Threading vs. Waxing: Which Is Better?

You want your brows to be free, bold, and noticeable, to flow wildly in the wind, and be a symbol of your confidence and ability to grow your hair out to enviable thickness.

Your brows goals are not just aiming for fullness and a lack of annoying gaps–you also want to express your inner wild child and your support for freedom of expression. You are not thinking #browsonfleek anymore, instead, you strive for #warriorbrows.

Or, maybe you want your brows to frame your eyes nicely and be at a fullness where you don’t have to spend much time grooming them in the morning to get them to cooperate.

We understand both sides. Maybe brows have become a symbol of strength and freedom to you because a person who goes through life with powerful statement brows is a person who can do anything.

But maybe you are just thankful you’re no longer tweezing the life out of your brows any longer, because it’s not the early 2000s anymore, and we’re all about the #freebritney movement now.

via GIPHY

Taming Your Brows

However you view your brows and how lofty your goals are, it can feel pretty frightening not to know how to take care of them. Getting them to grow out from your aforementioned overplucking days was no small feat. You might not even trust yourself with tweezers when in front of a mirror anymore.

But sure, some grooming needs to be done to maintain a little order and facial symmetry. Especially if you are into the #warriorbrows motto and view your bold brows as a power symbol –the thought of touching those gorgeous caterpillars can be scary. This is where professional brow grooming enters the picture.

Estheticians are trained to clean up your brows in the most professional-looking way (or the most natural-looking way if that’s more the look you’re going for), so you can bare your face without a full-on Frida Kahlo unibrow (we’re going to go out on a limb here and assume most of you are not striving for that look. But if you are, no judgment there).

If you’re going to make a trip to the salon to get your brows fixed up, should you choose threading or waxing? What even is the difference? Stick with us, brow lovers, because we are going to delve into the details about threading and waxing and which of these options are our top choice.

What Is Eyebrow Waxing?

Waxing is a hair removal method that includes spreading heated wax onto the skin so that as it slightly cools, it grips the hairs. Thin paper is placed onto the wax, and then together, they are ripped out, removing the hairs from the roots.

Waxing can also be used in other locations of the body other than the brows and is a prevalent method for legs, underarms, and bikini areas.

The good news about waxing is that the ripping is quick and instantaneous, and repeated waxing leads over time to hair growing back softer and finer, making for easier hair removal the next time.

But its main downside is that it’s a fairly painful method that can irritate the skin, particularly sensitive skin. Those with skin issues or those currently undergoing certain skin treatments may not even be able to wax.

via GIPHY

What Is Eyebrow Threading?

Eyebrow threading is an ancient technique originating in Asia that uses fine thread to remove the excess brow hairs sitting outside of your brow line. Watching it hardcore reminds us of those yarn games we would play in middle school (cat’s cradle, anyone?), but we digress.

The thread is coated in hardened wax for grip on the brow hairs. Through the movement of the threads, the hairs get caught and pulled out.

Some say threading is uncomfortable, while others say it’s non-irritating, so be prepared for either on your first visit. However, we know that it is better for sensitive skin since it won’t lift the skin like waxing might. But be warned that threading may trigger a sneezing response!

Which Should I Choose? Threading or Waxing?

Waxing and threading are quite different in their hair removal approach. Threading is much more of a small-scale operation, whereas waxing can be completed on large sections. The pain of each varies and affects people differently. Both options offer professional quality brows, and some salons even offer a mix of both methods to achieve brow perfection.

But we can’t help but choose threading as our top choice for a few reasons.

Why We Love Threading

We are pretty excited about threading because it offers some great advantages. The thread is coated in wax, but it doesn’t pull at the hairs in the same way waxing does, making it a less painful alternative. And threading pulls out the brow hairs at the follicle, meaning no skin is ripped out like with waxing.

This all leads to threading being a gentler, less traumatizing experience (we’re mainly talking about hair removal trauma, but hey, it’s pretty traumatic getting hot wax ripped off your skin too). Threading is the ideal option for anyone with a low pain tolerance or sensitive skin.

Also, threading is our top pick because it gets even more of those tiny pesky brow hairs growing way outside the shape of your brows since it pulls hair directly from the follicles.

For a close groom, we choose threading as our favorite option.

What To Keep In Mind Before Visiting the Salon

Before making a trip to the salon, be prepared so that you leave with the brows you’re envisioning. Do not assume that the esthetician can read your mind about what you want your brows to look like because there are many different style requests they’re familiar with.

Bringing a picture for a clear visual of your goals is always a good idea to prevent any misunderstandings. And be sure to discuss threading versus waxing with your esthetician if you have any questions.

via GIPHY

Takeaway

If we’ve convinced you to hit the salon to get your brows professionally touched up, we take it you’re feeling pretty confident that your esthetician will follow your requests for the final look. We trust this method ourselves, as long as you come prepared to explain the look you want.

However, we won’t lie to you: sometimes slip-ups do happen. Sometimes a little too much hair is removed from a spot and the esthetician can get a bit too hair-removal-happy (argh, the over-tweezing plague gets even the best of us!). If this is the case, don’t panic! We have a solution for this.

Our ForBrow Eyebrow Growth Serum is perfect for when you need to get your brows to grow back quickly (we’re talking “results in as little as two weeks” quick). And to make it even easier to hide the sudden sparsity in your brows while you wait for regrowth, use our ForBrow Eyebrow Fill Pen to draw in natural hair-like strokes so that no one will even notice the accident.

Now you can visit the salon with peace of mind knowing even over-threading or overwaxing can’t get in the way of your #warriorbrows.

Sources:

Hair Removal: When You Shouldn't Tweeze Your Hair | Women's Health

What Is Eyebrow Threading? How Eyebrow Threading Works | In Style

What Is the "Free Britney'' Movement? - Britney Spears' Conservatorship Details | Harper's Bazaar

Continue reading