Threading is a great way to give yourself an instant facelift, opening up your eyes and creating a more polished look without the make-up. Dorianne Catania came across threading while managing spas on board cruise ships; recognising the potential of this technique, she underwent training at a traditional Ayurvedic beauty school in Kerala, India.

While threading is still a relatively new hair removal technique in the Western world, it has been used in Eastern countries for a number of centuries.

Though the exact origins of the technique are unknown, many believe it originated in the Middle East and South Asia, and then spread to become popular in Far Eastern countries like China.

Eyebrows are the most popular area for threading in the Western world. However, in India, threading was traditionally used to remove hair from other parts of the face as well. The upper lip, chin, sideburns and cheeks were all subject to hair removal by threading, and some salons in the West offer these services in addition to eyebrow threading.

At the salon, your threadist will use a twisted loop of 100 per cent cotton thread rolled over the skin to grab and pull out unwanted hair by the root. The procedure is relatively quick, with eyebrow shaping usually taking only between five and 15 minutes to complete.

What, exactly, is threading?

Threading is by far the gentlest form of hair removal and dates back centuries with its origins in Arabia and South Asia. The simple process involves a piece of thread that is twisted and pulled along areas of unwanted hair, lifting the hair follicle directly from the root without the use of any chemicals, sharp metal instruments or unnecessary tugging on delicate skin.

What can one expect at their first threading appointment?

Threading, especially for first-timers, is a foreign sensation. It is definitely less painful than waxing as it targets the hair without gripping on the surrounding skin in the process. And if there is any pain, it is most comparable to tweezing and any redness of the skin dissipates within a half hour versus a several-day recovery some people experience after waxing.

Why is threading considered a better option than waxing for men and women with unwanted facial hair?

There are several benefits to threading:

The pain-free factor

It is found by many to be much less painful than waxing. Since threading only targets the individual hairs, skin irritation is kept to a minimum, unlike waxing, which often causes unnecessary stretching and removal of the skin’s delicate top layers (which may later result in pigmentation).

A more perfect result

Threading is very precise and allows greater control than waxing, resulting in a better brow shape.

It is organic

Threading is 100 per cent natural; no artificial waxes, chemicals, or other invasive techniques are used.

Everything is removed

Even those short stubbly hairs can be removed; this gives you the option of avoiding that annoying grow-out period that everyone hates!

Redness

Minimal redness occurs after threading, and any redness that does appear, usually subsides within a half hour. Threading lets your hair removal stay secret!

It helps avoid acne

The majority of people who suffer breakouts after waxing tend to have much better results with threading. Also, threading is completely safe and is dermatologist-recommended for individuals who are currently using medications.

It also avoids wrinkles

Waxing can pull, stretch, and even remove the delicate skin on your face, eventually encouraging the development of wrinkles! Threading does none of this.

Why does threading last longer than waxing?

The way the thread removes hair ensures each hair is removed from the follicle, which promotes the long-lasting results. With waxing, the wax must be applied to have full hold of the hair to pull from the follicle. Often, hair will break with waxing, so hair is not removed from the follicle, rather broken at the surface of the skin, which means unwanted hair will be visible quickly.

What areas of the body can’t be threaded?

You can thread pretty much anywhere on the body that has hair.

What should we look for in a salon that offers threading?

Make sure you opt for an experienced threadist to avoid any skin traumas and mismatched brows.