What is threading?

Threading, one of the oldest methods of body hair removal, is popular in India and the Middle East. It is also used in some western beauty parlours. Threading involves rolling twisted cotton threads over untidy hairlines and plucking out the unwanted hair. One reason for its continued popularity is that it is so much healthier for the skin and doesn't result in ingrown hair.Yet for all that it is a temporaray method, unlike laser hair removal which is as safe as it is long lasting.

History

Threading is believed to have originated in Turkey. Called khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egypt, it is used for removing hair from the entire face, including the eyebrows, the upper lip, the chin and the cheeks. Beauty clinics in many countries, including India, employ skilled practitioners of this ancient art. In the West too some cosmetologists favor eyebrow threading over other methods.

How threading is done?

In threading the practitioner holds one end of a cotton thread between his teeth and the other in his left hand. Its middle part is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand, and the loop used to trap unwanted hair so that it can be easily plucked from the skin. There are well tried techniques that tell you how to do it right.

Though the threading method of hair removal is used mostly in the facial area, it also works on the body parts lower down - from the belly button to the pubic bone and the toes. But remember that threading is an intricate art that must be performed only by a skilled practitioner, and that it takes months to achieve proficiency. Nothing is more painful than threading perfomed by an inexpert hand.

Advantages of threading

Threading has several advantages over other methods. It is not only an inexpensive method of hair removal, but also fast and far less painful than some other options. It is a convenient method for removing hair from areas like the eyebrows and face and its effect lasts from two to four weeks. One of the best features of threading is that it is suitable for even skin that is too sensitive for laser hair removal or waxing. It takes no more than 15 minutes to get both brows done, which makes eyebrow threading particularly popular. And as no chemicals are involved there is no risk of a reaction setting in.