Should I get eyebrow waxing, threading or plucking?

Taking care of your own eyebrows can be time-consuming and lead to teenage-esque disasters. It’s very difficult to accurately shape and balance your own brows, so it’s always worth turning to a professional beauty therapist. However, you’re then faced with the minefield of whether you should get your eyebrows waxed, threaded or plucked. How do you know which is best – eyebrow threading or waxing or plucking?

EYEBROW FAUX PAS

The easiest way to start addressing your options is to eliminate one. Plucking is no longer considered to be a good approach to shapely and cared for brows. 

Follicle growth can be hampered by poor tweezer use, or simply plucking them too often. Reaching for the tweezers is absolutely fine for removing that stray rogue hair that seems to appear from nowhere between treatments, but it’s not a solution for full brow shaping. This is because with each pluck, you risk snapping the hair at the root, and it simply won’t grow back.

With the possible permanent damage, you could find that many hairs don’t grow back and you end up unable to create a flattering brow, especially as eyebrow fashion changes.

Then there’s the fact that waxing and threading last longer than plucking. With plucking you are likely to need your tweezers again after just 2 weeks. Why does threading and waxing last longer than plucking? It’s because they remove the root along with the hair.

EYEBROW THREADING VS WAXING

The real decision comes down to choosing between eyebrow threading or waxing. To help you make the decision, it’s useful to know what’s involved with each process, and the pros and cons of each of them. 

Eyebrow waxing

With eyebrow waxing, some warm wax is carefully applied by the beauty therapist to the hairs which will be removed. They then apply a small paper strip, apply some pressure, and then quickly remove the paper, pulling the hairs out with it.

Eyebrow threading

Despite its surge in popularity making eyebrow threading seem relatively new, it’s actually been around for hundreds of years. With the skin of the brow held taught, wax-coated thread is expertly twisted around the hairs, quickly pulling them away from the follicle.

IS THREADING OR WAXING BETTER?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of both.

Waxing is widely available and is usually advocated for those who find threading more painful. It’s fast, and provides good results. Most people find that, over time and through repeated wax treatments, their eyebrow hairs tend to feel softer and finer. Waxing is also particularly useful for people with thick brows, as it can remove a good amount of hair in one go.

However, it’s quite a bit harder to get a very precise finish with waxing. It’s also not suitable for some individuals, including those with sensitive skin, those undergoing chemical peels, or those using retinol (an ingredient in some anti-aging creams).

Eyebrow threading, on the other hand, is generally considered better for those with sensitive skin, skin allergies, or if you’ve had unwanted effects from waxing in the past. Threading is more precise, especially with a skilled technician who is able to roll tiny hairs into the waxed-thread, along with the more obvious ones. There’s less prep and clean-up than with waxing.

However, many people report that threading is more painful than waxing. It’s also a trickier procedure, and, without the brow skin being held taught, it can lead to accidental small cuts. However, the real reason that threading can seem more painful is most likely because it takes repeated efforts. Whereas with waxing, it’s one swift movement as the wax strip is removed.

THREADING OR WAXING: AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD?

Both threading and waxing are considered to be semi-permanent. The effects last longer than instant hair removal like shaving, but not as long as something like laser hair removal. They both remove the hair from the root, but don’t actually remove and kill the root, so the hair will grow back.

Depending on how quickly your eyebrow hair grows, both threading and waxing last for several weeks, with some people not needing to repeat treatments for as many as 6 weeks. With both techniques, the success depends on the hairs being a reasonable length for each new treatment. Threading can be done on marginally shorter hairs than waxing.

Then there is the time that it takes to have your eyebrows professionally waxed or plucked. Again, both take around the same amount of time, in the region of 20 minutes. The cost is also usually identical. At Secret Spa our beauty therapists can offer both waxing and threading, and the treatment costs the same for the same length of time.

So, in many ways, there isn’t a clear cut reason to choose threading or waxing. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference. But if you’re still unsure then your professional beauty therapist will be able to recommend what’s best for you.

PREPARING FOR THREADING OR WAXING

Whether it’s threading or waxing, it’s a good idea to have cleaned your skin beforehand, removing any traces of make-up. Having your eyebrows threaded or waxed when there is dirt or oil build-up can lead to post-treatment pimples. A trained beautician will ensure your skin is clean before starting. For the same reason, don’t apply make-up such as brow pencil immediately afterwards, as this can easily get into and clog the opened follicles. This makes it perfect for an at-home beauty treatment.

We also usually advise that you avoid the sun or sunbeds for a day before plucking, waxing or threading, as well as the day afterwards. Sun exposure can make your skin more sensitive. Some women also find that it’s worth avoiding eyebrow sessions around their period because the hormones can make their skin more sensitive.

Choosing between eyebrow threading or waxing really is a personal choice. You can try both and see which you prefer.

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