Threading and waxing
Eye brows are one of the biggest things happening in beauty right now; this goes without saying.
It is now a common trend to see women shaping their eyebrows. Eye brow shaping tips are all over the social media and the internet, even with video tutorials on how to achieve the best shape.
However, for one to achieve the best shape, they need to either tweeze or thread the eyebrows first to keep hair in the right place when drawing desired eye brow shape.
The website ibrowboutique.com describes eyebrow threading as an ancient hair-removal technique, practised for centuries among the women of Asia and the Middle East.
It describes threading as the best alternative to waxing and tweezing, especially for people with sensitive skin, adding that it also creates a graceful brow with clean, well-defined edges that frame the eye.
Commonly known by her customers as Aunt Mary, Mary Mkandawire from Urban Chic, a shop at Legends Complex in Blantyre, believes that unlike tweezing with razor blades, eyebrows take longer to grow back if threaded.
Threading involves the use of sewing thread to pluck out strands of hair from eye brows, into a desirable shape.
“With threading, a customer can take up to one month before coming back for another session. Some people complain that it is painful, but the benefits outweigh the experience,” says Mkandawire.
She learned the art of threading from her former employer at a salon and boutique, where she worked as a sales person.
Mkandawire adds that the shapes differ from person to person, mostly depending on natural shapes of the eye brows.
“We advise clients dependent of their natural looks. The idea is to thread the eyebrows in a shape that is not very far from their natural one and maintain their natural look,” she says.
Apart from eyebrow shaping, Mkandawire also does chin threading for bearded women.
Her business includes different forms of waxing such as arm pits, legs and bikini.
“I boil together sugar, lemons and water for about two hours to make wax which is stored in bottles. I use strips to pluck out the hair alongside the mixture,” she says.
She has been threading and waxing since 2001 and has built a house, sent her children to school and support her parents from her business. n
