| Threading is an ancient form of hair removal | | | | able to see for myself how threading works. |
| that is still widely practiced by many people | | | | As the thread was twisted and pulled along my |
| in the Eastern part of the world. The very | | | | daughter's upper lip, I saw how each hair was |
| first time I had threading done on my face | | | | snagged in the crisscross of the threads and |
| was when I was preparing for my wedding day. | | | | lifted from the roots. I could see tears |
| There was the final dress fitting, choosing | | | | spring up in my daughter's eyes. But my |
| the flowers for my wedding bouquet, choosing | | | | daughter bravely put up with the threading |
| the kind of makeup, picking a hair style and | | | | and was very, very pleased with the result. |
| all the many, many things that a bride needed | | | | Threading removed the hairs from the roots, |
| to prepare for the big day. At the beauty | | | | and did not harm her skin at all. She was |
| salon, the hair stylist/makeup artist | | | | only a little red for a few minutes. |
| recommended that I had my whole face threaded | | | | |
| so that the makeup would stay on better. In | | | | In countries such as Taiwan and India, you |
| spite of being an Asian, it was the first | | | | can find women sitting on stools at street |
| time I've heard of threading. At this time, | | | | corners, just like any other street vendor, |
| I really did not have much facial hair to | | | | offering threading services. Threading is so |
| speak of, but I gave it a try. The makeup | | | | cheap and very common there. |
| artist pulled out a length of cotton thread, | | | | |
| and started to twist it around her fingers | | | | Here in the United States, it's not as easy |
| and held one end with her teeth! Then she | | | | to find a beauty salon that offers hair |
| started to twist the thread over my face. I | | | | threading services. Americans are more |
| felt the thread running back and forth over | | | | familiar with waxing, shaving, bleaching and |
| my face, pulling out whatever peach fuzz I | | | | depilatory creams. Many Asians come to the |
| may have had. I did not think it was painful | | | | U.S. thinking they can find threading in any |
| at all. It was the one and only time I had | | | | salon, but find to their surprise and dismay |
| my face threaded. | | | | that threading is almost unheard of. In big |
| | | | cosmopolitan cities like New York, Chicago or |
| Since then, I have had my upper lip waxed at | | | | LA, you can find some salons that offer |
| a salon, as well as using home kits. I've | | | | threading. In smaller cities, you're out of |
| bleached, plucked and tweezed. I've even used | | | | luck. |
| depilatory creams. All of these methods have | | | | |
| been successful up to a point. With waxing, | | | | We live in one of the Midwestern states, and |
| it does not pull out every strand of hair. | | | | threading is not easily available here. Every |
| Sometimes, a couple needed to be plucked or | | | | time my daughter needed her upper lip |
| tweezed. Depilatory creams and bleaches were | | | | threaded, I had to call my friend. She was |
| painful for me as I could feel them burning | | | | very happy to do it for us, but I still felt |
| on my skin, leaving me red and raw. Now | | | | that we were imposing on her. So we looked |
| twenty years later, I started to look into | | | | around for other options and finally found a |
| threading again. But not for myself, rather | | | | product from The product, Epicare, is a |
| for my pre-adolescent daughter who was | | | | pencil-sized device that picks up on the same |
| starting to be conscious of what little | | | | principle of threading. However threading |
| facial hair she had. She wanted it bleached, | | | | expertise is not needed as no thread is |
| or waxed or to use a depilatory cream. | | | | required. It is actually made up of a spring |
| Knowing that her skin is super sensitive | | | | which pulls hair from the roots by snagging |
| because of her age, I did not want to subject | | | | the hairs in the coils of the spring. It is |
| her skin to any harsh chemicals. A friend | | | | very safe and natural as there are no |
| from India suggested that I had her face | | | | chemicals involved and therefore, perfect for |
| threaded. This friend came over to our house | | | | my daughter's sensitive skin. |
| and threaded my daughter's upper lip. I was | | | | |