The Best Way to Shape Your Eyebrows, According to 3 Experts

So, you’re ready to whip your eyebrows into the best shape of their life, but you’re not sure how. With tweezing, threading and waxing at your disposal, what’s the best route to take? We chatted with three eyebrow experts to give us a breakdown of each service, — here’s what we learned.

What You Need to Know About Tweezing Eyebrows

Because tweezing is the only method that removes a single hair at a time, Sania Vucetaj, owner of Sania’s Brow Bar in New York City only abides by this method of eyebrow shaping. “When it comes to brows, everyone wants fuller and symmetrical brows — and each hair makes a huge difference in the shape,” explains Vucetaj. “Using a sterilized tweezer means you can achieve this by carefully removing each individual hair on both sides for precision.” With tweezing, there’s no risk in accidentally removing too much hair and ending up with barely-there or wimpy, uneven brows, she adds.

And because the skin around your eyes and brows is the thinnest and most delicate, constant tugging and pulling can cause skin to sag later on in life. So it’s important to be protective over the fragile area. Tweezing does not tug or rip any layers of skin and instead pulls hair at the root, avoiding any skin irritation, Vucetaj says.

What You Need To Know About Eyebrow Threading

Threading is one of the oldest forms of hair removal and is currently a popular choice for eyebrow shaping or removing unwanted facial hair. Aida Radfar, owner of The Thread Bar in Los Angeles specializes in this ancient technique. “It’s a quick process. We twist and roll the cotton thread across the surface of the skin; hairs then intertwine with the thread and are lifted from the follicle,” she explains. “This allows you to pull one hair or one row at a time, and you have a constant view of the area and their face during the process [to ensure symmetry].”

The average cost of threading is also a bit less expensive than other methods of hair removal. And that’s not all… “It’s also very sanitary as a new thread is used for every customer,” raves Radfar. “It stimulates blood flow, collagen production (like a massage) and exfoliates the skin cells. That’s why when people thread, they notice their brows seem more lifted. It’s also safe to continue using topical creams such as retinols when you’re threading, which you cannot do if you’re waxing,” says Radfar.

What You Need to Know About Eyebrow Waxing

Since waxing removes an entire section of hair with one strip, it’s one of the quickest and most painless of the methods (picture ripping off a Band-Aid, ouch and you’re done!). This is the preferred method of Allison O’Connor, LA-based esthetician. “A good brow wax is my favorite way to shape the eyebrows because the wax also removes the peach fuzz and dead skin around the brow area so you get a clean and sharp look. The stray hairs are also removed from the root so it lasts the longest,” she says.

O’Connor does caution her clients to stop using prescription skincare at least 30 days prior to their appointment. “Everyone's level of sensitivity is different, but it is better to be safe than sorry,” she explains. “It's also a great idea to have a mirror and brow pencil or powder handy when you lay down for your brow appointment. This way you can talk to your esthetician about the shape that you desire and let them show you exactly which hairs they plan to remove,” she says. This little makeup trick will save your brows endlessly and will prepare you for a happy and healthy wax every time.