Brow shaping best left to pros

By Al Varela

Dear Al: My eyebrows are a mess and I don't know what to do with them. They are bushy, and when I try to shape them, I always seem to pluck too much off. How do I get my eyebrows to look right for me?

Beautiful pictures often come in frames that best suit the works of art. Some pieces look better behind a big frame, while others are best displayed in a delicate, small frame. You should think of your face in the same way, and since eyebrows are a framing element of your face, you must determine what style and shape will best enhance your image.

With your dilemma, you have to stop plucking haphazardly and allow the brow to grow back for a couple of weeks. Then have a professional guide you and determine the best shape for you.

Deciding on what shape fits you is determined by the natural growth and arch of your brow. Always look at the top of the brow closely and notice the direction of the hair growth. This will give you an idea as to which hairs to tweeze. Always remove the hairs from the bottom of the brow, not the top.

Hair removal can be achieved through tweezing and waxing. Many times bushy brows can also be bleached to give a lighter effect, although overuse of bleach can weaken the hairs causing them to break off.

Brow hair does not grow back thicker with constant removal. Instead, the continuous tweezing and waxing can cause the individual hairs to stop growing altogether.

Once you have achieved a shape you like, brushing them on a daily basis and using a long lasting eyebrow fixative will always keep them in shape. You can also use a sealing wax to lightly go over them and make them stay. This is a temporary fix since the wax holds only a few hours. a natural or taupe colored pencil is essential to fix in bare or light spots in your brow.

Having good tweezers is essential to keeping your eyebrows groomed between your waxing appointments. The slanted tip tweezers by Rubis of Switzerland has been one of the finest I have found and holds its shape after repeated use.

Brow care isn't like a "do it yourself" frame shop. Seek advice from a professional and then follow the recommended steps to achieve a look that belongs in a gallery.

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