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What Is an Eyebrow Cut?

T. M. Robertson
T. M. Robertson

An eyebrow cut is a trimming of the eyebrows to get them to a more manageable and visually appealing length. Eyebrow trimming works best on individuals with thick and lengthy lashes, and isn't recommended for individuals with sparse brows who need longer hairs to fill in any gaps. In order to obtain a proper eyebrow cut, a special comb and shaping scissors must be used. The comb is used to separate the hairs to determine which, if any, need to be cut. Specially designed eyebrow scissors are then used to cut off any excess length to create a more polished and sculpted appearance.

The first step to achieving a good eyebrow cut is to use a specially designed eyebrow comb to comb the eyebrow hairs straight up. If any hairs extend up well past the brow line, those hairs need to be trimmed to the desired length. Use a pair of eyebrow scissors to trim off the excess by cutting against the grain of the hair. Eyebrow scissors differ from other scissors in that they are contoured and angled in a way that better allows the handler to cut along the natural curve of the eyebrow. When cutting, it's best to trim only a little at a time to prevent overdoing it, as brows take a long time to grow back.

Eyebrows are trimmed to a manageable shape with an eyebrow cut.
Eyebrows are trimmed to a manageable shape with an eyebrow cut.

After the top of the eyebrow is trimmed, pluck any stray hairs growing underneath the brow line. Hairs should always be plucked in the direction of the hair growth and not against it. Some prefer to wax away these stray hairs, so that's also an option. For some, it may also be necessary to pluck or wax any stray hairs growing between the two eyebrows. When finished, the eyebrow cut should look defined and sculpted into a shape that suits the individual's face.

As part of an eyebrow cut, a specially designed comb should be used to straighten the hairs.
As part of an eyebrow cut, a specially designed comb should be used to straighten the hairs.

One final step in completing an eyebrow cut involves combing the eyebrows straight down. Look for any stray or lengthy hairs that need to be trimmed, and use the eyebrow scissors to trim the excess by cutting the hairs against the grain. Again, only a little should be cut off at a time to avoid trimming too much. Eyebrows can take three weeks or more to grow back, which means it takes a long time to correct any mistakes. After the eyebrows are trimmed, an eyebrow comb should be used to brush them back into place by brushing in an outward direction away from the center of the face.

Discussion Comments

JessicaLynn

@Azuza - I trim my eyebrows myself also. I think they look OK.

My boyfriend got a different type of eyebrow cut last time he went to get his hair cut. He'd never had anything like that done before, but when the lady asked him if he'd like her to "clean up his eyebrows" he said sure. She used a small beard trimmer to do it! His eyebrows looked very nice afterwards, I thought.

Azuza

@Oceana - I think it's nice you did that for your daughter. I remember being very self conscious and insecure when I was 10!

My eyebrows are quite bushy too, so I can sympathize. I trim them myself though, and I've never had any problems. I do have a special pair of eyebrow scissors, but I rarely use the comb. I just use my fingers to brush my hair upwards and then I use the scissors to trim the excess.

My eyebrows have looked a lot tidier since I discovered the eyebrow cut!

Oceana

My ten-year-old daughter became self-conscious about her thick eyebrows when some mean girls at school pointed them out to her. Before I knew what was happening, she had come home, gone to the bathroom, and picked up the scissors to cut them.

They looked awful afterward! They were badly uneven. I took her to the salon the next day and had them waxed totally off. The stylist penciled in some fake eyebrows and told her come back in for help dealing with her new ones that would be growing back in within a few weeks.

I’m sure people think it’s odd for me to bring my ten-year-old in to have her eyebrows done. If they had seen how upset those girls had made her, they would understand.

seag47

I am very meticulous about the appearance of my eyebrows, mostly because I was teased for having thick brows when I was young. Rather than going to the salon and risking a botched eyebrow cut, I take the time to do it myself.

Most people cut their brows all in one snip, but I prefer to do it one hair at a time. My hairs vary in length greatly, so it’s best for me to single out the long ones that have curled under and trim them. I make sure they fall in line with the contour of my eyebrow arch and the shorter hairs they are scattered among.

OeKc05

I don’t trim my eyebrows, because they really aren’t long enough. I do tweeze them, though. I bought an eyebrow grooming kit that included tweezers, and eyebrow brush, and contoured scissors. I get a lot of use out of the brush.

I had been using a regular comb to brush my eyebrows for years. This eyebrow brush has tiny spaces in between the teeth, so it is much better for making my brows behave.

My sister uses it before trimming her brows. She was born with thick lashes and a near-unibrow. So, I gave the scissors to her.

kylee07drg

I wish I had known about eyebrow scissors the first time I trimmed mine. I used a straight pair of scissors, and my brows ended up looking less arched than when I started. I had to go to school looking rather odd.

Now, I use the angled scissors designed for eyebrow trimming. The blades are very sharp and cut all the way out to the point.

These scissors have large holes for my fingers, so I have more control over my movements. I have never had a bad eyebrow cut since I started using these.

John57

I am always looking for ways to save money or figure out how I can do something myself. We have a Sally's Beauty Supply store close by and I bought a wax warmer there so I could wax my eyebrows myself.

The staff was very helpful showing me how to use it and which kind of wax to use for my eyebrows. I try to take the time for this once a month. This is very easy to do and has saved me quite a bit of money over time.

I don't know if I would feel as confident when it comes to cutting my eyebrows though. I would rather have someone else do that and wax them myself to maintain the look longer.

SarahSon

After having a few eyebrow disasters from trying to do this on my own, I go to a professional now. Getting my eyebrows waxed is something I don't mind paying for because I don't do a very good job at it myself.

I am thankful that I had an eyebrow pencil on hand when I cut too much hair off my eyebrows. It seems like it took forever for them to grow back.

After that, I told myself I would pay someone to take of them for me. As you age, your eyebrows don't grow as much, but the eyebrow hairs seem coarser and harder to manage. This is why I let someone who knows what they are doing take care of it.

MrsWinslow

@rugbygirl - If you're happy with waxing, then stay with it. But I've just recently switched over to threading. (Inside a salon. Your kiosk-in-the-mall scenario does sound awful!)

I have terribly bushy eyebrows, partly because of my PCOS, but I also have sensitive skin. The waxing would irritate the skin around my eyes and cause breakouts.

Threading involves less contact with your skin and no chemicals placed on your skin, so it's a lot more gentle on your skin.

My mom is the one who get me into threading, actually. She takes Retin-A and because waxing takes off a layer of skin, you can't have waxing if you're on it. She was plucking herself, but she's a lot happier with the results from threading.

rugbygirl

In my experience, an eyebrow cut is often part of a professional grooming job. I go for waxing, myself. I don't have the patience for plucking and threading just seems odd. (Plus, I always see people having it done at this kiosk in the middle of the mall, which seems terribly inappropriate.)

So waxing is my first line of defense, but once the extra hairs are out of the way, some of the ones that are left tend to be a little too long. That's when they break out the tiny little scissors and tidy them up.

I'm actually going this afternoon. It always makes me nervous, putting my face in someone else's hands like that!

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    • Eyebrows are trimmed to a manageable shape with an eyebrow cut.
      By: Mikhail Malyugin
      Eyebrows are trimmed to a manageable shape with an eyebrow cut.
    • As part of an eyebrow cut, a specially designed comb should be used to straighten the hairs.
      By: Marin Conic
      As part of an eyebrow cut, a specially designed comb should be used to straighten the hairs.
    • Stray hairs under the brow line should be plucked after the eyebrow is trimmed.
      By: MarkFGD
      Stray hairs under the brow line should be plucked after the eyebrow is trimmed.
    • Eyebrow trimming works best on individuals who have thick lashes.
      By: Lsantilli
      Eyebrow trimming works best on individuals who have thick lashes.