How to groom your eyebrows?
A simple question.
But something many men have no answer for.
Why?
Because most men are able to make it through the first few decades of our life without having to do it.
It's not till our late twenties or thirties that the hair on our eyebrows starts to grow in a way that it needs maintenance.
In fact not grooming your eyebrow can lead to wild looking hairs distracting others when they speak to you up close.
For some men – your separate eyebrow hair formations can grow into each other to form a uni-brow (which will make you look perpetually angry!)
So what to do?
Trim?
Shave?
Pluck?
We cover all that and more in this article!
The shape of our face is a powerful social indicator and so is the neatness of our appearance. The slight edge that can be gained from grooming more than justifies the minimal cost spent.
Eyebrow Grooming Tip 1. How to Do Basic Eyebrow Maintenance
The important thing to keep in mind when grooming your eyebrows is that you're not making dramatic changes.
The goal is to neaten the shape, not to transform it. All you're doing is getting rid of some stray hairs and making the natural sweep of your eyebrow more distinct.
Here's a quick step-by-step guide to easy eyebrow grooming:
- Lay a thin object along the side of your nose (a comb works well and is generally handy in the bathroom). Carefully pluck any hairs that stick out beyond it onto the bridge of your nose.
- Comb your eyebrow upward, and then use clippers or small scissors to remove any length sticking up beyond the arch of your brow. You're not plucking at this point — just trimming the eyebrows shorter.
- Repeat the process in the opposite direction, combing the eyebrow downward and then clipping off any length that reaches beyond the sweep of your brow.
- Pluck any “strays” that stand apart from your main eyebrows. It's common to have a few on the forehead or temples.
The whole process shouldn't take more than five minutes, and it shouldn't remove a lot of hair. You're just neatening the edges of your natural shape.
Eyebrow Grooming Tip 2. Know Your Eyebrows
As with most elements in grooming, not all men need the same eyebrow care.
Take stock of what you're working with, and of what you want.
Are your eyebrows symmetrical?
Neat?
Cleanly divided, with an open space above the bridge of the nose?
If not, you will benefit from at least some eyebrow grooming.
We're not talking major changes, here. Some minor grooming can get you to a good point.
Ideally, you want to shape your eyebrows to meet the following standards:
- Brows wider than they are tall – A no-brainer. Your eyebrows should arch over your eyes, framing them. This is not possible if they have too much height.
- Symmetry. One eyebrow should look like a mirror image of the other.
- A short, even depth of hair. You want all the brow hairs to be about the same length. Nothing too short and nothing lengthy.
- Clearly divided eyebrows. Two brows, not one. Visible bare skin in between them. This is mandatory.
The four criteria listed above is a great reference to use when trimming your eyebrows.
The next step is determining your trimming method of choice.
Eyebrow Grooming Tip 3. Eyebrow Grooming Options for Men
Different strokes for different folks is quite literally true here.
Some guys will need a few tugs of the tweezers; others will want some professional shaping help. But don't panic — you've got options. And most of them will work for most men. It's just a question of time, effort, money, and comfort.
Eyebrow Grooming Option #1 – Plucking
The easiest of all options, plucking means taking a pair of tweezers (go for the angled kind that come to a point) and plucking out any eyebrow hairs that don't fit your desired look.
It has the advantage of simplicity. It's also a bit painful, however, and can be time-consuming if you're doing more than a little light maintenance.
For best results, give your eyebrows a quick dab with a chemical-free wash or a liquid skin toner, then stroke them both lightly from the outside toward the center, so that the hairs stand up. Look for any that stick out noticeably further than the rest, and pluck them out.
Don't worry about leaving bald spots. Eyebrow hairs grow in natural cycles and are meant to fall out over time. Plucking one or two out here and there won't disrupt the brow as a whole.
Plucking is also a good way to clean the edges of your brows up, and to clear out the middle if you're verging on unibrow territory.
Plucking doesn't leave dark-colored stubble the way shaving does, because you're taking the whole follicle out, root and all.
Eyebrow Grooming Option #2 – Trimming
Eyebrow trimmers exist, and they are quite a cost-effective method of eyebrow grooming.
You can find them in just about any drugstore — although you may have to look in the female cosmetics aisle. (Don't panic, though. Your eyebrows grow and trim just like lady's eyebrows. The same products will work, regardless of whose face is on the packaging.)
Trimming kits usually consist of a short, comb-like tool to pull the eyebrows out straight, and an electric cutter to run along the comb, cutting everything down to the same length.
Trimmers won't do anything to shape the outline of the eyebrow, but they're great for controlling depth. If you've got busy brows or straggly hairs, this should be a part of your maintenance strategy.
Eyebrow Grooming Option #3 – Waxing
Eyebrow waxing kits exist, but you're probably better off leaving it to the professionals unless you're very confident in your ability to self-apply hot wax in straight, smooth lines.
This is a common treatment that, like plucking, pulls hairs out as an unbroken whole, meaning you don't get dark spots where the hairs are still lurking under the skin.
Unlike plucking, it all happens at once, and pretty quickly.
Waxing is a good option for men who need to clear a lot of skin, either at the center of their brow (above the nose, to avoid a unibrow) or at the edges (to trim extra-wide eyebrows back in a bit).
Waxing usually lasts anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months, depending on your skin type and hair growth.
Eyebrow Grooming Option #4 – Threading
Eyebrow threading is a surprisingly simple and method for removing hairs that predates many years.
Threading relies on a small, twisted thread that catches and pulls hairs out in a straight, smooth line.
Think of it as flossing for your eyebrows and you won't be too far off.
A good professional can thread your eyebrows without much discomfort. It's less painful than waxing and allows for smaller, more precise shaping.
Threading is the go-to for guys who want a very specific grooming process, and don't mind some up close and personal spa treatment.
Prices for threading vary, but you can get a treatment done for less than a haircut in most places. There are even portable stalls for it in a lot of shopping malls, airports, and similar semi-public spaces.
Eyebrow Grooming Option #5 – Shaving
We mention this option only as a negative: don't do it.
Shaving your eyebrow hairs cuts them off at skin level, just like shaving your face.
This will result in the hairs returning in only a few days.
When the hairs do grow back, they usually return thicker and rougher due to the cut of the blade.
We advise shaving to be left strictly for a man's face and neck.
There are lots of options for eyebrow grooming that work well.
Most of them cost very little and take only a few minutes in the hands of a professional.
Choose an option you are most comfortable with and make it part of your regular grooming routine. You will be glad that you did.
Eyebrow Grooming Tip 4. What to Avoid When Grooming Your Eyebrows
Your motto here should be “less is more” – less trimming, that is, not less eyebrow. Avoid drastic changes unless you've decided to do something seriously experimental with your eyebrows (not recommended).
Steer clear of any of these easy mistakes:
- Don't pluck from the core mass of the eyebrow. You only have about 500 hairs there, on average – removing even a few can create a noticeable bare spot, and they grow back very slowly!
- Don't “shape” by plucking around the edges to make the curve more dramatic. Stick to your natural shape. Artificial peaks are very easy to spot.
- Pluck, rather than shaving, when you want to remove eyebrows entirely. Eyebrow stubble is extremely unsightly.
- Don't pluck gray hairs. Leave them, or trim them short with scissors to lessen their visibility. If you start plucking gray hairs you'll end up with bald spots in your eyebrows instead, which isn't an improvement.
This is a short, simple operation, so keep it that way.
Generally speaking – once or twice a month is ample for just about anyone. Most men can get away with even less frequent eyebrow grooming. Young men be cautioned – you may find yourself needing to neaten more and more often as you age.
Click here to learn how to avoid common mistakes when grooming your nails.
Click below to watch the video – 5 Tips on Eyebrow Grooming
