She's Got Betty Davis Eyes Lloyd Bridge's Brows

November 5, 2006 5:57 AM

If I were to forego eyebrow grooming for, oh, about four days, I would probably look like this.

Here's my big trouble: Given my advanced age and the size of my pores, I seem to have this permanant brow stubble that I can't quite reach to pluck. It makes me feel like a big ol' mess, but I'm not inclined to go to a professional about it it (mostly for reasons of $$$- That seems like a trivial option compared to keeping my family fed.) I haven't found a wax that can get to those little hairs, and bleach only works for a day. I assume I'm doing something very wrong, so I'm open to any and all suggestions.

posted by maryh to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Have you tried Tweezerman tweezers? They are, quite simply, the bomb. You can find them at stores like Target or online at drugstore.com.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 6:18 AM on November 5, 2006

It sounds like you need to exfoliate to expose the hairs more so you can get at them. Try St. Ives Apricot Scrub, which you can get at any drugstore - it's cheap and works well. You might need to use it a few times before the hairs are exposed enough to get at them.
posted by boomchicka at 6:47 AM on November 5, 2006

Best answer: I can't go more than 4 days without some serious brow grooming either. What I find invaluable though is a pair of jewellers / jewellry maker's / crafter's tweezers. These are long, very pointy and thin - mostly used for beadwork I think. I use these tweezers for the "brow stubble" you mentioned as the pointy points can grab the weeniest folicle.

Be careful though, jeweller's tweezers are quite sharp and you can pinch yourself, if you're not careful. Other than that, I've found then to be a lifesaver.
posted by Chorus at 6:52 AM on November 5, 2006

I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Could you afford to go to a professional once to see how it works out? Maybe that and regular self-pluckings would be enough to keep you going for a while. You might find that you don't need frequent visits to make a big difference.

Or... is it the sort of brow stubble that someone else could reach to pluck? Could you enlist help from a daughter? Explain that you would like to keep her fed but, unless she wants her friends to think she descended from the apes rather recently, someone has to help you with the foliage above your eyes. (I'm specifying a daughter as someone who more typically might have more experience than a son with eyebrow plucking and shaping, though of course you might have a plucky son who would rather battle your beetled brows than, for example, mow lawns. Or not.)
posted by pracowity at 7:05 AM on November 5, 2006

I second Tweezerman. The slant-tip Tweezerman's are the best and a must have. They grab the tiniest of hairs.

I also love Poetic Waxing. It is more quality than drugstore waxes, doesn't stick all over the place, and grabs hairs very well.
posted by LoriFLA at 7:11 AM on November 5, 2006

Third Tweezerman slant tips. They will change your life.

An eyebrow waxing costs ten bucks at my local salon. I really recommend going to get one at least once. It's amazing how it changes your face.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:25 AM on November 5, 2006

Fourth Tweezerman slant tips. Go get your eyebrows done professionally once and then work on the stubble every day. It only takes a couple of minutes. I use a magnifying mirror as well which helps.
posted by j at 9:21 AM on November 5, 2006

Best answer: You think you have problems? Dude, I've got Russian Jewish ancestry. I have a sideshow contract waiting for me if my Tweezermans ever break.

Yes, fifthing the Tweezermans, and a well illuminated 5x magnifying mirror. Sit upright and take some time with it: this isn't a bend over into the bathroom mirror and slap it together kind of task. Get a pro job done now --- threading if you can, since it lasts longer than wax and is better at getting to those small hairs, and is generally cheaper to boot -- and just spend a few minutes each day on upkeep. If you wear makeup, put that on at the same time; you'll be surprised how much better it looks when you can really see your face.
posted by melissa may at 9:41 AM on November 5, 2006

Have you tried professional eyebrow waxing? Because it's cheap ($7-15, generally) and much more effective than any home kit can be.
posted by desuetude at 10:10 AM on November 5, 2006

I have similar eyebrows and I couldn't do it without getting them waxed every 3 weeks or so. I really think its worth it for the amount of time it saves me, and they do a better job of shaping them then I ever could.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 10:32 AM on November 5, 2006

Tweeze after showering, or put a hot compress on your eyebrows for a few minutes before - really helps open up the pores.
posted by radioamy at 2:12 PM on November 5, 2006

Lasers dude. You may have to go for 2-3 treatments, and it is pricey - but once done, done!

I dunno, my wife managed my eyebrows in the first year with tweasers and tamed them, they need maintenance only every 6-8 months now.

Had my back lasered once, what a difference... But it was $400 CDN, I haven't been able to budget in a follow-up.

Eyebrows would be considerably less. But, as my wife says - you can pay monthly for waxing, or 1-3 times for a laser treatment and never have to worry again!
posted by jkaczor at 2:49 PM on November 5, 2006

oh - and if you go the tweezer route - as per everyone elses suggestions - those tweezermans are the best.
posted by jkaczor at 2:50 PM on November 5, 2006

Surgi-Wax is available at CVS and much cheaper that Poetic Wax. It's the same though.
posted by onepapertiger at 3:48 PM on November 5, 2006

Surgi-Wax is available at CVS and much cheaper that Poetic Wax. It's the same though.

ooh, good to know!
posted by LoriFLA at 5:07 PM on November 5, 2006

What's being suggested here with the tweezermen is plucking, correct? Youch! I never pluck, after a doctor recommended against it, due to the possibility of infection. (But those hairs were specifically the ones around nostrils.) So now I trim all unwanted facial hairs (eyebrow, nose and ear) with my embroidery scissors.
posted by Rash at 8:35 AM on November 6, 2006

I can't believe no one suggested going to get them threaded. Threading is super cheap ($4-10) and can get the SHORTEST of hairs. It hurts about as much as waxing but works so much better because they can go after specific hairs and shape the brow more precisely. I get mine done by the Indian women in NYC.

If you don't have threading in your area, at least see a pro waxer/plucker. 10 bucks won't totally break the bank, will it? And you will feel soooo much better.
posted by infinityjinx at 7:36 PM on November 16, 2006