How to Thread Hair

An easy, inexpensive, and effective way to remove facial hair.

Steps

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    Find some strong thread. You do not need a special type of thread. Use white thread because its easier to see the hair you thread out.[1]
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    Snip about 20 inches (51 cm) (a foot and a half) of thread. This does not need to be exact. You can experiment with different lengths as you become more comfortable with the technique.
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    Tie the two ends of the thread together. A simple knot will suffice as long as the ends don't come apart (here's a quick one- remember the first knot you make when tying your shoelaces? just make that about 2-3 times with the two ends of the thread).[2]
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    Now hold the thread with both hands, and wind it around ten times. The wound bit now lies in the center of the circle.[3]
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    Place the thread around the fingers of both hands. Push the wound portion towards one hand by widening the fingers of one hand and simultaneously closing the fingers of the other hand (if you're doing this right, your hands will appear to be having a respectful, mock "conversation" with each other. When one hand "talks" the other will be quiet and vice versa).[4]
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    Practice the above motions until you feel fairly comfortable with the movements of your hands. Usually, a smaller length of thread is easier to work with when you are still practicing your hand movements.
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    Once you are comfortable, its time to start practicing on real hair! A good idea would be to practice on your leg since most people have hair on their legs that can be seen/reached easily.
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    Sitting on your bed or on a chair, prop up one leg and identify the portion from which you want to remove hair.
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    Place the thread on this portion. Let the wound part be one end of the hair, and the thread from the other side should be on both sides of the hair you want to remove.[5]
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    Now, move the wound portion to the other side, making sure that it catches the hair while moving. It will then lift the hair from the root as it moves back and forth.
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    Be patient. This will require lots of practice!
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    Once you are comfortable, move onto your upper lip or other parts of your face that need to be threaded.
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    Avoid doing this on your eyebrows unless you are absolutely confident in your abilities. Remember, your eyebrows are less forgiving of errors than any other parts of your body.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Will threading frequently cause any skin problems?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It shouldn't. If you happen to have skin irritation/red spots after threading, apply some aloe (found at most health stores) or moisturizer.
  • Question
    Will threading make the hair grow back quicker?
    Karunakaran Nair
    Karunakaran Nair
    Community Answer
    Not as much as shaving. if you don't want your hair to grow back, consider a permanent removal option.
  • Question
    Is there a way to do this painlessly?
    Shivani Chilakapati
    Shivani Chilakapati
    Community Answer
    You can try to use a numbing spray before you begin threading. You can find them in a lot of drugstores. A good one to use is the GiGi anesthetic numbing spray.
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Warnings

  • Sensitive skin may experience some reddening of the area and/or some small bumps immediately after threading. Just use some ice to soothe the area.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Eyebrows are tricky to shape. Use this technique on them at your own risk.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

  • Normal, sewing thread
  • Scissors or sharp teeth to snip a segment of thread
  • A wall-mounted mirror (to keep your hands free)
  • A well lit area (so you can see all the fine hair)

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HiN12HsOjg
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jITqHkTU8_s
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HiN12HsOjg
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jITqHkTU8_s
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DRXsCOZZSQ

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 19 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 228,198 times.
420 votes - 77%
Co-authors: 19
Updated: October 19, 2022
Views: 228,198
Categories: Facial Hair Removal
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