Beauty Q&A: Can You Thread Your Eyebrows at Home?
October 28, 2021
Many of us have made mistakes in pursuit of flawless, defined eyebrows, from over plucking to scorching ourselves with too-hot wax. Eyebrow threading is a natural alternative that requires no heat, is incredibly precise and can be performed in less than 20 minutes. But is it possible to do at home? We asked Hibba Kapil, the owner of Hibba Beauty Studios in New York City, whether or not you can thread your own brows, the many benefits of threading and why her salon no longer offers waxing above the neck.
What is Eyebrow Threading?
“Eyebrow threading is a way to remove extra hairs around the brows using just a piece of thread,” says Kapil. She starts by wrapping the thread around her neck, “like a lasso,” to create tension around the hairs she’s trying to remove. This is the most important step because if the skin is not held completely taut, the thread could cut you or break the hairs mid-shaft, rather than pull them straight from the follicle. Next, Kapil moves her head backwards to pull out the hairs. The process usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and results last for about four weeks.
Benefits of Eyebrow Threading
It Gives Super Clean Lines
“From a technical point of view, threading gives me a lot of control and precision on what hair I want to remove,” Kapil says. “Part of the thread acts as a measuring edge so it creates very crisp, sharp lines.”
It’s Ideal for Sensitive Skin
“The area under the brow is very sensitive,” says Kapil. “The more you wax, the more sensitive that area becomes, and there’s a chance you’re going to get burned or the area will become dry or flaky.”
That’s why Kapil’s salon has a no-waxing-from-the-neck-up policy. “Even though we use a sensitive skin-friendly wax, we’ve noticed over the course of many years that nine out of ten times, when we wax a client’s face, either they’ll get an ingrown because the hair gets stuck under the skin, or the skin comes off,” she says.
If you’re using skincare products that exacerbate your skin’s sensitivity, threading may be the only way to go in terms of hair removal (other than tweezing). “If you’re on retinol or Accutane, you cannot even think about waxing your brows, because your skin will definitely come off,” Kapil says.
Can You Thread Your Own Brows ?
Unlike tweezing, eyebrow threading is not a DIY-friendly practice. “You’d need four hands to thread your brows,” Kapil says. “How are you going to hold your skin tight when you’re busy removing hair?” She knows of very few professionals who are able to master the technique on themselves, let alone those of us just starting out.
If you’re still determined to learn to thread yourself, start by practicing on your legs. “That’s how we learned in school,” Kapil says. “You have to grow out the hair on your lower legs, sit in a squatting position and start threading in sections. That teaches you how much pressure to apply to the skin.” Once you feel confident threading your leg hair, you can move on to less delicate areas of the face, such as the upper lip or chin.
Still, Kapil recommends leaving your brows to the pros. “Even if your skin is naturally extremely tight, there’s a chance the thread could cut you or peel the skin,” she says. Stick to regular threading appointments, and keep your brows groomed in the meantime with a strong-hold gel, such as the NYX Professional Makeup The Brow Glue.
Photo: Hibba Beauty Studios
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