Threading is an ancient hair removal method some say originated in India, while others say in the Middle East. And eyebrow threading -- a way to remove unwanted eyebrow hairs -- is becoming a lot more popular in Western countries and larger cities in the U.S., although it's just catching on in more rural areas.
Holding a string of thread about 15 inches long, Archana Brahmbhatt places one end between her teeth while she wraps the other end around her index and middle fingers, forming a triangle.
Her fluid, confident movements, which remove unwanted hair from the roots in straight rows, show the decade's worth of experience that Mrs. Brahmabhatt has practicing this technique.
"It was strange to me at the beginning," said Peggy Walton, who recently visited Mrs. Brahmabhatt to get her eyebrows threaded.
"I'm a Southern girl from Virginia. My husband was in the military so I traveled and lived all over the country, and I had never heard of threading. I couldn't see how it could be possible," she added.
The stinging sensation as the thread is rolled along the surface of the skin, if done properly, is less painful than the ripping of the skin in waxing, threading clients say. Prices for threading can vary from $5 to $10.
People who do threading say they prefer it as opposed to waxing and plucking because the hair doesn't grow as fast, and it creates a more perfect shape.
