How to rescue over-plucked eyebrows
Are your eyebrows the victim of some overzealous plucking? Keep calm, put down the tweezers and heed this expert advice.
Perfecting our brows is a beauty fixation.
The Financial Times reported that the UK brow industry was worth £20million in 2016, while a consumer research paper valued the rapidly growing brow cosmetic market at US$122 million in 2014.
There was even a study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal detailing a mathematical equation of what constitutes “an attractive eyebrow”.
Despite the brow enhancement boom, there’s still no getting around the fact that if you’ve over-plucked your eye brows, you need to go back to basics.
Common eyebrow-plucking and shaping errors
Overplucking is one of many common mistakes seen by Brows Baby eyebrow artist Diana Scohfield.
“Sometimes people over-trim their brows with scissors, which causes the hairs to grow back thick and unruly,” says Diana.
“Or, people tweeze too much from above the brow line, which distorts the shape and leaves the brows flat, uneven and unflattering.”
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What to do if you’ve made a brow boo-boo
“Leave them alone and let them grow back,” advises Diana.
Bench your tweezers and give your brows a chance to grow – a more fathomable task while socially distancing measures are in place.
Diana says your next port of call is to see a brow-shaping expert.
“A professional brow artist will style your brows to suit your individual face shape, making your brows the most flattering they can be for you,” explains Diana.
“Well-styled brows bring out your best features, and when the colour and shape is just right, it can instantly take years off your appearance.”
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How to maintain your eyebrow shape at home
Diana says people should tread with caution when attempting any DIY brow shaping.
“Less is best,” she says.
To avoid over-plucking, Diana suggests scrutinising each individual hair before pulling it out.
“Take your time to pick up each individual hair between your tweezers and gently move it around to determine where the growth begins,” explains Diana.
“You should only pull it out if you can see that the hair is growing outside your brow line. And never tweeze above your brows, only underneath.”
As for your home brow maintenance kit, Diana recommends investing in quality slant tweezers along with a spoolie brush, powder, mascara and pencil for eyebrow definition and shape.
Written by Sharon Hunt.
