Since men do not usually utilize cosmetics as much as women, the state of their eyebrows can have a significant impact on the overall appearance of their faces. Successful grooming of men's eyebrows can be very simple for men with naturally neat brows, and may require only occasional tweezing and trimming to make them look their best. Men's eyebrows that are thicker and more unruly might require waxing or shaving, the use of stencils and brow pencil, or professional attention.
The most basic grooming tools for men's eyebrows are a good pair of tweezers, a brow brush, and a small, sharp pair of trimming scissors. If the brows in question are not overgrown and naturally fall into a pleasing arch with no excess hair above the nose, very little maintenance is required. Any stray hairs that lie outside the natural arch of the brow can removed by simply gripping the hair in a pair of tweezers and pulling it out in the direction of growth. Some people think tweezing is painful, but selecting a high quality pair of tweezers designed specifically for eyebrows will make the procedure easier and more comfortable.
Hairs within the arch that are too long may curl up slightly and make the eyebrows appear too bushy or scraggly, but trimming them will encourage them to lie flat. Trimming scissors should be quite small to aid in dexterity and visibility, and should be nice and sharp. Men should comb through each brow with the eyebrow brush and trim any overgrown hairs one at a time. To keep men's eyebrows looking neat, it is important not to trim hairs too short. Doing so will prevent the hairs from lying flat, forcing the blunt ends to stand straight up.
Men's eyebrows that are very hairy might require a little more grooming effort. Some men choose to have their eyebrows waxed professionally instead of attempting to neaten them up by themselves. Waxing has a lot of benefits: it removes large amounts of unwanted hair quicker than tweezers, it lasts longer than shaving, and the technician is a professional who can help inexperienced groomers decide on a pleasing eyebrow shape. This procedure is probably the best option for men trying to control excessively hairy brows, especially if there is unwanted hair in between the brows, above the nose.
Shaving men's eyebrows is possible, but it can be tricky and might have some unwanted consequences. If shaving is the selected course of action, a special eyebrow razor with a longer handle and thinner head can be hugely beneficial. Precise shaving is absolutely necessary to avoid accidentally removing more hair than desired, which can make the brows look strange as the hair grows back in. Additionally, shaving does not last as long as tweezing or waxing because it does not remove hair at the root, so upkeep must be diligent. Men who shave their eyebrows should also take caution against razor burn, skin irritation, and the development of ingrown hairs.
A lot of men have difficulty deciding on a shape for their eyebrows. Generally, men's eyebrows are thicker and less defined than women's, so going for a natural but neat look is a safe bet. Tools such as eyebrow stencils and brow pencils act as guides to protect against poor shaping and overzealous tweezing, waxing, or shaving.