Why Tweezing Trumps Wax When It Comes To Brows

While we'd like to consider ourselves relatively handy when it comes to our brows, we admit that, other than plucking some stray hairs and shaping with gel, we're pretty clueless about how to keep those suckers shaped and sharp. After all, not everyone opts for brow transplants or brow wigs. So, when we met brow expert Sabria Celaj, we had to find out what she would recommend for at-home brow care.

Celaj says she became interested in brows early in life. "I've been shaping brows since I was 16 on my family and friends. I grew up in a family that was very into a natural beauty look, so my focus was always more on brow shaping than on actual makeup." From the very beginning, she only used sharp, angled tweezers. (She uses Tweezerman exclusively.) "Tweezing is more precise than threading, because threading removes entire rows of hair at a time," says the expert. "It also causes a lot of friction on the skin, which can eventually lead to ingrowns." Celaj isn't a fan of waxing for similar reasons. "With waxing, you can very easily end up taking off too much hair."

So, if you're a brow-shaping newbie, where to start? "I begin by tweezing on the inside and working outward," explains Celaj. To ensure that the shape of the brow works for the client's face, Celaj always lets the brows' natural shape and the curve of the brow bone be her guide. And, she never, ever forces an arch. "If the client has a naturally round brow, I don't give them an arch," she explains. "False arches look way too harsh." After tweezing, Celaj recommends calming skin with aloe vera gel first and then following with concealer once the gel has been absorbed by the skin.

If, on the other hand, you've already done the damage and over-tweezed your brows, Celaj suggests combing the hairs you have with a spoolie (it makes brows look thicker) and using Revitalash to stimulate growth. From there, it's all about patience and strategic penciling — just promise you won't resort to these.

Tweezerman Stainless Steel Mini Slant Tweezer, $15, available at Sephora; Tweezerman Isaac Mizrahi Splatter Paint Tweezer, $15 available at Sephora.