She might get hives at the mere mention of lipstick and
mistake an eyelash curler for a torture device, but even the most
low-maintenance female understands the importance of eyebrow grooming. After
all, the eyebrows set the tone for the entire face, and even a few hairs gone
awry can skew one’s looks in dangerous new directions. But if we have to do our
damnedest one more time not to gawk at another straight-guy unibrow, we may run
amok with a pair of tweezers. Seriously, what is it about brow grooming that
makes males run away in terror?
In search of some insight, we sought the counsel of Barbara
Siegel, who owns Total Skin Care (1028 Comm Ave, Boston,
617.566.7280) and caters to a significant, yet under-the-radar, Y-chromosomed
clientele. The key to shaping the male brow, she explains, is to focus on a
natural look that maintains its thickness, cleaning up the area below the brow
bone and between the brows. It’s important to avoid any above-the-brow cleanup,
which can lead to an overly shaped, more feminine look. “What we like to do,”
she says, “is tweeze more than wax.” For a skittish guy (i.e., the majority of
her male customers), Siegel makes sure the process is over before he even
realizes it’s begun. “I try to be very gentle with him, and I try to do it very
quickly, because if I don’t, they’re going to get up and walk out. They can’t
handle it.” Once the deed’s done, a visit every six to eight weeks should be
sufficient for upkeep.
The truly pluck-phobic, however, can find solace with Judy
Fogarty of the über-gentlemanly Barbershop Lounge (245
Newbury Street, Boston, 617.450.0021). “At Barbershop Lounge,” she says, “we
trim brows when needed during the client’s haircutting service.” Few guys
actually upgrade to the full-scale brow wax, but a quick trim often suffices,
cutting bushiness enough to maintain that well-groomed appearance. And, for the
record, Fogarty doesn’t buy into the fear factor: “We find [that men] aren’t
knowledgeable regarding their options and simply need to be educated.”
Both ladies do agree that, no matter which route you take, it’s
important to seek the advice of a trained professional before taking brow
grooming into your own hands. Says Siegel, “[They] can tweeze the stray hairs,
but they can’t really shape [the brow] because they can’t see both of their
eyes at the same time to make it even.” It’s all too easy to end up
overplucking — and that’s a tough fix for the makeup-free dude contingent.
