The Surprising Way To Making Tweezing As Painless As Possible

"Why can't my eyebrows only grow where I want them to?" is a common lament of anyone who's ever taken cold tweezers to their arches. Whether you're waxing, threading, or tweezing, it seems like no matter what, hair removal from your eyebrows is going to hurt. Luckily, there are a few ways to take the sting out of the pulls.

A tried-and-true remedy that helps many people ease the pain of tweezing, hopping in a hot shower can reduce the sting. According to Allure, this helps to open the pores, meaning that the bulb of the follicle has more space to move on its way out. You can also use a hot compress to open the pores even wider. On top of tweezing post-shower, it's a good idea to make sure that you have good equipment. 

Byrdie notes that poor tweezers can add more time and pain during your plucking session. If your tweezers aren't fully closing and missing the hairs, not only is it more painful, but it can also lead to breakage of the strands. From this point, you have to pluck shorter hair, which is never fun.

When you start to do your brow maintenance, make sure you have good lighting. If your bathroom gets natural light, wait until you can clearly see the skin that you're working on. Use a mirror with good lighting that comes from the front and use the natural light to help illuminate any unruly hairs you may have missed, as recommended by Byrdie. Put the tweezers as close to the root as possible and pull in the direction that the hair naturally grows for minimal resistance. Avoid pulling in the opposite direction of your hair's natural placement unless you're looking for more irritation. 

If you have any tiny hairs that you can see, wait until they're grown out to a point that you can easily tweeze, otherwise pulling over and over can cause irritation. Finally, finish with cortisone cream to help reduce any redness and inflammation. This topical ointment works as an anti-inflammatory agent and can reduce any lingering pain, as noted by Allure. 

When you have a full routine and a set of good tools, doing your brows isn't as painful as it seems. Just make sure to take your time, pull gently, and finish up with some self-care.