Have you ever wondered how threading works? In waxing, wax sticks to the hairs and rips them out (sometimes it rips some skin out too, so there’s no rocket science involved), and while tweezing, hairs are pulled out simply enough. Shaving cuts through hairs.

But What About Threading?

How on Earth does a bit of twisted thread manage to pull hairs out?
If you’ve ever tried the process yourself, or watched tutorials, you may have a fair idea of how threading works. The method itself can vary based on the beautician’s training and preference, but the general concept is the same.

Firstly

In threading, a single thread is looped and twisted, so a section in the middle of the loop is twined together, leaving two “handles” for the beautician to hold. Now, this twisted bit of thread is what’s used to pull the hairs out. As each “handle” is adjusted, the twisted thread can move either one way or the other. This provides directional control, because the hair needs to be removed according to its grain – that is, the direction in which it grows.

Secondly

Now, when a hair is caught between the open ‘arms’ of the loop and slowly herded into the twisted part, what happens? The hair strand gets guided into the twisted thread and twisted along with it, and this action wrenches it out. So, you’ll sometimes see the beautician play with the thread a bit to get rid of hairs entangled in it.

Lastly

Sounds painful? It is. There’s no beauty without pain. A skilled beautician can minimize the pain, however, by working quickly and efficiently. One major factor that can affect the pain level is where the thread is placed. The closer it is to the root, the less the hair strand is pulled – and so the less it hurts. Ever tried waxing long hair? Imagine that versus waxing quarter inch-long hair.

So there you go – threading explained. A simple, natural process, where hair is pulled out with a loop of thread.


Have any more questions? Post them in the comments below! Any questions on the subject please stop by at our Boston threading salon. Location and hours of our Boston threading salon is available here. You can also follow us on instagram, for weekly articles about threading and about our salon in Boston.