8.4 Tweezing & Brow Shaping: Procedure, Before-Care and Aftercare

1. Tweezing in Context

Tweezing is epilation of individual hairs with tweezers. It pulls the hair out of the follicle, so regrowth takes weeks rather than days. Minnesota lists "removing hair from a person's body using depilatories, waxes, preparations, sugaring, or tweezing" in the esthetician scope (Minn. R. 2105.0105, subp. 2, item D). Eyebrow shaping and trimming are listed separately in item E.

Tweezing is best for:

• final brow shaping after a wax, and brows on clients who cannot be waxed;
• stray hairs left after waxing (and preferable to re-waxing an area already waxed with soft wax);
• small, sensitive areas and a few coarse hairs on the chin; and
• clients using topical retinoids or other products that make waxing risky, provided the skin is intact and the product's directions allow it.

It is slow for large areas and can be uncomfortable for sensitive clients.

2. Tweezer Types

Choose stainless steel tweezers that can be fully immersed in disinfectant. Tips must be aligned and in good repair: tweezers that do not close evenly break hairs instead of removing them.

3. Before-Care: Consultation and Preparation

Consultation. Review the intake form and ask about:

• oral isotretinoin in the last six months to a year, topical retinoids or recent peels (relevant for waxing but also for skin fragility);
• blood thinners (bruising), diabetes (slow healing), and recent cosmetic procedures;
• local contraindications: active cold sores near the area, open wounds or sores, rashes, infections, sunburn, moles or skin tags in the path (never pull hair from a raised lesion without the client's physician's advice), and inflamed skin. Minnesota prohibits services on clients with open wounds or sores in the area being serviced (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 7, item G).

Brow design. Agree on the shape before removing any hair. Section 9.3 covers three-point brow mapping, which uses lines drawn from the side of the nostril to set the start, arch and end of the brow. Mark the plan with a sharpened, clean brow pencil. Minnesota requires pencil cosmetics to be sharpened with a disinfected sharpener before each use. Brush the brows upward with a disposable spoolie and trim overly long hairs with disinfected brow scissors before tweezing.

Preparation steps:

1. Wash your hands and put on gloves, which Minnesota requires for waxing or hair removal (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 7, item O).
2. Drape the client, secure the hair, and protect the eyes if needed.
3. Cleanse the area with a mild antiseptic on cotton to remove makeup and oil.
4. Soften the area with a warm, not hot, damp compress. Warmth relaxes the follicle opening and makes removal more comfortable. Test the temperature on your wrist first.
5. Lay out disinfected tweezers, brow scissors and a spoolie on a clean towel, and have cotton, antiseptic and a soothing product ready.

4. The Tweezing Procedure

1. Stretch the skin taut with the index finger and thumb of your free hand. Taut skin reduces discomfort and prevents pinching.
2. Grasp the hair close to the skin at its base, one hair at a time.
3. Pull quickly in the direction of hair growth with a smooth motion. Pulling against growth, or slowly, breaks the hair and leaves the root, which leads to faster regrowth and possible ingrown hairs.
4. Work under the brow first, shaping the lower line, then clean between the brows. Remove hairs above the brow line only sparingly, because the top line defines the shape.
5. Check symmetry often. Step back, compare both brows and brush them into place. Remove less than you think; you cannot put a hair back.
6. Wipe the tweezer tips on clean cotton as hairs collect. Never wipe them on your clothing or the client's drape.
7. Blot any pinpoint bleeding with clean cotton. If blood appears, follow Minnesota's blood exposure steps (section 2.3): gloves, rinse if possible, antiseptic, sterile bandage if needed, bag and seal contaminated cotton, and disinfect the tools.

Tweezing after waxing. Minnesota rules do not limit how many times an area may be waxed, but standard practice is not to re-apply soft wax over an area already waxed with soft wax, because the skin has lost surface cells and may lift. Remove the remaining strays with tweezers instead.

5. Aftercare (After Treatment)

• Apply a soothing antiseptic or calming product, such as an aloe-based gel, with a clean applicator.
• A cool compress reduces redness.
• Brush the brows into shape and, if the client wishes, apply brow product with disinfected brushes or a disposable applicator.
• Tell the client to avoid makeup, heat (saunas, steam), sun and exfoliating products on the area for about 24 hours, and not to pick at any red bumps.
• Advise against over-tweezing at home. Repeated removal can thin the brow permanently over time.
• Recommend a return visit in about two to four weeks to maintain the shape.
• Record the brow design, any reactions and the aftercare given.

6. Tool Care After the Service

1. Place the tweezers and scissors in the covered container labeled "used", or clean them immediately (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 6, item F).
2. Clean them with soap and water to remove hair and debris, rinse and dry.
3. Fully submerge them in a covered, EPA-registered hospital disinfectant for the label contact time. Alcohol wiping does not satisfy Minnesota's rule.
4. Rinse, dry and store them in a clean, closed container. Never store them in a pocket, apron or holster (subp. 7, item L).
5. Discard the cotton, spoolie and other single-use items. Remove your gloves and wash your hands.