When will the eyebrow wax wane?

February 29, 2008 5:31 AM

I just had my eyebrows waxed for the first time ever last week. I am a lackadaisical plucker at best, so this is probably the best my eyebrows have ever looked. How long should I wait before I get them waxed again (i.e. how much time or how long should I let the hairs get)? Also, what kind of maintenance should I be doing in between?
posted by bluefly to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Best answer: I think there is individual variability in hair growth, but I go every two weeks. Also, no maintenance in between, according to my waxer - she is adamant about no plucking. I agree - it is amazing the difference it makes!
posted by frumious bandersnatch at 5:44 AM on February 29, 2008

I worked as a receptionist at a hair salon for about two years and two weeks was the standard time clients were recommended to go between waxings.
posted by inconsequentialist at 5:52 AM on February 29, 2008

I don't see any reason you can't pluck to maintain it between waxings. You're still going to have to go to the wax place to get it reshaped, but with plucking mine lasts a month.
posted by chickaboo at 6:39 AM on February 29, 2008

My fiancee usually goes every month or so. She plucks in between to get rid of stray hairs and keep the general shape. (The lady that does her eyebrows yells at her for doing this, though.)
posted by chunking express at 7:16 AM on February 29, 2008

I can get away with a 3-4 weeks between waxings, but I tend to maintenance-pluck. Oh, and if your skin ever gets irritated like mine does right after a wax, Bikini Zone on your face does wonders.
posted by cosmodc at 7:32 AM on February 29, 2008

I get my brows threaded every month, but I maintenance-pluck and trim.
posted by thisjax at 7:35 AM on February 29, 2008

Best answer: I get mine waxed about once a month, no in-between maintenance (because I'm lazy).

Please don't laugh, but Preparation H works a treat on the post-waxing redness.
posted by fuzzbean at 7:48 AM on February 29, 2008

I use tendskin to help avoid ingrown hairs.
posted by chickaboo at 8:41 AM on February 29, 2008

What's wrong with maintenance plucking?
posted by arcticwoman at 8:44 AM on February 29, 2008

My fiancee gets them threaded, my mistake, though I suppose the end result is the same. And I think her lady yells at her because that's what happens at Persian beauty salons.
posted by chunking express at 8:55 AM on February 29, 2008

I go every 5-6 weeks with no plucking in between. My brows grow back pretty slowly and though they do look a bit overgrown by the 5th week, I know that the waxing will get everything. It's a good way to eliminate stray hair growth in the first week or two after waxing.
posted by rglass at 10:32 AM on February 29, 2008

I can manage about 4 weeks between waxings, but my brows grow in blonde and are almost invisible until the hairs get longish.

I think the argument against maintenance plucking is the belief that those hairs that have been plucked will continue to grow back off-cycle; whereas, if left until the next waxing, they will then be on the same growth cycle as the previously waxed hairs and there won't be a need for the maintenance plucking.
posted by weebil at 5:50 PM on February 29, 2008

Response by poster: I'm just not very good at plucking on my own. I wear glasses and my prescription is really bad. So when I pluck, I have to stand really close to the mirror. It's uncomfortable, and even then it's hard to see what's going on. I have a tendency to pluck hairs that shouldn't have been plucked, so I end up with wonky eyebrows. I will try to pluck stray hairs, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up the shape. Thanks for the advice about the redness. I'm just glad not to have Bert-brows anymore!
posted by bluefly at 9:16 PM on March 4, 2008

Off topic, but a friend of mine had this to say: "I was just about to say that threading is better. Too much waxing over the years will make the sensitive skin around the eyes start to sag. "
posted by chunking express at 5:26 AM on March 5, 2008