Eyebrows are one of those things that I often wish doesn’t exist. Some people are blessed with naturally perfect brows – the kind which never grow a hair out of place, always sit where they are supposed to, and don’t require a sneaky touch of eyebrow pencil every now and again. I am not one of these people. So the world of eyebrow maintenance is a beautiful and intriguing world for me.
Although sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Walk down any decent sized high street and you will probably be bombarded with a plethora of signs advertising eyebrow threading or waxing. And every girl has, at some point, met with a traditional pair of tweezers.
So which method is best? I gathered together a group of friends to find out what each of them thinks.
Threading:
This service has really taken off over the past few years. Many Asian cultures have sworn by it for years, and it’s easy to see why.
Threading removes hair right from the root, using a long string of thread to pull lines of hair mainly from the top of the brow. It is probably one of the more painful methods; Hannah Bergin (first year English and French student) said her skin was left sore and red after her first threading experience. However it does last up to four or five weeks, and achieves a professional, clean shape.
Some people are put off by the public element of threading. The service is commonly offered in shopping centres or stores such as Superdrug or Debenhams, so you don’t get the benefit of privacy which is more associated with treatments like waxing.
Waxing:
You have two options when it comes to waxing. Pre-cut strips are widely available – these ones by Parissa are £8.69 in Boots and it have great reviews.
Megan Bryant (first year History student) is a big fan of DIY brow waxing, although she does warn “practise makes perfect – doing your eyebrows yourself is a real skill!”
If you aren’t quite as confident in your own ability as Megan, there is always the option of getting your brows professionally waxed! This will obviously work out a bit more expensive, but does pretty much guarantee a great shape which really suits your face. Most beauty salons will offer this service, you can expect to pay around £6 – £10, depending on where you go!
Plucking
This is the traditional method of keeping eyebrows under control! Of course this method relies entirely on your own eye and a steady hand, and it is quite a slow process. Amy Burley (nursing student) says “it’s so important to get a good quality pair of tweezers! They make it a lot easier to catch the hair”. I personally recommend QVS Slant Tip tweezers, available from Superdrug.
Isabella Bruce (first year German student) also added that it’s a good idea to keep a pair of tweezers in the cupboard even if you prefer threading or waxing. This means you can take care of any stray hairs that appear between appointments.