How To Shave Your Eyebrows For Precise Shaping

Eyebrows — one of the face's most prominent features — play a vital role in your appearance. Eyebrows that stay on fleek can light up your mien and jack up your appearance even with minimal makeup. But brows that appear all over the map can make you look unkempt and unattractive. According to Asia's ancient art of facial fortune telling, eyebrows speak volumes about a person's personality and determine their destiny, which is why many people decide to reshape their eyebrows later in life, in hope of enhancing their facade and reversing their fortunes (via Your Chinese Astrology).

As a matter of fact, not everyone was born with naturally neat and shaped brows like Cara Delevingne or Emilia Clarke. Regular trimming, shaping, and filling are needed to make every day a good brow day. Well-groomed eyebrows sculpted to perfection can refine the face and bring out the eyes, but finding the right shape that flatters your other facial features is an art, and much of its success comes from shaving the brows. While you can resort to plucking or waxing to reshape your arches, using a razor is still the fastest and most convenient way to get the job done. Here's how to shave your eyebrows for precise shaping.

The key to precise eyebrow shaping is to use a tool that delivers ultimate precision in every stroke. That's why you should swap the razor you use on your legs and armpits for a dedicated eyebrow shaver. A brow razor is smaller than a regular razor, featuring a sharp blade with a curved handle designed for shaping your arches with exactness.

Before you start, cleanse your face to prevent the spreading of bacteria and fend off potential blemishes, according to L'Oréal Paris. Washing your face before shaving also helps open up the pores and loosen the hair strands for smoother razor work. Then, use a spoolie to brush your brows and create a brow outline with a brow pencil to map out the areas that need pruning.

It's better to start shaving your eyebrows when your skin is dry, but if you're new at it, you can apply lubricant or oil for a cleaner, closer shave, brow artist Robin Evans tells Byrdie. When you shave, use a hand to hold the skin taut and hold your razor at a 45-degree angle. To avoid nicking and cutting your skin, gently sweep your razor in short, repetitive strokes around your brows in the same direction that your hair grows, and slowly shave any stray hair under your brows. It's easy to get carried away and shave off more than needed, so make sure to look in the mirror and check your progress constantly.

Once you've got the full and symmetrical look you want, wash every iota of debris and product residue off your face with a gentle cleanser. At the same time, give your blade a good blast under the tap to keep it clean and ready for next use. After towel-drying your face, dab some alcohol-free moisturizing lotion or oil on the shaved area to keep your skin hydrated and minimize irritation before putting on makeup (per Gillette Venus). Additionally, you can use a balm with an SPF to sun-protect your skin while preventing the skin from drying out. 

To keep your eyebrows well-trimmed, you'll need to shave them at least once a week — more if your hair grows quickly. In case you accidentally shaved off an extra patch of your brows, fear not! Your shaved eyebrows will grow back after at least two or three months, dermatologist Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal told Cleveland Clinic. Eyebrow shaping can involve a lot of trial and error, but it's part of any self-care routine. 

To lend your natural brows more shape and pigment, you can fill them in using an eyebrow pencil or eyebrow gel with a color that matches your brows and use a concealer to refine the edges. Shaved brows tend to grow back faster and with coarser hair than waxed or tweezed brows. If you want a longer-lasting brow shape sans the blunt edge, then waxing, tweezing, or threading might be better options.