Threading (epilation)

Threading is an ancient method of hair removal which originated in parts of India, the Middle and Far East, and is now gaining popularity in Western countries. It is as popular with men in Arabic countries as it is with women, though they still shave the beard part of their face with a traditional safety or straight razor, doing their ears and eyebrows with thread.

Thin, twisted cotton threads are rolled over untidy hairlines, moustaches and so on, plucking the offending hair.

Practitioners use a pure cotton thread. They generally twist the hair and threading pulls out a whole row of hair, as opposed to tweezing where only one single hair is pulled out. Threading is often preferred to tweezing because of the naturally straight lines of hair removed by the thread. It is pulled out from the follicle. Some women focus particularly on the area between the eyebrows, thus interrupting so-called "unibrows".

Like other methods of hair removal such as plucking or waxing, threading can result in skin irritation and ingrown hairs, however, hair re-growth becomes finer and more sparse after regular treatments. As the top layers of skin are not peeled or traumatized, threading is also recommended and an excellent option for those have sensitive skin and who use Retin-A, Accutane, and similar products.