Men’s eyebrows are a complicated realm of self-care and can often prove the final frontier of a truly effortless, well-groomed look. In fact, in the beauty world, there are few higher compliments than those bestowed on your brows. Not sure what a strong eyebrow game looks like? Think less Galagher brother, more Drake, Joe Jonas and Shawn Mendes.
Alas, good brows are not something all men win the genetic lottery on. In fact, naturally on-point eyebrows are a rarity. But as more and more men embrace a more comprehensive beauty routine, complete with tinted moisturisers or concealers, eyebrow tools such as pencils, pomades and eyebrow-specific serums have become commonplace.
Barber Social’s David Olds has been at the frontline of this trend for men’s eyebrow maintenance, charting a major rise in the number of men concerned with eyebrow trimming, threading, shaping and tinting in recent times. This being the case, we called on his expertise to get the lowdown on what goes into the perfect brow, before calling on the grooming expertise of Adrian Clark for his top product recommendations.
What are the benefits of eyebrow threading?
“Eyebrow threading gives a more precise result than waxing and can be done in half the time with appointments taking 15 minutes or less. You don’t get ingrown hairs with threading like you do with waxing, and it’s a lot gentler on the skin. When done correctly threading can be a minimal-pain procedure with results lasting up to three weeks.
“When asking for a threading procedure from your barber, a straight brow will veer towards a more masculine finish while arched brows will create a more feminine visual look. Areas to be threaded for a straight brow are the middle monobrow section between the brows, the very end of the lower brow and the tip of the higher brow near the inner eye.
“Tweezing eyebrows is very similar to threading as it uses the same plucking technique but can only remove brow hairs one by one. It’s a great way to maintain eyebrow shape at home in between threading appointments.”
How about trimming with clippers?
“Eyebrow trimming with scissors or clipper-over-comb can be key to maintaining the perfect brow, keeping hairs at the same length and avoiding any long strays. This is called an eyebrow trim and any good barber will offer the service.”
Which tools can be used to make eyebrows appear thicker?
“Eyebrow pencils are increasingly popular among clients with thin eyebrows for creating a thicker appearance. When it comes to choosing a pencil. finding the correct colour for your brow is essential and you should look for a colour that’s as close to your natural hair colour as possible.
“Eyebrow tinting is another great way to visually thicken eyebrows and create depth on light coloured or thin eyebrows. It is recommended to get this done professionally to ensure no reaction with the ingredients and to ensure the colour match is perfect. It can also be done alongside threading to stencil a shape ready for the tint to be applied.”
