of my brow, not too thin, not too arched, just right. love slant tip tweezerman, converted my husband!

Maya

Veteran

I get mine threaded. I don't ask for anything special, but that's because I have been doing it for about 11 years so my eyebrow lines are fairly delineated. I like threading because I find it less painful. Waxing pulls at the skin as well as the hair, but threading only pulls at the hair out. My eyebrows (or rather, eyebrow--singular) were a nightmare before I started getting them done at 15. I had to start early. High school is painful enough without having a unibrow to reckon with...

Ah, of course I forgot to answer your question: If you go once a month you shouldn't really need to do any touching up. I sometimes try to extend the time I go between threading and do a little plucking here and there, and I always regret it. Trust me: Leave it to the pros. That is why they are pros and you are not. Plus for some reason it just hurts more when I try to do it myself.

taylor

Veteran

Goldie, she will decide on the best shape after she consults with you. she will give you maintenance advice as well. And will likely have a good tweezer recommendation for you:) sounds like you are in good hands:)

I have never had it done , but threading seems like the way to go these days. I have waxed clients brows for ages.

tarzy

Veteran

I agree with Sihaya - a lot depends on the person doing it. Just as there are great hair stylists and bad ones, I think some people definitely have an eye for brows. I have really thick brows that grow very quickly, and I found a fantastic person at Macy's Benefit Brow Bar. Costs $20, I go about every five weeks, and she's great. She just has an eye for the right shape - you shouldn't really change the shape of your brows - you want someone who will just make your own shape tidy. I used to do tweezing only, but now I wax and it does last longer. (Threading probably lasts longer, too) I went to another woman at the Benefit Brow Bar, and she was great too - I just happen to prefer the one I go to now.

Try to resist the urge to do too much yourself between appointments. As Sihaya said, just one or two hairs can affect the shape. I tweeze between, and if I have strays below, but I avoid anything too close to the actual "shape."

I have a slanted Tweezerman, but I'm very rough on them. Mine get dull quickly, and I find I have to replace them once a year. (You can supposedly send them in to get sharpened, but I've never done that. I keep meaning to!)

I only get a pedicure a few times a year, but I do treat myself to brow shaping regularly - on me it makes a huge difference.

Goldie

Thanks everyone!

I've been having my legs waxed this summer (sooooo much easier than shaving, especially since I have terrible eyesight without my glasses, so doing it in the shower is just a recipe for missing giant spots), so I'll take some ibuprophen before I go and then the pain is OK.

I have very thick eyebrows, so I think it might really make a difference. I'll talk to her before she starts about the shaping, and I think cleaned-up natural is probably the way to go at least for this first time. I also hate the almost-gone brow look!

I'll pick up a pair of slanted tweezermans next time I see them, but I think it's a good idea to not do too much myself -- this seems like something I could very easily mess up! Thanks for the tips to just do the really obvious problem hairs, and not mess with the shape.

I'll look into threading depending on how this time goes. I'm doing waxing this time because I was going for the leg wax anyway and I like the woman who does that, but I'll see how it goes!

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow! Wish me luck!

julijuli

Tarzy I go to the Benefit Brow bar in Seattle too! The gal I go to is super detail oriented and I feel that since pretty much all they do is brows they are really good at it. I've tried other places and never been happy with them. I like to have them shaped and well groomed but not too skinny. I love the Brow Zings compact that they sell at Benefit - it's really easy to use. I use it to fill in some bare spots and make sure that my brows always look 'groomed'.

rute

Veteran

I agree with shana! I get my eyebrows threaded too, it does not irritate the skin and it lasts longer!

Dawn

(website)

I also go to my local Benefit Brow Bar in Ireland, and the girls there are fantastic! They probably all have the same training, and they really focus on getting a clean but natural-looking eyebrow. I haven't been as impressed with any other waxer but the Benefit Brow waxers.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

I get mine waxed, albeit not as often as I should, and I have rarely had problems. The first time you will likely be a little red and puffy afterward so don't have plans for a hot date but after a couple of hours it will be fine. Since you already know her from your leg waxing she will probably be fine.

And the thing about thickness/natural lines etc is that if it is too thin it will grow back. When I haven't had it done for a while I ask for it to stay thicker but once I am in the groove again I will sometimes go for a little thinner line. It all grows back eventually anyway!

BlondeAmbition

I have very sensitive so I can't wax anymore. Waxing makes me break out and I can't bare to think of all that super sensitive skin being yanked off. I have converted to threading although it does hurt more and takes longer. But the eyebrow line looks much more natural, I can always tell whether a woman waxes or threads by how natural it looks or doesn't look. I definitely take Advil at least a half hour before and never go during that time of the month. I hate pain.

Also be aware that as we age our eyebrows don't grow in as much as they once did. Of course this depends on your genetics but take a look at your parents' eyebrows - are they much thinner than they used to be? Eventually eyebrows don't grow back much for some of us so take that into account when grooming.

bj1111

Veteran

good luck with the brows today, goldie! post a piccie when you can.

tarzy

Veteran

BlondeAm - that's so true about aging and eyebrows! And stress too - recently I noticed mine had (very tiny) little patches where they're suddenly missing a few. My eyebrow person said it's pretty common - especially in the summer, for some reason. Weird. Probably no one else would know - it's just one of those things I obsess about in the 10x magnification mirror.