How to Wax Your Eyebrows at Home and Get Salon-Quality Results

closeup of person with bushy eyebrows

Cris Trung / Unsplash

Eyebrow trends come and go, and how you choose to shape and style your brows is a matter of personal preference. But, whether you choose a fuller, fluffier look, or a more thin and tamed brow, there’s a good chance your brows get some sort of grooming. And, when it comes to grooming your brows, there are so many possibilities. Standard tweezing can be painful, and it takes forever, so waxing your eyebrows is great if you're looking for a quick, long-lasting result. However, salon and spa prices can add up, and it can be a hassle to make time for an appointment every month or so.

Fortunately, learning how to wax your eyebrows at home is pretty easy, and there are plenty of at-home waxing kits that require minimal effort and financial investment. So, to help you skip the salon altogether, we reached out to two experts to get the best tips, product recommendations, and how-to steps for waxing your brows at home.

Keep scrolling for our expert-approved guide for how to wax your eyebrows at home.

Meet the Expert

  • Rachael Burns is a consultant dermatologist for Sönd.
  • Catherine Wright is an esthetician, beauty expert, and owner of Holiday Organic Skin.
  • Jodi Shays is a licensed esthetician based in California.

Benefits of Waxing Your Brows At Home

There are plenty of reasons you might opt to wax your brows at home, and with the right tools and technique, it can be a perfectly successful option to craft oh-so-picture-perfect brows. According to Burns, “All-in-one home kits are typically much less expensive than a salon trip, allow you privacy and convenience, and save you time commuting and undertaking a treatment.” And she says home waxing kits are typically safe, provided you follow the instructions carefully. “Ultimately, you know your skin better than any professional ever could,” adds Burns.

Drawbacks to Waxing Your Brows At Home

You’ll need to invest a little bit of time and money into equipping your at-home brow waxing salon. But, the investment in the right supplies is worth it and can save you a lot of money in the long run. “If you’ve never waxed at home before, it can be tricky to get the right product the first time to suit your skin type and sensitivity,” notes Burns. Consider speaking to a professional esthetician, makeup artist, or dermatologist to find the products that will work best for you. Also, waxing might give you longer-lasting results than tweezing. “You’ll be shaggy at four weeks...so you’ll likely [need to wax] every three weeks to look your best,” says Wright.

Additionally, according to licensed esthetician Jodi Shays, if you are using any prescription topicals for acne or anti-aging (like retinols), you cannot use wax on the face—even if you are just spot treating.

Prepping Your Brows

woman tweezing eyebrows
Yacobchuk / Getty Images

Burns says that it’s important that the wax kit you purchase includes all of the necessary tools for your treatment. “You'll need a pre-wax cleanser, a wax warmer, wooden applicators, pellon strips, a wax remover, and post-wax soothing lotion,” she notes. “It’s also useful to have a pair of tweezers on hand in case you need to pluck any stray hairs afterward.”

Burns says you should consider a cream wax because it’s gentler on your delicate eye area. “Although this type of wax requires slightly more preparation than pre-prepared wax strips, it does give you a consistent and professional-looking finish,” she explains. Note that with cream wax, you’ll need a wax warmer to heat it, a wooden spatula to apply it, and muslin strips to remove it. 

Once you have all your supplies, you need to prep your brows to be waxed. Burns says to begin by brushing your eyebrows straight with a brow brush. “If you find any stray hairs out of place that can’t be tamed, just trim what is outside the shape with eyebrow scissors,” she advises. “Apply a pre-wax cleanser on your eyebrows and surrounding skin area, and remove any residue with a cotton pad.”

Byrdie Tip

Before you begin, decide what eyebrow shape you want. Use an eyebrow powder or pencil to fill in your brows, so they look just the way you want them to. This makes it easy to follow the line with the wax, so you only remove the hairs outside the shape you have filled in.

How to Wax Your Brows

Burns walked us through each step involved in waxing your brows at home:

  • Prepare your eyebrows by removing any traces of makeup and extensively cleansing your skin.
  • Warm the wax to the proper temperature. It should be warm and not too hot, with the consistency of liquid honey. If the wax looks like oil, let it cool down and thicken.
  • After heating your wax, use the wooden spatula to apply a thin layer of wax to the area you want to treat, applying it in the direction of the hair growth.
  • Apply a pellon strip, pressing it in the direction of hair growth. Leave some leftover strip at the end so you can pull it back in the opposite direction.
  • Run your hand firmly over the strip a few times until it is smooth, and make sure the wax has stuck to the hairs.
  • Pull the surrounding skin tightly with one hand to reduce pain, and keep your fingers as close to the surface of the skin as you can. Pull the pellon strip in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Aim to do this all in one action.
  • Once you’re done, remove any excess wax from the area using a dab of facial oil on a cotton pad.
  • If there are any rogue hairs left, pluck them out individually with a pair of tweezers.

Byrdie Tip

If you plan on waxing in between your brows, exfoliate the day before to try to help eliminate any ingrown hairs.

Aftercare

person drying face after shower

STUDIO FIRMA / Stocksy

Aftercare is pretty simple. Apply a calming gel or organic aloe to your skin with a cotton pad to try to soothe any irritation and redness. “Use organic sesame seed oil to remove wax residue and organic aloe to cool and soothe after hair removal,” suggests Wright. Burns says to avoid physical exertion, such as exercise, for 24 hours. “Do not apply any perfumed products to the area for at least 24 hours, especially new ones that could cause a reaction.”

Waxing Tips

Because the skin around the eyes is sensitive, special care needs to be taken when you wax your eyebrows. Make sure to follow any waxing precautions and warnings before you begin. For safety, always test the temperature of the wax on your wrist before applying it to your face, and don't let it drip into your eye as you apply it.

Burns says to apply your wax judiciously for best results. “Don’t overdo it on the wax, and be conservative with your application the first time you use a new product,” she advises. “This is one of the most common mistakes by home waxers, who tend to apply wax liberally on areas that don’t require waxing and cause themselves unnecessary discomfort.”

And, your technique for pulling the strips off will also dictate your pain level. “Many home waxers don’t pull the skin tautly enough the first time, causing a painful and unnecessarily uncomfortable experience,” says Burns. “This is a reasonably simple act to improve upon and can make all the difference.”

Lastly, if you want waxing to be your go-to hair removal technique for your brows, Burns advises you to put down those tweezers. “In between waxes, try not to pluck new growth. Give yourself the traction, and pull longer hairs out with each waxing session,” she says.

Shop Our Fave Brow Waxing Items

There are tons of options for at-home waxing supplies. Here are a few of our favorites.

Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax

Major Brow Shaping Wax
Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax $22.00
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The first step to a good at-home wax job is quality wax. “Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax is a makeup-artist-quality wax used by professionals and home waxers alike to give a perfect finish,” says Burns.

GiGi Mini Pro Hair Removal Waxing Kit

Gigi Mini Pro Waxing
GiGi Mini Pro At-Home Waxing Kit $52.00
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This is a great entry-level kit with all the supplies you need to get started. It also includes pre- and post-treatment serums, which work well. The included wax is quite sticky, but with careful application, it works well.

BrowGal Tweezers

Browgal tweezers
BrowGal Tweezers $28.00
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To fine-tune your finished brow shape and remove any stray hairs, we love using these precision tweezers.

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