Does Everyone Pluck Their Eyebrows?

Updated on April 29, 2011
A.K. asks from Kingwood, TX
62 answers

I have not too bushy eyebrows - luckily my husband likes the natural look, but sometimes I think maybe I should pluck them, because they are mildly unruly. But I tried, and OUCH it hurts so much, and I tried waxing, and that REALLY hurt.
So am I in the minority here? should I pluck them to look more "groomed" I don't work right now, so I don't have to impress anyone!

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Featured Answers

V.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I get my eyebrows waxed once a month (If I can remember... Sometimes life gets in the way) and call it good. I hate having it done, but I also hate looking like a character on sesame street. Lol

2 moms found this helpful

E.D.

answers from Seattle on

Plucking my eyebrows makes me sneeze. No joke.

There are many parts of my body that are less than perfect and that's putting it politely. My eyebrows, however, are a-okay and are fairly shaped without grooming, so I leave them alone. Occasionally, I'll pluck a hair or two just for giggles (and sneezes).

2 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i have never done it in my entire life. i would have no clue how to go about it if i had to!
:X
khairete
S.

1 mom found this helpful

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

Go to a reputable salon and have them professionally done for the first time. Once you get them done the first time, it's much easier to pluck the strays as them come in. Not everyone needs to wax, plucking is enough. Yes, you should groom your eyebrows. They are an important feature to your face. Done the right way and you will be amazed how your face will just "POP." It's not about impressing anyone. Yeah, my husband likes the natural look too, meaning he says I look beautiful without make up, first thing in the morning after rolling out of bed. I don't think so! It's about looking good for yourself. Eyebrows make a statement for your eyes and face. And I I've been plucking mine since I was 18. I got them done professionally and I do them myself now. It really doesn't hurt that much.

4 moms found this helpful
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K.D.

answers from Los Angeles on

I've been plucking since junior high, of course I've gotten better at it over the years :). I find that over time I've become largely desensitized. However, there are a few tricks I use to lesson the prick, such as pulling in the direction the hair grows, and plucking after a steamy shower so that the follicles open up.

I don't wear much make-up or primp my hair, but I find a nicely groomed eyebrow frames the face well. I have very short hair as well, so a groomed brow adds a nice touch of femininity too.

4 moms found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I am also a neurotic plucker. I loooove it!! I'm a hairstylist and used to do make-up as well. I get compliments on my eyebrows all the time, it's a little weird, but I do.

I promise you, it will not hurt after you do it a few times. Mine never hurts, not even in the least. Same with waxing, it takes a few times, but it won't hurt much at all after that. (waxing legs and such is different, it hurts a lot!)

And yes, I encourage everyone to shape their eyebrows. Even a very fine, simple shaping can do wonders for the face. Michelle Phan has an excellent eyebrow shaping tutorial, for a groomed eyebrow that is still full and natural.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PugziVUikEg

3 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Eyebrows have a more profound effect on your face than you think. They shape the entire face. Take a look at old pictures of Jennifer Anniston and Julia Roberts for proof. They look completely different now (and much better) because of their brow shape. I have never tried it but threading is supposed to be painless. You should make an appt to have this done. You will be surprised at the difference it makes. And you can still have a fuller brow-in fact that is currently more the style than thin. Just a different shape-one that accentuates your facial structure.

3 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Well as we mature,,, I have to have mine waxed, because my eyesight is terrible and the lit magnifier is not doing it for me anymore! I try to pluck to keep them in shape, but I need help. Also I even have to trim them now.. Good lord they can get long!

Your husband may like the natural look, but the problem is your brows can get thicker and bushier as you get older so just make sure you do not turn into a uni brow or eyebrows gone wild.

You do know how to pluck? It does make a difference some women just pluck them straight out or pluck them up or pluck them down. If you pluck the from the wrong direction they do hurt. t but if plucked to the side away from the eye, they hurt a lot less. Also placing a warm cloth over the brows also helps open the pores.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.R.

answers from San Diego on

I've never plucked my eyebrows. If you don't want to and no one else cares, why bother?

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J.A.

answers from Spartanburg on

You sound like me...sure mine could be a little more groomed but they aren't so bad that people get distracted by them LOL! Everything I know about hurts...which means I am NOT going to do it :) So I am right there with you not doing anything to mine (I never have either)!

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

People LOVE my hair. I have 3 times as "much" hair as most people, and it's curly to boot (equals about 8 times the volume if I wear it curly instead of blowing it out... think the redhead from the first twilight movie Twilight).

All that hair... means I have a LOT of hair, and not just on the top of my head. The first time I got my eyebrows plucked was bootcamp (laying with my head in a girlfriend's lap). I toughed it out PURELY because of the location (ow, ow, ow)... and the moment I looked in the mirror, never went back.

BUT I never, never, never pluck unless I'm hours from civilization. I wax. Getting my brows waxed hurts as much as plucking two hairs. Plucking is just torture for me.

I'm neanderthal girl without plucking. If I wasn't? If I had no need? Wouldn't do it. But I do, so I do. That simple.

My H (thank god) trims his eyebrows. They grow out to over 1" in length, otherwise. Shudder.

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A.L.

answers from Atlanta on

Frankly, I had never heard of shaping eyebrows until a few years ago and no, I don't do it. I do have stray chin hairs removed with electrolysis because my mother started me on that when I was a teen, so I'm not opposed to hair removal. I just resist having yet more of our body features added to the long list of 'imperfections' which need to be 'fixed.' I'm with B--just because lots of people do something now doesn't mean everyone has to. If it isn't bothering you, might as well leave them alone.

2 moms found this helpful

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

The more you do it, the less it hurts.
Waxing doesn't hurt me at all. I hardly feel plucking, and threading is like nothing. I have been grroming my eyebrows for almost 15 years.
I'm sure you're not the only one, do whatever you feel comfortable with.

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T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

If you like em and your husband likes em, don't do it.....it hurts. My sisters get WAXED, I personally pluck facial and eyebrow hair because I REFUSE to pay someone else to hurt me.

Blessings.......

1 mom found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Modesto on

I pluck a few, but it doesnt hurt at all to me. Once you do it a few time I guess it just gets easier. Mine are a tad haywire, not nearly as groomed as they were when I was young. But, yes, I still pluck the strays that mess up my arch.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Not everybody plucks and some people never need to.
Sometimes I think we get too preoccupied with hair removal.

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

k

1 mom found this helpful

B.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

After doing it a few times you won't even feel it anymore. Waxing is the same but it lasts a lot longer than tweezing. I love getting waxed!

1 mom found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Jacksonville on

I do to stop uni-brow. But that's about it.

1 mom found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

Have you ever seen the movie "American Pie" or any of the sequels? The dad? yeah, that's what I look like if I don't wax, pluck and/or thread. A catepillar accross my eyes.
I have dark eyebrows with light hair (natural!) and when I get my brows done I just feel like a new woman. I constantly have to pluck...seriuosly...I pluck almost every day, in my car, while I wait for my son at school. If I get behind a couple of days then I need to go and get them done.
Plucking doesn't bother me at all...waxing is quick and hurts, but only for about 5 minutes. To me, it's totally worth it.
L.

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Nope. I had blonde hair as a younger person, now it is darker (a dirty blonde/ash/mousy brown shade, with some red undertones, lol). It's all natural, and my eyebrows have always been lighter. They are rather thin (comparatively speaking) and not bushy at all. In fact, they aren't all that noticeable, hence my lack of ever doing much with them. I do comb them on occasion, or use a finger to shape them on the rare occasion that a few hairs go up instead of down or whatever...
But no. No unibrow, no bushyness, and they're not dark so that whatever I do isn't going to be all that noticeable anyway. So why waste the time? I look just fine without doing anything.

Do I think that EVERYone can "get away" with this? No. I happen to be blessed with brows that don't need much work. So, while the responses you have gotten are interesting (I never knew there was so much time/expense associated with eyebrows!), they may or may not be something you should/would do, because we don't know what YOUR eyebrows look like. :)

1 mom found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Provo on

You will get used to the pain very quickly. If you are wanting that clean groomed look, then try it this once and see if you like it to keep it up. After awhile my hair has "learned" where not to grow and it only get a few strays here and there. But I say try it and go from there.
p.s. Time to impress yourself!!! And your hubby!

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C.W.

answers from Santa Barbara on

Waxing every three weeks for me. I'm not into the bushy 80s brows. Mine are not plucked to death and are shaped very well. Even when I was off work for spine surgery and laid off, I need to make myself feel put togther.

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R.Y.

answers from New York on

I only do the stray hairs that are too close to my nose in the middle. I started at 12 or 13 and it doesn't bother me much now. I still do this even though I am home with little kids right now. If I had light colored hair I might not bother but my eyebrows are dark brown. On the up side, my hair is dark enough I rarely ever wear mascara.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Thin brows are OUT so you're in luck there. But we all get a few stragglers. Once you tweeze a few times, it's really NOT painful, I promise.
But an eyebrow wax is awesome! Not that painful--over really, really fast if you go to a pro. And if you don't have bushy eyebrows (I'm like you) it will last for 4 months or so. Treat yourself!

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R..

answers from Chattanooga on

I keep mine more natural, but I DO pluck to keep them grommed looking. If you pluck after a shower, it hurts less. (the heat opens your pores, along with softening the hair or something like that...)

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L.M.

answers from Chicago on

I get my waxed. You can create different looks when you arch or trim your eyebrows. I tried the string and tweezer, but I like how long the wax last. It's totally up to you. Do you like the bushy look or do you like it to be more groomed. I do it mainly for myself and because I like a clean defined look. Also, I get a pedicure when I get my eyebrows done. It's my time to relax and get pampered.

Do what makes you happy....

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M.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Didn't read the other responses, but when i fisrt plucked, i really hurt... I guess I'm either used to how it feels or my skin is less sensitive... Anyways, my eyebrows aren't bushy either, but what I do is clean up the stray hairs. It still looks very natural.

Also, to lessen the pain of it AND to pull out easier, do it RIGHT after a hot shower... I'd say you could also just wash your face with hot/warm water, but if you don't do it long enough, it won't make much of a difference.

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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

I have never plucked mine. I go and get mine waxed. Don't do it yourself--its less painful and quicker to get someone else to do it for you. I only pay $8 to get mine done.

A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

I just got done plucking. Mine are thick enough & unruly enough that I prefer to doctor them up a bit. I still like some hair up there but not a ficus. LOL!

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P.G.

answers from Tulsa on

It's a personal preference. I have found the longer I do it, the more used to it I am.

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I get mine waxed...I only need to do it once every 8 weeks or so now because I've been doing it since I was a teen, but I can't stand the bushy brows on me. Other people look good with them - but I need the more defined and shapely look.

P.M.

answers from Tampa on

I started plucking around 14 y/o... by 15 most of my eyebrows were gone and no longer grew back. Now - I feel my eyebrows are too thin, but most people would say they fit me. Now I pluck the very few stray hairs that do grow in, but I agree that waxing is PAINFUL!!!

...I had my legs waxed for my wedding and DAMN it was worse than all 9 of my tattoos put together!

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J.G.

answers from Rockford on

I personally don't. I am severely lacking in vanity though (as my mother used to put it). I have thought about getting mine threaded, but have yet to find a good place around here to do it, not to mention I would never keep up with it.

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

Bushy eyebrows on men fine...not on women...Pluckin' since after my first wax as a teen and just kept going. Mind you I have natural eyebrows just shaped better and no overgrowth...Putting eye shadow over eyebrow hair ewwww. If you want more natural look fine but some plucking or waxing helps shape and bring out the nice look of anyone's face.

☼.S.

answers from San Diego on

I like a well-shaped eye brow and started off having them waxed by a professional. Twenty years later, I tweeze them myself. Doesn't hurt a bit. :)
If you're thinking of doing it, start off w/ a professional to establish your shape, then maintain from there.

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

I don't pluck...but my eyebrows are not bushy or unruly. I am not sure if I would pluck if I had eyebrows like that...I might and I might not. I personally like the natural look best.

J.J.

answers from Los Angeles on

I wax them. Simple & quick. An antacid 1/2 hour before is supposed to reduce redness. I tweeze in between waxing, and trim. I think if you wanted to tidy just a bit, comb them up & trim the long ones & do the same, combing them down. I love natural brows, the thicker the better. Brooke shields thick! LOL Ive over plucked too long & they dont grow back nicely at all. Filling them in a bit cleans them up too. A shadow close in color, or slightly darker & a good brush. I use a MAC angle brush, about $25 but the best & most necessary thing I have for makeup.

A.G.

answers from Houston on

i pluck...definitely, or have them waxed or threaded, you get used to the pain.

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N.

answers from Dallas on

I have never plucked my eyebrows. I figured since they weren't too bushy or unruly, that's one less thing I have to worry about (hair, makeup, etc., etc., etc.). I say if they look ok without plucking, why not save the step? We already have enough stuff to do everyday without having one more "grooming" step to follow. Now, I'm not saying my eyebrows wouldn't look better shaped. I just don't think it's that important.

Blessings,
N.

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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

I don't do anything. I had them waxed once, "just to see" but honestly it didn't look any differently. My husband (at the time just a bf) laughed because he didn't know why I'd do that. They're straight but neat, naturally. Thank goodness. :P ONE good thing I don't have to deal with.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I have never plucked, waxed, threaded, or otherwise "groomed" my eyebrows, nor will I ever, no matter how thick they get.

Y.C.

answers from New York on

I plug the ones between my eyebrows, and it doesn't hurt any more, just plug the very few ones that bother you the most, but when plugging less is better so be careful to don't plug many at the time, also don't use a magnifier mirror when you are plugging, use a normal mirror to give you a better and more realistic idea.

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C.J.

answers from Lancaster on

I have pretty, er, full eyebrows. As a child and teen I got teased for having "man brows". Luckily, I also had a pretty thick skin and it didn't bother me much. I tried plucking a few times, but decided I didn't like the look of them OR the fact that I was compromising for the sake of some bullies.

So I haven't plucked my brows in...oh, sixteen, seventeen years? God made me with these eyebrows, why should I go trying to "fix" what He did??

If hubby doesn't mind and you don't mind, forget everyone else and go natural. :)

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

I'm too lazy to pluck out hair by hair. I'm too afraid I'll screw it up and look like Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest with the scary arched eyebrows.

I still get waxed. It hurts like hell for a few seconds and then stings for a few more seconds but then I'm done for a few weeks.

A.A.

answers from Nashville on

I have to pluck my eye browns. Once you do it for a little bit you will get used to it and it wont hurt. I do mine about once a week and it doesnt hurt. But if your husband dont mind them and you dont then i would leave them alone. Me on the other hand would have bushy eyebrows and dont like them so i pluck them.

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S.S.

answers from New York on

I pluck but others wax or do threading. I do work and want to look as professional as possible.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

I have plucked way before I became an adult it doesn't hurt in the least.I hate the natural bushy look it makes me look old & drab not well groomed at all when I do l pluck it makes me look put together & younger less bushy.If I see a uni brow i'm like eww gross go pluck those hairs.

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C.R.

answers from Seattle on

Not that I think you should pluck if you don't want to, but you get desensitized. It used to hurt SO bad, but now it's like I hardly even feel it. Just so you know. But, I say, if you feel like you look good... Who cares?!

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T.N.

answers from Boston on

I've done it or had it done before. Had it WAY overdone in fact. OUCH. I prefer to do nothing.

J.B.

answers from Houston on

I couldn't survive without plucking mine!! But I have kind of crazy brows, well in my opinion! If your man likes it, why worry over it? It does look nice in my opinion, but I never think about anybody's brows. But if you do decide to start plucking yours, it is true that it will stop hurting over time, I don't even notice it, of course I have been doing it now for like 18 yrs or so!!

M.C.

answers from Pocatello on

The more you pluck them, the less it will hurt.

But not everyone plucks their eyebrows... I only pluck them to keep a nice shape to them... but I am careful not to over pluck them... If you pluck your eyebrows too much, and too often they can get to thin and then not grow back! My mom plucked her brows way to much and now she has to "draw" on the ends of her brows with a pencil... oops!

Waxing is nice- more like a bandaid-type of pain. I don't wax because of the cost of it, even home waxing kits are kind of pricey- at least when compared to my trusty tweezers! hehehe! I am SO jealous (in a good way) of people who take or make time to get to the salon to do it....

There is no "right or wrong". If plucked eyebrows makes you look and feel confident and beautiful to you- GO FOR IT! If it is just another thing to keep up and you don't give a flying fart... skip it. Even things like eyebrows are a fashion trend... and every 10-15 years the style will change so that bushy or natural could be "in" one year, and pencil thin brows might be "in" the next.

-M.

P.S.- I stay at home and I only worry about makeup and plucking on romantic events like valentine's day and my wedding anniversary, and when we go out in public. I also only shave my legs when there is a real chance that they could see the light of day LOL!

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R.D.

answers from Sacramento on

Try Threading! It's Awesome! Quick - and doesn't hurt like waxing and plucking. Google Eyebrow Threading for your area. :)

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S.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I wax. I don't like a think pencil look, but I get fuzzy eyelids if I don't. I used to pluck, but it hurst and takes a lot of time. I probably overplucked as a young woman and ruined the natural shape a bit. I have recently thought about electrolyisis to get a more permanent result.

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T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

I pluck them. I started when i was in middle school i think. It does not hurt that much anymore. I like having pretty shaped eyebrows :)

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

I'm a neurotic plucker! All of my friends make fun of me about it because I will pluck my eyebrows in a tent when we camp. They're not over-tweezed or anything, but I cannot STAND it when a "stray" pops up! I used to wax, and that was fine, but I actually really, really, REALLY enjoy plucking. I know it's weird. Believe me, I wish I had a buck for every time someone has told me how weird I am for it! I don't think you're unusual. Most of the women and men I know think I'm so strange because they cannot stand to tweeze their brows!

C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I tweeze mine a few times a week - basically every few days I look close to see if there are any new hairs sprouting, then pluck them out. It doesn't hurt me...I've done it since 7th grade.

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

I love threading, not tweezing or waxing (I'm nervous with hot wax near my eyes). I live in an area where there are tons of salons nearby that thread so it's easy for me to get it done. I've been doing it since high school! It doesn't hurt much, and by the time I leave the salon, I don't feel pain at all. Try it!

A.F.

answers from Chicago on

I alternate between waxing and plucking...of course I have big bushy eyebrows that I inherited from my dad :( If yours are fine...I think maybe a little clear mascara to keep them in line would be better than starting the plucking or waxing trend (that you would then be FORCED to keep up!).

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C.M.

answers from New York on

They have something out now called threading. Its not done in a lot of places but you can ask around in your town. Its is less painful and doesn't leave the area red or irrated If you can take the wax or plucking, this is the next best thing.

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

Never done a thing to them, not once in my life. Never wanted to or needed to. I don't know if it's because they're naturally blonde and pretty light in color and I've never felt like they were big and bushy or whatever. I just don't see them as something "wrong" with me that I need to "fix".

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C.P.

answers from Provo on

I get mine waxed. My hairdresser is really fast so I hardly feel it. Tweezing brings tears to my eyes.

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