Shobha Tummala, owner of Shobha Salons, which has locations in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Shobha Salons specialize in hair removal, offering threading, bikini waxes, laser, and more. Some people have more sensitivity than others after threading, but abiding by aftercare minimises this. Yana recommends applying "a light moisturiser to the area to keep the skin hydrated and soothe any redness that occurs during the treatment." In addition to this, avoid direct sunlight, swimming in chlorinated water, using saunas or applying make-up to the area as she says this will help to avoid further irritation. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. Some report that threading is unpleasant, while others don’t mind the hassle of the pulling and tugging that comes with it. Threading is performed with a simple cotton thread; an aesthetician holds one end of the thread in their mouth to keep it anchored and loops the other end around various hair follicles on a client’s face and pulls them out.

Although eyebrow threading is a popular and generally safe cosmetic procedure, it does have certain risks for the skin such as irritation, infection and hyperpigmentation. Threading certainly isn’t for everyone!” Dr. Ranasinghe states. “For patients with sensitive skin types, I recommend trying both threading and waxing to see which one works best for them.” Caring for threaded brows Good news: That look is achievable for you, too! If you’re a fan of a sculpted, sharp-looking brows, threading is where it’s at. And bonus: Many people find it less painful than other forms of hair removal! Some reactions can develop due to sensitive skin, while others may be a result of unsanitary conditions during your eyebrow threading session. It’s important to take note of the cleanliness and professionalism of the environment where you plan to receive your service before sitting down (and if anything makes you uncomfortable, it’s OK to leave without going through with it). Unlike traditional eyebrow waxing that uses warm wax and special fabric strips for removal, threading only requires a cotton thread. This may be favorable for those who are sensitive to certain chemicals used in wax, or the escalated friction that comes with ripping wax and hair off near the eyes.Keep your operation above and around your brow. “Underneath your brow bone is so delicate, I wouldn't thread there on your own. You can potentially cut your skin, create a hole in the brow, or even worse, pull out an eyelash,” adds Weiss. Ouch. How to Groom Your Brows If You Can’t Thread Threading is one of the oldest forms of hair removal, and like many ancient techniques, it can take a ton of training and practice to get it right,” explains Bailey. “There are many ways to safely shape your brows at home without compromising your overall shape and long-term health of your brows… threading is not one of those ways.”

And at-home brow threading can have consequences more painful than potentially ruining your brow shape. “It can be slightly dangerous to your skin,” adds Kayla Weiss, cosmetologist and co-owner of Los Angeles’ Thread Eyebrows. “When threading is done properly, the skin must be properly stretched to keep the brow bone tight. This prevents cutting your skin.” When it comes to maintenance, it really depends how long you like to leave your brows before getting them redone. However, Yana says most people leave it three to four weeks, “this gives sufficient time for the hair to regrow enough to obtain effective removal with threading.” Any shorter and she explains that the hair may not be long enough to work with, “as the thread needs to be able to get a good grip.”It’s increasingly common to see threading services offered in salons throughout the Western world, but, as Dr. Ranasinghe puts it, “Threading is an art and needs to be performed by an experienced threading specialist.” How does threading compare to waxing and tweezing? Once your appointment is over, it’s important to remember that you’ve got a bunch of open hair follicles on your face. That means you need to take all of the same precautions you do after a waxing appointment to avoid breakouts and infection. Searching for information on threading is quite the experience. Most people extol its virtues, but every once in a while, you’ll read that it’s terrible for you. It can even give you herpes! Yana likes to recommend the Nouveau Lashes Lash & Brow Conditioning Serum post-treatment for conditioning to clients, as well as the HD Brows Brow Glue to set brows in place. Threading maintenance Put down the tweezers: Brangan does not recommend at-home touch-ups between sessions. "We advise our clients to just leave it to us—please no tweezing at home. More often than not, most will ruin their brow shape with tweezers by going into their shape, even if they think they are only tweezing stray hairs," she shares.