Guide for the Perfect Eyebrows: Waxing, Tweezing, Threading, or Shaving—Which One to Choose?

September 13, 2017

Eyebrows shape your whole face. Their duty goes way beyond keeping dust and sweat away from the eyes; they also have proven to be an important element that gives our faces expression, in fact, a study from MIT found evidence that eyebrows make our faces recognizable and distinguishable. In the beauty world, eyebrows are an element that needs constant grooming, whether that is through using hard body waxes, tweezing, threading, or shaving with a razor.

Even if makeup is perfect, skin is glowing, and hair is gorgeously done; poorly shaped eyebrows can completely alter someone's appearance. Just removing a few extra hairs in the wrong area can change your face expression. Fortunately, we have estheticians whom women—and men—can turn to if they lack the skills to pick a suitable shape or make both eyebrows look the same.

Is there a science for the perfect brows? The best shape for each client varies according to several aspects: how their face is shaped, how thick or thin their eyebrows are, their natural form, as well as other key points professional estheticians take into account when deciding how to contour a client's eyebrows. Curved, straight, "S" shaped, a soft or high arch… numerous options exist nowadays for estheticians to consider when picking the right shape. Additionally, another decision is just as important: what grooming technique to use.

To wax, to tweeze, to thread, or to shave—that is without a doubt the question. Let's look at each procedure's pros and cons, as well as when would be the right time for an esthetician to use them depending on the client's skin and needs:

1. Waxing
   Pros: slow hair growth is one of the big advantages of waxing as a hair removal method. This is one of the procedures that makes hair grow back the slowest and thinnest. It is greatly beneficial for clients who have thick eyebrows and don't want to visit the salon too often. Using nourishing waxing products also provides exfoliation to that part of the skin.
   
   Cons: If your client goes to you for emergency grooming before a rendezvous, waxing probably won't work; this procedure usually provokes redness in the skin that only disappears hours after.
   
   Hard body waxes are the trend for eyebrow waxing since they don't adhere to the skin when applied, reducing the pain of the pull. However, waxing is still a painful procedure, especially for clients with sensitive skin or first time waxing clients.
   
   When to wax: when clients have thick hair that regrows quickly and want a procedure that provides the best long-lasting results.


2. Tweexing
   Pros: tweezing doesn't cause irritation. It gives the esthetician more control to decide which hair to pull and which ones to leave.
   
   Cons: it takes a long time to pluck all the extra hair, especially in clients with thick eyebrows. Since it's a slow process, clients must endure pain for longer than with other procedures like waxing, where the client only feels pain during the pull.
   
   When to tweeze: as a complementary procedure after waxing or shaving if needed. For clients with thin eyebrows. When clients want a natural finish and just need a cleanup to remove a few extra hairs. For clients that are too sensitive to heat and cannot withstand hard wax's temperature.

3. Threading
   Pros: you can obtain a sharp outcome since threading grabs even the tiniest of hairs. Experts say you can achieve really precise shapes with this procedure because it treats each hair individually. Threading is a technique not everyone is a specialist at, so if you, as a licensed esthetician, master the process, you become one of the few percentage of beauticians that know how to do it, making you much more valuable.
   
   Cons: threading is painful and uncomfortable, although not as much as other option available. The process takes longer than waxing or shaving and can be more expensive than other options. It requires a lot of technique from the esthetician to provide a good service.
   
   When to thread: for clients who want 'power brows' (eyebrows with a natural finish), where it's barely noticeable that they had been done. This option has become a trend in 2017 thanks to actresses such as Emilia Clarke and Cara Delevingne, who have lush, thick eyebrows without much grooming.


4. Shaving
   Pros: quick and easy, practically painless for the client. This procedure generally does not cause redness or irritation.
   
   Cons: results don't last very long and are not as clean and even as with the other treatments mentioned above. Razors cut the hair at the surface instead of removing it from its root; as a consequence, it regrows faster and seemingly thicker. Besides, the esthetician must be extremely careful not to cut the skin with the razor.
   
   When to shave: when clients can't withstand the pain from pulling the hair from its root.

All four options we presented above have their own advantages and drawbacks, but knowing and mastering each one of them will make of you a great esthetician capable of offering a wide array of alternatives.

As a leading hair removal company in the United States, at Beauty Image, we contribute to the evolution of eyebrow grooming by bringing high-quality, innovative hard body waxes to use during said treatments. If you're looking for hard wax or hard wax accessories, we encourage you to visit our online store and discover our lines of hard body waxes—your clients will love our sweet-scented Sweet Dreams waxes or our relaxing Depilsense Ayurveda Beads. We also have hard wax waxing heaters in case you are searching for them too.

For more information about Beauty Image or how to purchase our products through our website, call us at TOLL FREE 888-513-8815 or fill out the contact form on this website. We'll be happy to assist you and answer all your questions! To keep up to date with our promotions, don't forget to follow us on social media: Beauty Image USA on Facebook, @BeautyImageUSA on Twitter, and @beautyimageusa on Instagram.