The popular trend of eyebrow threading has become the preferred choice, upstaging waxing and plucking among clients looking for the perfect brow shape while removing unwanted hair, Chicagoland salon owners say.
Eyebrow threading has many benefits other than creating the perfect, structured arch. Clients agree it also slows the growth of hair over time because it tends to grow back finer and lighter. The procedure is less painful and inexpensive than waxing and doesn’t burn or harm the skin, clients say. And unlike tweezing, which must be done daily, threading is often needed every two to four weeks.
A brow service performed correctly by a threading specialist enhances features of the face on both women and men. Natasha Nakum, 49, is the owner of Natasha Style and Cut, nestled in the neighborhood known as Little India at 2759 West Devon Ave., in Chicago.
Nakum swears threading changes her whole appearance, and people of all races are now becoming familiar with this form of art.
“It’s better than waxing, because the thin thread gives me more control to get close and shape the arch of the brow,” Nakum said. She holds a string of cotton thread about 15 inches long, places one end between her teeth and wraps the other end around the index and middle fingers, forming a triangle.
This quick and neat procedure originated from either the Middle East or Indian subcontinent. “I believe it’s from Turkey, but no one can be sure where it’s exactly derived from,” she said, removing stray hairs in straight rows from the brow of Sadia Hussain, a client who has been coming to Nakum for seven years.
Thread is used in a twisting motion to trap and lift hair right out of the follicle. Tweezing also lifts hair from the follicle, but people tend to overpluck, which creates an unattractive look — a brow that is too thin and just barely there, in which the client has an expression of permanent surprise.
Hussain, 22, director of a health and wellness program for autistic adults, is of Pakistani descent. She said she appreciates each hair being pulled individually by thread, whereas with wax the hairs are stripped off all at once. Waxing can sometimes burn the skin, which leads to irritation.
“It’s worth the shot if you’ve never threaded. The pain from threading becomes bearable after the first time because it’s minimal,” she said. Hussain still admits to tearing up but said that’s just because she has sensitive nerves.
The technique is precise and leaves clients addicted to coming back, some said. Michelle M., 23, jumped out of her reclined seat to inspect her brows for perfection before leaving. “I used to overpluck, which was horrible. The first time I threaded after months of growing my hair out they were perfect for my face, and I won’t touch them now,” she said.
The cost of threading brows is very reasonable. “It only costs $5 for my eyebrows and the most I’ve seen is $7,” Michelle M. said. Other areas of unwanted hair on the face that can also be removed by threading are the upper lip, neck and sideburns. The costs for these range from $3 to $25.
“If my eyebrows aren’t done, I don’t feel right,” she continued. To ease the feeling of pain or redness, beauticians often apply a cooling, redness relief gel on after the procedure. These side effects last only about an hour.
Threading leaves a natural and well proportioned finish on a person’s face, many clients said. In these economic hard times, threading could be another way to save money — the cheaper addictive beauty regime not to feel guilty about!