Brows for bros: What happened after a man lost his threading virginity
A couple of days ago, I came across this video where guys were getting facial hair waxed. Then when I looked at the comment section (big mistake), there were comments that said how these men were “pussies”, or accusing them of being feminine. Sigh pie, it saddens me that men get judged for simply wanting to groom themselves! It’s really not anyone’s business what people want to do with themselves, whether it be removing body hair or wearing makeup. The process of grooming not only makes one look clean and neat, it’s also important me-time for focusing on what we need mentally and emotionally! Men also enjoy the feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation when they get groomed so why should this exclusively be a "girl thing"?
Brow grooming for men isn't "weird". Just as women groom their brows to create a proper frame for the face, so can men reap the same benefits! Men often have thicker, more prominent brow hairs as well, and a bit of grooming can transform them from unkempt to smolder-worthy. So I once again enlisted the help of my officemate Ro, who previously "modeled" for our story on face base makeup for men. He'd mentioned wanting to try having his eyebrows threaded since we became officemates last year. He’s been content with how they look, but he feels like the ends of his brows are a bit unruly. So we booked him an appointment at one of the best in the biz - Browhaus Manila!
Ro's eyebrows before the procedure
The Experience
Ro had his brows done at the Browhaus in Greenbelt 5. It's in a quiet area so the location is perfect for men who may want to be discreet about hair removal. The store has a cool submarine-inspired interior, and has four individual rooms where the procedures are done. According to Senior Marketing Executive Chah Querido, this ensures privacy and discretion for their clientele.
Ro was first briefed on the Brow Construction experience so he knows what to expect from the procedure. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to let the staff know!
After letting Ro settle into the treatment chair, the brow specialist, Miss Anna, did an evaluation of Ro’s brows. She explained that she would mostly retain the natural shape and look of Ro’s brows but need to clean up the many stray hairs on the underside of his brow, which cause them to look heavy and misshapen. After checking with Ro about her proposed adjustments, it was time to get threading!
At Browhaus, threading is done using organic cotton thread, which makes the procedure practically painless! The cotton thread makes a difference in how it grabs the hair, so it doesn't end up breaking the hair or tugging at the skin.
To keep Ro's brows looking natural, Miss Anna used tweezers to remove individual hairs. She also used tiny brow scissors to trim extremely long hairs so that Ro’s brows would stay in shape and in place even if he gets them wet while swimming or sweating during exercise.
Finally, she applied the Eyes Cream, Browhaus’s own post-hair removal concoction, to soothe the skin and lessen the swelling. Ro was instructed to not wash his face or allow any contact with water on his face for next 4 to 6 hours.
The Verdict
Initially, when I asked Ro about doing this, he was quite skeptical because he’d heard a lot of horror stories from female friends who complained about how painful threading can be. He was also worried his skin might get irritated because he has really sensitive skin. So as a “threading virgin”, he appreciated that he got properly briefed beforehand about the procedure, materials and equipment used, and even the training that Browhaus specialists receive because he felt assured about being in good hands.
At the start of the threading session, he says he didn’t really feel any pain while it was being done on his upper brow area. But he did start to feel a bit of pain (but very bearable!) once the threading went to the lower part of the brow. He also really liked the Eyes Cream that was applied after as it helped soothe the itchiness he felt.
Since we did this during our break, the rest of our officemates got to see what Ro looked like after the treatment. While most noticed that Ro’s skin looked reddish, they didn’t really notice that he'd had his brows threaded until we pointed it out! They were actually impressed that it didn’t look overly or obviously done, which was what Ro feared. He wanted to keep his brows still full but clean, and Browhaus was able to help him achieve that!
Would he do it again? Ro says he definitely would, as he has fallen in love with how clean his brows look! They look better defined, too, and actually look fuller. He's not wearing any brow product in those after photos!
So guys, if you’re reading this, do you think you’d try threading? What do you think of guys getting their brows cleaned up? Do you think brow cleaning should just be limited to girls? Share your comments below!
Many thanks to Browhaus Manila for helping us with this story! They have stores in Serendra, Greenbelt 5, Lucky Chinatown, SM Megamall, Powerplant Mall, Trinoma, and Abreeza. Visit their Facebook page for inquiries and appointments.
