Having nicely shaped and well-groomed eyebrows can make a huge difference in your appearance. For those blessed with naturally thick eyebrows, learning how to properly groom them is key to looking your best. Thick eyebrows are beautiful when properly maintained, but can appear messy or overgrown if left unchecked.
Proper grooming techniques allow you to shape thick eyebrows so they complement your face rather than overwhelm it. Using brow grooming tools, following ideal shaping guides for your face, and maintaining thickness while removing stray hairs are key for tidy and defined thick brows.
Table of Contents
1. Choosing the Right Grooming Tools
The first step to grooming thick eyebrows is making sure you have the right tools for the job. While basic tweezers work fine for maintaining thinner brows, using the proper tools allows better control and avoids over-plucking thicker hair.
Tweezers designed for coarse hair: Standard tweezers may struggle to grip thicker brow hairs. Opt for slant tip tweezers made specifically to grab coarse or stubborn hairs. The angled tips help grab and remove hair cleanly. I recommend using THESE TWEEZERS. They have a great grip and they’re easy to use.
Brow scissors and combs: Using small grooming scissors allows you to trim long hairs for a tidier look. Brow combs then help brush hairs neatly into place. Always brush upward when grooming.
Magnifying mirror: A mirror with 5x or 10x magnification helps ensure you can clearly see each hair, avoiding mistakes that could compromise the shape of full brows. Check for any stray hairs to target for removal.
2. Determining the Ideal Brow Shape
When dealing with abundant thick brow hair, determining the most flattering brow shape for your face is essential before you begin plucking or trimming. This prevents over-grooming or compromising the integrity of the brows.
An arch shape best suits rounder faces: An arched brow shape helps add definition and slims a fuller face. Use a brow pencil to mark your arch shape before grooming. Avoid ultra-thin “sperm brow” shapes with thick hair.
Softer shapes for longer faces: Sharp, angular brows compete with longer face shapes. Aim for a rounded shape with a subtle arch. Brush brows upward and trim longer hairs for a tidier look.
Match brow shape with facial symmetry: Ensure your brow shapes match to complement facial symmetry. Using stencils as a guide can help achieve identical shapes before grooming both brows.
3. Establishing a Groomed Yet Full Baseline
When thinning out thick eyebrows, it helps to brush them upward to establish an optimal baseline shape before you begin removing hairs. This allows you to remove only stray hairs that fall outside the shape you want to maintain.
Brush brows up to reveal shape: Brushing brows up and outward makes it easy to spot which hairs extend past your natural shape. Tweeze or trim only these hairs first to establish a tidy baseline shape.
Avoid over-thinning the arch and front: The arched peak and inner corners near the nose frame the eyes, so take care not to over-groom these areas when thinning. Keep fullness here.
Check symmetry as you groom: Frequently brush brows back into place to check that you maintain symmetry while working. Reassess with the magnifying mirror to ensure identical shapes.
4. Removing Strays Beneath the Brow
For those with especially thick eyebrow hair growth, you may need to remove stray hairs underneath the brow tails and main shape that can appear messy if left unchecked.
Tweeze downward-growing hairs first: Target any hairs growing beneath the brow tail downward toward the cheek. Removing these helps tidy the lower brow border.
Don’t over-tweeze below the brow: Tweeze conservatively under the brow, as this zone often appears lighter. Leaving some hairs here maintains a tidy yet natural look.
Use brow scissors for longer hairs: For stubborn long hairs growing beneath the arch or tail, use brow scissors to snip these smoothly rather than risking irritated skin by over-tweezing.
5. Grooming the Brow Tails
For thick brows, the “tails” – or outer edges that extend towards the temples – often appear overgrown if not properly trimmed and shaped. Keeping these tidy is key.
Brush tails upward first: Brush all hairs upward before assessing the tails. This lets you see which hairs are too long or fall outside the natural shape.
Trim longer tail hairs: Use brow scissors to trim any tail hairs longer than the overall brow length. Cut parallel to the eyebrow so hairs blend smoothly when brushed down.
Avoid blunt, harsh tails: Blunt or sharply squared brow tails compete with thick brows. Allow tails to taper slightly for a groomed yet soft finish.
6. Preventing Ingrown Hairs with Thick Eyebrows
Thicker brow hairs are more prone to becoming ingrown when tweezed, especially for sensitive skin. Taking steps to treat and exfoliate skin can help avoid irritation and infection from ingrown brow hairs.
Avoid over-tweezing: Tweezing the same hairs repeatedly can increase ingrown hair risk. Allow tweezed hair to fully regrow between grooming sessions whenever possible.
Exfoliate twice weekly: Gently exfoliating with a brow scrub or facial wash containing chemical exfoliants helps keep pores clear to allow new hair growth. Don’t over-scrub sensitive areas.
Use preventative products: Serums containing ingredients like glycolic acid or retinol help prevent ingrown hairs, keeping pores open. Apply after grooming and exfoliating.
7. Maintaining Tidiness Between Grooming Sessions
To prevent thick brows from appearing messy as hair grows back in, using brow products helps keep everything tidy. Brows should be groomed every 2-3 weeks to maintain shape.
Use clear brow gel: Brushing unruly hairs into place with a clear, conditioning brow gel keeps thick brows under control between grooming sessions. Look for nourishing formulas.
Apply brow powder: For especially full brows, use matte powder shades lighter than your natural hair color to cover any thin patches and evenly fill in your arches for a perfect dense shape each day.
Consider brow lamination: This in-salon treatment uses keratin to straighten brows for 6-8 weeks, setting even the thickest hairs neatly into place for a glossy, groomed look between trims.
8. Knowing When to Seek Professional Help
If you struggle to achieve perfectly shaped thick eyebrows on your own, don’t be afraid to seek professional threading, waxing or microblading services to help maintain your ideal brow look.
Brow threading for precision: This popular hair removal technique uses doubled thread to twist and pull out hairs with precision. Great for achieving tidy, symmetrical brows. Less irritation than waxing or tweezing.
Brow waxing shapes arches: Wax is applied to brow hairs and then removed against the direction of hair growth for precise shaping and removal. Ideal for smoothing arches and lines.
Microblading for filling gaps: Also called brow embroidery, this semi-permanent tattoo procedure enhances shape using hair-like strokes to fill any gaps for the look of full, natural brows.
Conclusion: Embrace Your Fuller Brows
Learning suitable thick brow grooming techniques prevents ending up with shapeless, overgrown brows while allowing you to accentuate your eyes and embolden your features. While grooming thicker facial hair requires care to avoid mistakes, taking your time to brush hairs into place first and conservatively trim or tweeze only what falls outside your optimal shape preserves lovely full brows.
Be sure to choose the right tools for your brow thickness, determine a flattering eyebrow shape that complements your symmetry and proportions whether arched or softly rounded, and brush brows upward as you assess hairs falling outside your shape baseline to remove. This allows tailored thick brow grooming while maintaining desired fullness and avoiding bluntness or harsh angles.
When in doubt, seek expert threading, waxing or microblading help to achieve picture-perfect thick eyebrows that still appear tidy, defined and healthy between biweekly touch-up sessions at home using clear gels, powders and targeted preventative skin care. With the right grooming approach, thicker brows can make your eyes pop while framing your features beautifully.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grooming Thick Eyebrows
Is it okay to trim my thick eyebrows with scissors?
Yes, using small brow grooming scissors to trim errant hairs too long to tweeze cleanly is recommended. This allows precise snipping rather than potentially irritating the skin by over-tweezing, especially when dealing with coarse thicker hairs. Always brush brows upward first and snip parallel to the natural direction of hair growth.
How can I avoid blunt thick brows from over-grooming?
Assessing your brows brushed upward first gives you a visual guide to where hairs extend past your natural shape that should be trimmed. Avoid cutting straight, harsh lines across the top or tails. Tweeze and trim conservatively in the arched peak and inner corners near the nose which frame the eyes beautifully when kept thick.
Is waxing or threading better for thick eyebrows?
Both threading and waxing allow precise shaping of arches while removing more hair at once than tweezing, making them great choices for thicker brows. Threading causes less irritation for sensitive skin. But waxing may grip coarse hairs more easily. Evaluate your pain tolerance and skin type to choose your preferred method.
Can thick eyebrows be permanently shaped by microblading?
Microblading, also called eyebrow embroidery, isn’t quite permanent but the results do last 1-3 years. Fine strokes mimic real brow hairs to enhance shape, fill gaps or create symmetrical arches, making it ideal for getting perfect thicker brows that still appear natural before maintenance touch-ups are needed.