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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Plucking Princess Eyebrows

Having had LOTS of practice plucking eyebrows having had five girls, I figured I would share the wisdom. The girls dad is ethnic and being ethnic, he gave them some things that have been wonderful blessings. 
 
Dark skin that doesn't burn easily or the lovely long eyelashes, he also gave them them some things that aren't so lovely. Bushy eyebrows may have been big in the 80's but I have never been really big on the untamed look of the girls eyes so from an early age, I shaped their eyebrows with a little plucking as it doesn't take much sometimes to just give the eye some shape and form which accents those LOVELY long lashes they have been so blessed with.

The girls lashes are so long that when they wear their glasses or sunglasses, the lashes hit the lenses. How many people would kill for that? Most of the time, they don't have to wear any mascara as they lashes take care of themselves being so dark and full. 

The eye brows are meant to be two separate brows. Many people have hair in between the eyebrows. Most of the girls have gotten a nice mix of the two of their parents and the problem isn't bad. 

I usually pluck the girls eyebrows after they have showered. The brows soften up in the shower with the warm water and it can be really relaxing to have them done just before bed. In fact, tonight when I was doing it and taking pictures and video, Princess Five fell asleep. I thought that was funny but she thought I was doing it for hours when in reality, it takes about 10 minutes to do. 

I usually do my own eyebrows in the car in natural light while I am waiting for the girls after dance or something. The natural light really makes the brow show up and I keep a set of tweezers in the car for just that occasion. I never take more than about 1 minute to do my own as I keep up on them.
 
I posted a video plucking Princess Five's eyes on youtube. Here is the link for that

For the inside of the eyebrow, draw a line with your finger from the center of the nostril up to the forehead. You don't want to pluck the eyebrow in any further than that. On most people, that is where the eyebrow starts so keep that invisible line in your head as you start plucking. Every girl, when they start plucking their own eyes, has gone in too far on one eye and then we have had to let it grow out and it looks a bit funny for a few months while the hair grows back in. You can see on the nose side of Princess Five's left eye, she did that at it is a bit further from the nose than the other eyebrow. We are letting it grow back in.
 
Usually, I pull the skin in the opposite direction that the hair is growing. I don't pull hard but just tight enough that it is firm and then pick up the hair with the tweezers and pull the hair out in the direction the hair is growing. Don't go against the hairs natural growth direction when plucking or the tweezers may cut off the hair and it is more painful going against the grain when plucking. 
 
It makes the skin softer to use some A & D ointment or some other non-scented lotion on the brow to soften it up if you don't do it after a shower. I used to work with a girl who would have me pluck her brows all the time and I used lotion for her but I really do think if you have thick eyebrows, doing it after a bath, swimming or shower is the best time. 

If you have hair that grows above the brow and into the hairline, I usually just slide my finger along the brow smoothing it in the direction it should be and then go just above that main growth of hair and start plucking out the ones that aren't next to any other hair. The same goes for the eye lid and below the eye on the cheek if you have hair there as well. Many men have hair there that they won't shave as it is close to the eye so you can pluck those hairs as well. 


The hair on the bridge of the nose can be plucked as well as the "unibrow" in between the brows. Basically, if the hair is touching other hair, leave it. If you smooth the eyebrow and the hair isn't touching any other hair after smoothing, pluck it out. That is unless you have a hair deficiency or problem. 

If you have a unibrow, that doesn't apply to the area between the eyes. Pluck ANYTHING that is on the bridge of the nose or between the eyes  that is in between those lines drawn up from the center of the nostril.  There shouldn't be any hair visible in that area. 

When in doubt? DON'T pluck it. It is easier to go back in a few days and pluck a few hairs after you have a chance to see it in the light than to wait for MONTHS for it to grow back and you look silly while it is growing back. 

When I am plucking eyebrows on others, I always do one eye first and then let them go look in the mirror at the stark difference in the one eye versus the other. If you do both, they can't really tell you have done anything. But, if you do one eye and then let them look, they will KNOW you did something. This is good for younger boys or teens that may have a unibrow. You don't want them getting made fun of for being hairy and doing one eye will then help them see how plucking or getting laser hair removal or getting it waxed can make them look like a different person. 

If they are scared to have the laser or the waxing done, do one eye with tweezers and then show them the difference just one time. Put on a movie and pluck slowly so they don't stress and flinch when you are plucking or you will have a fight on your hands and may never get them back to do it again. 

Be VERY careful not to pinch the skin or eyelid with the tweezers. I have done this to the girls a few times over the years when I got distracted and they have a little scab for a few days. Try not to do that as it hurts. 

Anyway, plucking can be very helpful at giving people confidence as it really does shape the eye and gives everyone a finished look. I was watching a woman sing awhile back and I was sitting at the back of the church and the only thing I could see on her face from back there was her eyebrows. This isn't a judgement, just an observation. Dark skinned races genetically have thicker hair. This is great when it is on your head but not always great when it is on the face.

After an initial plucking, the person can usually follow the lines you gave them and pluck the incoming new hair growth on their own. Sometimes it just take one plucking or waxing to give them the "format" or pattern on where to pluck. 

Good luck and I hope it isn't too painful!

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