Threading: Asian hair removal

2:05pm Monday 23rd June 2003

WHEN I was asked to do a feature on threading, I thought I was going to spend an afternoon with a needlework group. I was wrong, very wrong.

What I was actually be sent to do was get my eyebrows shaped.

At the moment I tend to pluck my eyebrows whenever I think they look a bit of a mess, and I did once have them waxed. I say once because it was so painful that I've never had it done again.

So I was quite intrigued to hear that Mirage Beauty Parlour in Desborough Road, High Wycombe, is now offering an alternative method Ð threading.

Threading is actually an ancient method of hair removal. It is still used in many countries in the Middle East as well as India and Pakistan. Threading is used to give clean lines and good shape to the eyebrows. It can also be used to remove hair from the upper lip and other facial areas.

Gurcharan Gill, who owns the beauty parlour, said: "It is much cleaner as the thread is thrown away each time and new thread used. I wouldn't say it was pain free, but I certainly think it is less painful than waxing. It becomes less painful with time, so the more you have it done the less it hurts.

"Also the more frequently you have the treatment the longer it takes to grow back as they become thinner.

Mrs Gill explained that a lot of Asian ladies have their whole face done.

So how does it work? Well 100 per cent cotton thread is twisted and rolled along the surface of the skin entwining the hair in the thread which is then lifted out from the follicle.

The hair takes about the same time as with tweezing to grow back, anywhere around three weeks.

Hardeep Gill, Mrs Gill's daughter-in-law, carried out the treatment on me. It was fascinating to watch as I couldn't believe that a piece of cotton could be used to perform such a task. Little hairs were flying everywhere and I have to say it didn't really hurt at all. It was slightly sore, but only for a matter of seconds.

The effects are supposed to be less harmful to the skin than with other hair removal methods such as tweezing, waxing or sugaring. Unlike waxing or the use of depilatories, irritation and skin rashes are avoided as the top layer of dead skin is not stripped off in the process.

I was really pleased with the results and the area around my eyes remained red for only about half an hour.

I would certainly go and have this treatment again as it was a lot less painful and a lot less messy than waxing and I was really pleased with the result.

I now have perfect eyebrows and no longer look like a Noel Gallagher eyebrow double!

Threading at Mirage Beauty Parlour costs £4 for eyebrow shape, £8 for full face, £3 for eyebrow tidy and £2.50 for upper lip.

For information contact 01494 449004. Mirage beauty parlour is at 190 Desborough Road, High Wycombe