Threading is a hair-removal technique done with careful maneuvering of the hands and a thread. Troy Dupler (pictured) said the technique was gentle and didn't hurt as much as plucking or waxing.
Jayshri Patel of Lancaster threads Troy Dupler's eyebrows. Threading, a technique passed down through generations in India, is making its mark here. It allows the threader to be very precise in the hair-removal process.
In an effort to streamline beauty costs, some people are turning to the art of threading to eliminate facial and body hair.
The method is primarily used to keep eyebrows shaped and clean, according to Jayshri Patel, a Lancaster woman who has studied the art.
Threading eliminates the need to purchase razors or hair removal creams and requires less upkeep than daily shaving, according to Patel.
Originating in India, eyebrow threading can groom and shape your eyebrows as an alternative to plucking or waxing. People who receive the threading treatment say it's less painful than a brow waxing.
"However, it is not as hard on your skin," according to Patel. "There is hardly any trauma to the area."
Patel works on friends and family and anyone who is curious about the art and it is also offered locally as a specialized service at the Hair Cuttery in the food court area at Park City Center, according to the salon's district leader Kristen Sipe.
Shradhdha Patel, a stylist at the salon, has been threading eyebrows with Hair Cuttery for about six years and works with clients on an appointment basis. Moving to the states from India, the salon chain was Patel's first career stateside, Sipe said. The service costs $16 for the eyebrows, $8 for lips, $8 for chin or $32 for the entire face, Sipe said.
Threading your eyebrows can give you a better result than waxing or plucking because the technique pulls an entire row of hair from the follicle to achieve a more straight-looking line of hair, said Patel. Because there aren't many people locally who are familiar with it, and it is not taught in cosmetology schools, finding stylists to do this service is rare, Sipe said.
The art of threading is usually passed down through generations and is considered an art form by those who perform it. Patel learned it from her sisters and friends and claims that everyone in her homeland of India does it.
"I would say only about 10 percent wax," Patel said.
Threading can be used on the entire face, removing excess hair from the chin, eyebrows, chin, sideburns and cheeks, according to Patel. This method can be performed on men as well as women. It can also be applied to the hairline and upper lip and used to trim mustaches and beards.
In Arabic, hair threading is called "khite;" in Egypt, "fatlah."
Some tips to follow are:
• Numb your eyebrow area by rubbing ice on it for several seconds before beginning the threading process.
• When threading your own eyebrows, be aware that you may not do it perfectly the first time, but practice will make it easier. Should you make a mistake, remember that your eyebrows will grow back and you can always use an eyebrow pencil to fix any problems.
• 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.
There are some advantages of threading over tweezing and waxing, according to Sipe.
"Threading removes naturally straight lines of hair," Patel said. "The pulling of hair is smooth and natural, which is less painful compared to waxing. "
Another advantage of hair threading is that the top layers of skin are not peeled or traumatized. As a result, hair threading does not cause breakouts, redness or pigmentation. Therefore, hair threading can be good for people with sensitive skin, Patel said.
In contrast, waxing can sometimes traumatize the top layer of facial skin, which could lead to skin loosening and wrinkles, Sipe said.
A new thread is used at every treatment to keep hair threading a hygienic procedure. There are no other tools needed to complete the service and the tools are all natural, Sipe said.
Threading, like plucking or waxing, can cause skin irritation and ingrown hairs. However, regular threading treatments cause hair regrowth to be finer and more sparse, leading to reduced skin irritation and ingrown hairs.
HOW TO:
The threading process goes like this, according to www.abouthow.com:
1. Cut a piece of regular cotton thread into a 24-inch strand. Tie the ends together to form a circle.
2. Hold the thread around all four fingers and thumb of each hand and open your hands. With your fingers and thumb, form the circle of thread into a rectangle in front of you.
3. Twist the thread about 10 times in the middle. With your hands apart in front of you, the string should now look similar to an "X," with the twisted portion in the middle.
4. Push the twisted portion of the thread to the right by extending the fingers and thumb of your left hand while closing the fingers to the thumb of your right hand. Then push the twisted portion to the left by extending the fingers and thumb of your right hand while closing the fingers to the thumb of your left hand. Do this a few times until it becomes easy.
5. Place the thread on the skin with the twisted portion of the thread just to the side of the hair you would like to remove. Gently move the twisted portion along the skin from side to side to capture the hairs, either to the right or to the left, whichever way feels more comfortable.
6. Once hairs are captured, simply pull.
7. Start with the unibrow (the hair in-between both eyebrows), move on to the top and then to bottom of the brow, forming it to any desired thickness. Be aware, the bottom will be the most sensitive area.
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