All About Eyebrows: ASCP Treatment Room Tips

Summary

Ella Cressman, a licensed aesthetician, demonstrates how she shapes eyebrows using waxing, tweezing, and trimming. She explains that eyebrow waxing helped her build her business and emphasizes enhancing each client’s natural features rather than imposing a standardized shape.

Method and Key Tips

Prepare Safely

• Wear gloves for protection, since hair removal can leave skin vulnerable. Gloves may also be required by state regulations.
• Cleanse the area before waxing to remove oil and makeup so the wax adheres properly.
• Gather cotton rounds, wax sticks or another measuring tool, a spoolie, tweezers, scissors, and an eyebrow pencil.

Map the Brow to the Client’s Face

Use facial landmarks to determine the beginning, arch, and end of each brow:

• Beginning: Aligns with the side of the nose and the inner corner of the eye.
• End: Aligns with the side of the nose and the outer corner of the eye.
• Arch: Can be estimated by drawing a line from the side of the nose through the pupil. The outer edge of the iris can also serve as a reference.

Mark corresponding points consistently on both brows. Ella favors this individualized “golden ratio” approach over stencils, which may not flatter everyone.

Wax Carefully

• Test the hard-wax temperature on yourself before applying it. Wax that moves slowly down the stick may indicate a suitable temperature.
• Work in small areas, starting slightly below the desired brow line and shaping toward the mapped arch.
• Hold the skin taut without pulling so tightly that the brow’s shape changes.
• Press the skin after removing wax to soothe the area.
• Avoid repeatedly waxing an area to catch every hair, since overworking can lift the skin. Use tweezers for remaining hairs instead.
• Check whether the top of the brow needs cleanup, while keeping the result natural.

Tweeze and Trim

• Use clean tweezers to remove leftover hairs, following the direction of hair growth.
• Trim after waxing, when the cleaned shape is easier to assess.
• Brush the hairs in different directions, then lightly point-trim only those that disrupt the brow’s shape or curl out of place.
• Be conservative: removing too much length can reduce fullness. Compare both brows for thickness and shape before finishing.
• Confirm that trimming eyebrows is within your scope of practice under your state’s rules.

Finish with a Natural Look

Ella prefers to lightly feather or tweeze some larger hairs along the top rather than waxing the entire upper edge, which can make brows look over-groomed. Hold the skin taut during this technique, as it may be uncomfortable. Measure and recheck the result before moving on.

Speakers and Sources

• Ella Cressman — Licensed aesthetician and presenter; identifies herself as being with Ella Cressman Skincare and as an ASCP member.
• Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP) — Organization and channel associated with the video.