Is plucking bad for your eyebrows?

LONDON — Have you ever been quizzed by an in-the-know beauty fiend about why on earth you’re still plucking your brows? Next comes the argument that tweezing incorrectly can prevent the hair from growing back, leading to uneven, overplucked brows. So, under strict instructions, you book appointments to thread and wax, even though tweezing is quicker and can be done in the confines of your own bathroom. But are humble tweezers all that bad? Full brows have been back in a big way for a few years now, so we asked three experts whether tweezing is really a no-no, and what to do instead.

Opinion #1: Shavata Singh, founder of the Shavata brow bars

Plucking isn’t bad for your eyebrows. However, you should be careful not to over‑pluck, as the hairs don’t always grow back and you can run the risk of permanently losing your most flattering shape. It’s always good to use a mix of threading, waxing and tweezing, depending on what is needed to create the perfect arch. I always recommend leaving it to the professionals, who will analyse your whole face and weigh it up against lifestyle and age before deciding on a suitable shape.

Opinion #2: Daxita Vaghela, lash and brow expert at Atherton Cox, London

Plucking is the easiest way to tend to your brow shape, but you’ll have to have tweezers at the ready almost daily to capture any stray hairs that pop up. It’s difficult to maintain a good shape because of the risk of over-plucking, and you won’t get the long-term results you would get with threading, either. What I’ve also noticed with some clients who pluck their brows is that it creates a shadow, similar to stubble, from where the tweezers are breaking the hair, rather than pulling them out entirely from the root.

Opinion #3: Teresa Tarmey, celebrity facialist

Threading is the best way to remove hair with the least impact to the skin. Waxing drags and pulls the skin, and it is such a delicate and thin area. Plucking is good, too, and certainly less painful, but can sometimes lead to in-grown hairs. This is from pulling the hair against the growth, which then makes it snap at the root. Threading gives you the cleanest finish, but for the odd hairs, tweezing is good if you have mastered the technique. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH