Eyebrows

Elly

Do we have an eyebrow expert on this board?

Also, for those of you that do or have had your brows professionally waxed or threaded, have you ever had a professional mess them up? Any disasters?

14 years ago

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from nicoleb

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I've only had them waxed professionally once- and I was not pleased with the result. So, I continue to do them myself. I don't really pluck my actual eyebrows, just the stray hairs around them.

14 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I do the same as chewy; although I did have a patient ask me why I don't do my brows. :p

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

I am lately obsessed with them lol! I went from never touching them (until 26 yrs old) to over tweezing in the late 90's fashion. Now I've been trying to tastefully grow them back. Try a few searches about face shape and brow arch shape, that's how I found I was arching too high and too close in. No professional wax or threading here ever. I did see a brow place in the mall last weekend and thought that was odd, to sit in a chair for everyone walking by to see. Too weird for me.

14 years ago

Steph

Veteran

I get mine waxed every 2-3 weeks. My regular waxer has never done a bad job with my brows. There have been times where I have had to go to others, and sometimes I like the results better than others. However, I have never had a true disaster. There have been a couple of times where things might have been done a little unevenly, but nothing major--I have either waited to grow them back evenly, or gotten them corrected.

My keys are 1.) never going too thin, and 2.) never taking off the top of the eyebrow--just the bottom. By erring toward thicker, if the waxer does it unevenly, it's no big deal to correct. By taking the hair only off of the bottom, it's easier to retain a natural shape and more difficult to make a big mistake, since the general shape and arch is already there. Does that make sense?

14 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I started getting mine waxed at 15, though I switched to threading a few years ago because it is better for my sensitive skin.

No disasters here. Frankly my natural brows were such a disaster that just about anything else would have been an improvement. I had a unibrow and they were bushy and long. The first time I got them done I remember the woman being astonished at how far they extended...just about merging into my hairline. There was just no way I could have done them on my own. They were out of control. It's only $12 a month for me to get my brows and lip done, so I'd rather leave it to the pros.

Like Steph, I don't go too thin. Pencil thin brows look weird, and it's a lot easier to take a little off than grow it out. I do, however, get the tops done...just because I have to. You may not.

I guess the moral of the story is: If you aren't a hairy beast like me, you can probably get away with doing it yourself. I'd get it done professionally once just so you have an idea of how they should look, and then the maintenance will be easy.

14 years ago

cheryl

Veteran

I get mine waxed every couple of months. I could use it more frequently but i get lazy. I have never had a disaster. Like steph said, some do better than others but im always happy walking out with freshly waxed eyebrows.

14 years ago

cheryl

Veteran

Maya, i'm a hairy beast like you and i also get the tops done but i have never tried threading.

14 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Cheryl, if your hair is coarse or if you have sensitive skin, you might want to give threading a try. I like it because it doesn't pull at my skin--just the hair--and there is no heat involved. It also gives a more precise shape. But if waxing works for you, by all means continue.

14 years ago

marianna

Veteran

I get mine threaded and I've been doing so ever since I was 15. I much prefer threading to waxing -- more precise and less room for error. I've never experienced any disasters! I have them threaded every 4-5 weeks.

14 years ago

Steph

Veteran

Maya, believe me, I'm hairy too. I'm Greek! And the fact that I get them done every 2-3 weeks probably speaks volumes. But I guess I'm lucky in that my upper brows are pretty even with each other and a good shape.

14 years ago

Elly

Veteran

Maya-- I am a very hairy beast. My mother started waxing my eyebrows when I was 12 or so. I used to do pretty good maintenance myself (I'm patient) but after being sick and having a friend and my mother mess them up when I went through a period where my vision was spotty at best and letting them grow back several times I have thick but funky unkempt brows that I am not sure what they should look like.

14 years ago

Sylvie

Veteran

Chiming in as another person who gets their eyebrows threaded on a regular basis. I prefer it to waxing - just make sure to hold your skin taut.

I've never had them truly screwed up but depending on where you live, it can take a while to find a person who does threading well.

Since threading is very common in India and it's usually less expensive than a fancier salon, I go to threading "beauty parlors" run by south asians. I would recommend starting your search there.

14 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Hmm, if you can find a place that does threading, I would start there (maybe check reviews on Yelp or ask around). Express your concerns to them and they should be able to work something out for you. I vote threading instead of waxing because if your brows are unkempt and messy, threading will be more precise and leave less room for error. It doesn't have to be a swanky Anastasia-like salon or anything. I just got mine done at the mall for a while and they came out fine.

If you think you can handle it on your own after that, go for it (though you can't thread yourself). Otherwise if they do a good job, you can just go back.

14 years ago

HeleenH

Veteran

My beautician waxed them once when I hadn't been in a while due to ill children. I have very many hairs on my upper eyelid, all the way to my lashes. But other times she just uses tweezers. At the beauty parlor I go they don't like to wax every time because the skin is so sensitive in that area.

14 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Opposite situation here; skimpy brow city. Pencils are my friend, like the ones from Mac that are waxy and click-click into place. My Mom got so sick of a lifetime of penciling that she just got hers tatooed on. That works for her as a brunette but not for me.

14 years ago

Scarlet

Veteran

I used to get them waxed but now I get them plucked, literally with tweezers, but this may be a German thing. They operate those things like lawnmowers though! I think waxing is harsh on the delicate skin. I have a heavy brow, and it is necessary to remove from the top as well to get a good shape. I have never had a disaster but have always been careful in choosing a place and explaining that I _like_ a strong brow, it just needs to be cleaned up and made a bit more feminine. Since I grew up in the 90s, I used to be afraid they would do the over-thinning that was so popular then. Thank goodness strong brows are back in fashion. My biggest advice would be don't let anyone touch you who doesn't have good brows themselves.

14 years ago

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

Elly thanks for asking this. Really helpful thread!

14 years ago

Kristie In Auckland

Active Member

I get mine threaded every few weeks ish..
Threading doesn't last as long as waxing, but I find I break out with wax. Also threading leaves such a precise shape, I love it. I get mine threaded both above, below and in between my brows! I've never had an issue with threading after years...

Once they are done once they are easy to maintain.

I avoid the fancy beauty bars and have mine done at a cheap and cheerful local place where the Indian ladies go.... (they are the experts when it comes to threading as I think it originated in India).

I am very particular on my eyebrows, I fill them in with a dark powder (comes with a little brush) from the body shop to make them stand out more (more to make them darker than shape). I get lots of comments so must be doing something right on that front! But I find myself getting a bit pedantic and whipping out the tweezers every week....

Threading is the way forward I wouldn't wax again it hurts too much. The results of threading look brilliant if you have thick/course eyebrows (mine aren't)

I say try it!

14 years ago

firefly

Active Member

Another vote for threading. I really like the precise results, and I always make sure to specify my requirements; no disasters to date. Try it; the worst that happens is you don't like the result and have to wait for them to grow out, but hopefully that's a worst case scenario.

14 years ago

rute

Veteran

I get mine threaded, it lasts a lot longer!

14 years ago

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

I have awful eyebrows but i groom them into submission. Years ago i used to always get them waxed but looking back on pictures they were tooooooooo thin. Someone once told me the thinner the eyebrows the older your face can look! Not good.

Now i do them myself, I have my eyebrow shape set up how i want them so it's pretty easy. I just tweeze the brow hairs that are not in line with that shape. Also my brow hairs tend to be long and curly. I brush all the hairs up and then take some small scissors and cut any of them that are longer than my eyebrow shape.

Lastly I use Sonia Kasuk's Arch Alert, which is like a tinted wax with a brow brush and go through them. If i know photos might be taken i lightly take a slightly darker color through the ends of them as well. And then sometimes i even go back over with ELF's clear eyebrow/mascara gel.

14 years ago

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