Eyebrow threading is a depilation technique which originated in India, although it is also widely practiced in the Middle East. Salons in Western nations offered the service to Middle Eastern clients for decades before European and American women became interested and the popularity of eyebrow threading skyrocketed. The hair removal technique is not just for the eyebrows: threading can be used to remove other facial and body hair as well.

The technique is sometimes listed on salon menus as khite or fatlah, which are both Arabic words for threading. Eyebrow threading involves twisting a piece of thread, usually cotton, into a double strand. This double stranded thread is used to pick up a line of hair and then remove it, creating a very clean, precise hairline.

While it takes a little practice, all you need to get started is a length of thread!

• Gather the materials listed in the Things You’ll Need section below. All you really need is a piece of thread, but you may wish to draw in your desired eyebrow shape with a pencil or numb the area with some ice or cold water.
• Tie the ends of the thread together so they form a circle. Snip off any extra thread beyond the knot in the thread.
• Hold the section of the thread with the knot in one hand, and hold the opposite section with your other hand.
• Twist the hand without the knot five or six times, while holding the other section of the thread tightly (this is to avoid getting the knot in the middle of the thread). You should have an infinity or hourglass shape.
• Practice opening one hand, while closing the other at the same time. The twisting thread in the middle is what will remove the hair. Practicing the scissor motion will help you later on.
• Hold your hands so your fingers are facing away from your face, and position them over one eyebrow.
• Place the triangle of the thread, so that the hair you want to pluck is within the thread. You should be threading against the direction the hair grows, so you should move the point of the triangle opposite the direction the hair grows.
• Close the hand controlling the triangle around the hair, as you open the other hand. Make sure the thread is still touching the skin, and quickly make the opposite motion (scissors). The hair should be pulled out!
• Keep practicing at threading. It takes a little practice to be able to do it well.

Warnings

• Practice on an inconspicuous area before attempting to thread your own eyebrows.
• If you decide not to use toner to close pores after threading, be aware that these open pores could be susceptible to infection.