For years, eyebrows have been a beauty-industry obsession. Whether microblading, microshading, or filling and shaping them with your favorite brow-enhancing products, we all seem to love a well-maintained brow. More recently, the fascination with eyebrows has become so huge that many have even crossed over into not having them at all, shaving their eyebrows off completely. While the look may not be a preference for everyone, it’s certainly a bold statement for a risk-taker looking to change things up a bit.
That said, when it comes to eyebrows, the choice is totally yours. Shaving to shape your brows isn’t a bad move, and neither is shaving them all off, to be honest. And if you just so happen to be quite attached to your eyebrows and prefer to rock the bushy, full-brow trend, that’s totally cool, too.
If you’re considering using a razor on your brows, though, there are a few things you may want to know before you get started and we’re totally here to help. We talked to experts Robin Evans and Ramy Gafni about the process and they offered some pretty sage advice.
What to Know Before Shaving Your Brows
Shaving your eyebrows is definitely a bit of a delicate process. First of all, the skin around the eyes is relatively thin, so you need to be extremely careful, as it can be easy to scrape or cut yourself. An eyebrow shaver might also feel unwieldy to an inexperienced user, and that could lead to uneven or patchy results. And speaking of results, they don’t last long, since shaved hairs grow back quickly.
How to Shave Your Brows
If you’re going to venture into shaving your eyebrows, drop your regular razor and opt for a precision eyebrow shaver with a very sharp blade. We love the Tinkle Eyebrow Razors ($4), which can also double as shavers for your face to remove peach fuzz and help exfoliate your skin. You don’t need shaving cream or gel. Just use a very light hand to scrape the stray hairs in the direction of growth.
Evans recommends using your eyebrow razor on dry skin. If you’re a beginner, however, she explains that applying a lubricant may be a helpful step. “I personally use my tool when my skin is dry. Most aestheticians and brow experts would use it this way. But if you are new at it, start with a light oil so you get a feel for the razor. Once you’re comfortable definitely use it while your skin is dry,” Evans explains.
Is Shaving Your Brows Safe?
Shaving your brows is safe if, like any other delicate part of the body, it’s done with care. When shaving them by yourself, it’s important to be gentle to avoid nicks and cuts. Evans suggests that you take extra precautions, making sure to always hold your razor at an angle when shaving. She says, “very carefully, very very carefully use your dermaplane tool to remove fine hairs between your brows. You should not keep the brow tool horizontal, but at an angle so that you don’t make the brows too wide.”
Should You Shave Eyebrows Off?
Interestingly, there’s a generation of beauty mavericks who’ve opted to shave their eyebrows off completely. There are many reasons they do this: to boost self-confidence, to rebel against the ubiquitous bold-brow trend, to create a blank canvas for experimenting with daring and dazzling makeup looks, to name a few. (A scroll through the Instagram feed of makeup artist Kendahl Jung just might inspire you to take the plunge). Some even do it in an act of embracing alopecia (hair loss).
Do you need your brows? Technically, yes—along with your lashes, they help keep your eyes free of debris. So, be prepared to be a little more vulnerable to things like dust, dirt, and sweat getting into your eyes. You’ll also need to make sure you’re diligent about applying additional SPF to your shaved brow throughout the day.
If you’re not sold on zero brows, eyebrow slits are also a thing. This is when lines are shaved down the brow. It can definitely be a cute look when done right.
Do Eyebrows Grow Back After Shaving?
If you go a little overboard with the shaver, know this: Yes, your brows will grow back. While waxing or tweezing lets the hair grow in with a feathery, tapered edge, shaving creates a blunt edge, so the brow hairs may appear to come back thicker. But lay to rest any worries of losing your brows forever after shaving—it’s totally a myth.
Although he is not particularly a fan of shaving your eyebrows off completely, calling the act something that you’ll “regret for the rest of your life,” Gafni shares that the hairs will indeed grow back in time. However, he says you should expect them to return a bit more coarse than before. He explains, “eyebrows grow back as stubble because you are not removing the hair from the root like you do with tweezing or waxing.”
Other Brow Grooming Options
Of course, there are many other hair removal methods that take the entire hair follicle from the root. Aside from waxing and tweezing, there’s also sugaring and threading. Over time, these methods may actually damage the follicles, so stray hairs end up not growing back.1 Of course, that might be what you want if you’re fully committed to a certain brow shape for life.
If you’re planning to handle your brows yourself, Gafni suggests sticking to a simple pair of tweezers for the job. He shares, “I’m an advocate of tweezing and trimming eyebrows because this method offers the most precision and control.”
All of these options are also generally less risky than shaving in terms of shaping, as long as you go to a professional to get the job done right. You might also consider going to a pro if you want to go totally bare on your brow bone. (However, they may try to talk you out of it). Either way, your face deserves the best.
