I've had a few people ask me about shaping their eyebrows. Some people are unhappy with their current shape; some don't want to spend $15+ every 2 weeks to have their brows maintained by a professional, and others can't get waxed because they use retin-A or another acne treatment that thins their skin.

No matter what the reason, there are a few things you need to know before tackling your own brows.

I suggest getting your original shape from a professional, and then maintaining the shape on your own with tweezers.

Make sure when you get your eyebrows professionally done, that you are seeing an esthetician. Estheticians specialize in skin care and have more training, experience and interest in skin care services, including waxing. Also, if you cannot get waxed because of medication or skin sensitivities, you can have an esthetician tweeze your brows for you.

As an esthetician (and a picky one at that), I usually do my own waxing, but the only other person I trust with my brows is an esthetician I used to work with at Salon Vivace. She now owns "Spa Nupalle" on Industrial Blvd in Bethel Park. Her name is Justina and she is quick, accurate, virtually painless, and a real sweet heart. If you're looking for someone to go to, this is definitely your girl.

If you're planning to tackle your brows on your own, here are a few tips to help you:

Your eyebrows are a frame for your entire face. When they are shaped properly, they make your eyes look more open and your face look brighter. It is important to make sure you have the correct shape for your face and not a shape you saw and liked on someone else.

You'll want to let your brows go for 3-4 weeks to ensure that you are starting with a full brow

1. Your brows should begin directly above the tear duct on the inside corner of your eye. If your brows are closer together than this, remove the excess hair. If your brows are farther apart then this, you may have to pencil them in using the technique I will describe later.

2. Your brows should end at the outside corner of the eye or very slightly outside that corner. If your brows extended out father than this, remove the excess hair. If your brows do not extend to the outside corner of the eye, you may have to pencil them in.

3. Now that your brows are the correct length, you will want to add the arch. In order to find the correct spot for your arch, hold a pencil at the bottom corner of your nose along the outside of the nostril. Angle this pencil so that is crosses over the pupil when your eyes are looking straight ahead. The spot that the pencil crosses over your eyebrow should be the highest point of your arch. Now create a soft arch using this high point as a guide. If waxing your brows, please be sure to follow the instructions for proper waxing below. If tweezing your brows, remember to take your time and relax.

4. Once you have created your arch, you can use an eyebrow pencil to fill in any bare or uneven spots until the hair grows in. To learn how to correctly pencil in your brows, see the instructions below.

Instructions for waxing your eyebrows properly:

- I recommend using soft wax (the kind that comes with strips) for all facial waxing because I think it is less painful
- Make sure area is clean and dry
- Apply wax in a smooth straight line over hair to be removed. Always apply wax in the direction that the hair grows. If the wax drags or skips, it is either too cool or you are not using enough.
- Apply a muslin strip over the wax, and rub a few times to assure adhesion. 
- Put your pointer finger at the end of the eyebrow, closest to your hairline, and pull skin taught with one hand while removing the strip in the opposite direction of hair growth with the other hand.
- Apply pressure with your free hand to reduce stinging
- Once you have waxed an area, you cannot re-wax the same area again. I there is hair left after you have waxed, remove it with tweezers.
- you can use baby oil to remove any wax left on your skin 
- Apply aloe to relieve stinging or pain.

Instructions for penciling your eyebrows in properly

- Choose an eyebrow pencil that matches your brow color.

- make sure pencil is sharpened, but not pointy. You will want the point to be slightly rounded off

- apply pencil in short stokes (about 1/8 of an inch in length) to look like hair.

Send your Beauty Questions to [email protected] and I'll answer them in my next blog.

Don't forget to stop back on Monday for another dose of the beauty blog!

Thanks, 

Bethany