Women, as well as men, tend to skimp on keeping their eyebrows groomed. Any beauty expert will agree that a well-defined brow accentuates the eyes and creates a more youthful appearance to the surrounding area.

Before maintaining and keeping the eyebrows groomed, be sure to have them shaped properly. This means choosing a brow shape that is right for your features.

The Ideal Shape

Surprisingly, the ideal shape and density of the brows has very little to with the contour of the face. Instead it is mainly determined by the distance between the brows and the shape of the eyes.

• Small Features and Eyes: a more delicate brow is needed for women with these features, while for men this means less “bushiness”. Keep them thinner and follow their natural shape.
• Short Distance of Brow to Lashes: a soft arch is the match here. Brows should be plucked from underneath in the center to obtain more definition.
• Large Features with Deep-Set Eyes: bushier and thicker brows are welcomed for those with this type of feature. To gain a more imposing brow shape, brush them to their fullest.
• Close-Set Eyes: avoid brows that meet in the middle as it actually will make the eyes look even closer. To make them look further apart, groom the inner edge to widen the space and the bridge of the nose.
• Wide-Set Eyes: yo offset eyes that are far apart and make them appear closer together, women should pencil in brows towards the middle of the nose, while men should comb the inner brows in the direction of the nose.
• Down-set eyes: shun any type of arched brows. Draw the ends out towards the temple so they appear straighter and help will lift the eyes. This can be achieved by combing, allowing the hair to grow, or by filling in the brow with brow powder or brow pencil.

Maintaining Your Brows

Before beginning to tweeze, make sure that the tweezers are properly cleaned. Use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol to sterilize the equipment. Then lightly pluck away the excess hairs in the direction that they grow in. To avoid over-plucking, step away from the mirror and examine your work after tweezing 3-4 hairs at a time.

Cutting the brow hair is a another common way for many men to keep their brows in shape. Comb the eyebrows upward and use a small pair of scissors to trim them. Many find it easy to draw an outline around each brow, and trim only the hairs that fall outside of the line.

Although slightly painful, waxing is one technique that won’t be going out of style anytime soon. Perfect arches and well groomed brows will be obtained with this clean method of hair removal. While this can be done at home, many people will get a more precise application by going to a professional.

Once unknown to the west, a brow grooming technique known as “threading” has gained a significant popularity. A twisted piece of thread is tied around the eyebrow and subsequently pulled off, creating a flawless shaped brow. Threading is less painful than waxing, and does not cause an unsightly redness after the procedure.

Faux Eyebrows

One way to eliminate very thin eyebrows is with the use of faux eyebrows. Manufactured with 100% human hair they look to all extent very natural. They are relatively easy to apply; maintain them by cleaning and brushing them when removed. While anyone with thin brows may find faux brows useful, they are primarily used by people suffering from conditions like alopecia that promote hair loss.