Waxing Eyebrows Vs. Tweezing: What Do The Professionals Recommend?

Facial hair can be a nuisance. From that fuzz on your upper lip to the strands threatening a unibrow. What can be an even greater challenge, is finding the best way to remove those unwanted hairs. According to Good Housekeeping, the skin on the face is delicate. Because of this, you have to be particular about the way you remove facial hair. You don't want to cause any permanent damage. Especially not in the area people notice first.

A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research shows that on average women spend 104 minutes per week managing facial hair. There are a few popular methods to deal with facial hair, waxing and tweezing are at the top of the list. The two offer different advantages and disadvantages depending on which facial hair you are tackling, especially the eyebrows. So when it comes to your brows, is waxing or tweezing the way to go?

Waxing can be a convenient way to get rid of unwanted hair messing up your perfect brow arch. According to WebMD, a benefit of waxing is that it removes strands from the root. This allows for a longer period before the hair is visible on the skin's surface. There are several waxing products that are easy to use so you can properly maintain your brows at home. However, you can always treat yourself to a salon visit for your facial wax too. This method leaves skin soft, even, and hairless.

On the downside, waxing can be painful. There is also the risk of ingrown hairs and skin irritation. You won't be able to wax every and any time either. Hairs have to be a certain length for waxing to work. This can mean unsightly strands in between waxing.

Tweezing has its pros and cons too. This method only requires a pair of tweezers making it affordable and convenient. According to American Spa, they are safe to use on the face and offer the ability to remove strands individually. However, this can increase the time it takes to completely remove hairs and can be painful. There is also the risk of strands breaking instead of being pulled from the root. Now that we've heard both sides, what do the professionals recommend?

The experts know best, and tweezing is what's best. According to Browhaus Brow Architect Michelle Wu, "Tweezing results in more defined brows as it removes the stray hairs strand by strand to give them a clean, precise look" (via StyleCaster). Ramy Gafni, makeup artist, and brow expert agrees, "Waxing is fine for the lip and below, but is too harsh on the delicate skin around the eye area." He even warns, "With waxing, there is also a lack of precision, which can ruin an eyebrow." And we don't want ruined brows. 

Celebrity brow guru Anastasia Soare also recommends tweezing for how easy it is. "You can pencil your eyebrows in their desired shape, and then tweeze around that, using it as a guideline" (via Teen Vogue). For the perfect plucking experience, Soare advises, "Be conservative! And say no to magnifying mirrors. You get too close and can start to over-tweeze." You don't want to make that mistake with your eyebrows. Take it from the expert who's styled the brows of Hailee Steinfeld and Selena Gomez.