Tweezing is one of the least expensive and convenient ways of removing unwanted hair. You don't need to run out to a salon or have expensive equipment to do it. All you need is a mirror and a pair of good quality tweezers. Tweezing is not really meant for large jobs, but rather for smaller, more delicate areas. The process is not complicated, and you can have professional looking results. Below are some tips that could help you achieve those results.

Let's start with what you'll need
Continue with what you'll need to do
 


LET'S START WITH WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Tweezing requires very little equipment, but there are varieties of tweezers that might need some explanation. If you'd like to learn more about the different types of tweezers and which type might suit you best, please consult the article on Tweezers.

• Tweezers.
• Mirror - best to use a Magnifying mirror

Click here to view an excellent selection of various tweezers at Zamberg.com.

CONTINUE WITH WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO

Tweezing is a rather simple process. Simply, choose a hair you don't want, grab it with your tweezers and pull it out. However, below are some different tips and techniques that will help you stay well groomed and beautiful.

Tweezers are mainly used for smaller areas, for example, to remove unwanted hair from the upper lip and chin, to do quick touch ups between waxing sessions, or for shaping eyebrows.

Basics
The same rules apply for simple or more complex tweezing tasks. Find a pair of tweezers that you are very comfortable with and practice using them. Keep your tweezers clean, and disinfect them with alcohol before and after each use. Any tool that touches your skin should be clean immaculately clean, to prevent the possibility of infection.

Choose an area with adequate light. It's best to position your magnifying mirror on a hard surface, so you won't have to hold it with one hand. Tweezing take two hands. If you are concerned about the pain, you may choose to tweeze after a hot bath or shower, or you could apply a hot towel to the area first. The moisture and the heat open up the pores and allow the hairs to slide out more easily.

Look closely in the mirror and decide which hair you want to remove. Firmly grasp the hair as near to the root as possible. Pull in one swift, smooth motion. Don't yank it; that will only cause pain and won't enhance the results a bit. It's very important to pull the hair out close to the root, otherwise the hair might tear and you would be left with an unsightly black dot on your skin. When the tweezers get very close to the root, they might graze or pinch your skin. To prevent this from occurring, have one hand stretch the skin in the place you will be tweezing and use the other hand to pull out the hair. Always tweeze in the direction the hair grows.

Tweezing is not meant for removing large areas of hair. If you try grabbing more than one hair at a time, the results could be painful and a lot less accurate. Usually you'll just rip the hairs and not pull them out.

Shaping the Eyebrow
Shaping your eyebrows isn't a complicated task. You need to first decide on the shape that will best suit your face. Carefully study your eyes in the mirror and notice the relationship between them and the eyebrows. The most flattering shape is one that has a natural appearance and follows the existing lines of the brows. Outline the shape you want to achieve with an eyebrow pencil to make it easier to remove the unwanted hairs.

A more natural shape is slightly arched and follows the line of the brown bone. Be careful not to create an arch with too much of a curve because it will look contrived and not at all appealing. For best results the highest point of the arch should align with the outer corner of the pupil. The eyebrow should extend a little beyond the eye and taper off at the end. You can use a pencil to determine where the brow should begin and end.

To find the end of the brow hold the pencil at a 45-degree angle, pointing upward, against the outer corner of your eye at the spot where it crosses your brow bone. If you hold the pencil straight up against the side of the nose, the spot where the pencil crosses your eyebrow is approximately where your eyebrow should start. Remember that these are only suggested measurements and may vary according to the nature of your skin and hair growth. The main point to consider is that the shape you choose should fit your individual eyes' shape and taste.

Before starting to pluck, brush the hairs upward to see exactly which ones are not fitting into your desired shape. When you are ready to pluck don't forget to follow the basics of tweezing outlined above and in our How to Tweeze Your Eyebrows. Take your time; even one or two hairs could have a big impact on the final result so don't rush. Pull out a few hairs at a time and then study your progress. To end up with symmetrical results, pull out a few hairs on one eyebrow and then move to the second eyebrow to duplicate the process. This will keep the brows even. If you are tweezing for the first time, start with the hairs that are outside of your penciled line first.

When you're done tweezing your skin might be red. Tweezing before bedtime is recommended; by morning the irritation will be gone. To soothe any irritated skin, you may gently pat your eye area with a damp tea bag but never use alcohol because this may increase the irritation.

See our article How to Tweeze Your Eyebrows for more tweezing tips.