So you’re ready to take your brows to the next level of grooming and High Definition Brows is on your radar. Now considered the gold standard of brow treatments, this stellar beauty service works way harder than your average brow shape and tidy. Threading, waxing, tinting, plucking and trimming all come to into play in a typical High Definition Brow session and the results can be highly addictive. Until recently the treatment was known as HD Brows, and promises to leave you with natural looking arches that flatter and frame your face. We sat down with leading beauty expert and High Definition Brow founder Nilam Holmes-Patel, along with Sandra Sheikh, owner of iBrows etc, a boutique London salon specialising in the technique, to get the 101 on all your need to knows.
Image credits: Rex Features
Words: Georgia Day
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1 Allow at least an hour for your High Definition Brow treatment
Need to know number one: High Definition Brow treatments take a little longer than a regular brow grooming appointment, but that’s because there’s a lot more to it. Rather than simply whipping out a few stray hairs here and there, this is a 7-stepped route to arch excellence. Taking into account your whole face, from your natural eyebrow shape to your hair shade and skin tone, this is a very bespoke, tailored approach to brow maintenance. Your appointment will begin with a consultation in which you and your therapist will discuss what you want to achieve. Next up is a tint, where your therapist will blend several shades in order to get the subtle balance of colours right for you. Consider it a little like balayage for the brows. ‘Mixing tones is a really important stage in the process’ says Sandra. ‘On a blonde we might blend light brown with grey, while those with black hair tend to really suit a mix of blue and black dye.’ Then it’s waxing, followed by threading and plucking – all done to ensure that every last hair is groomed to perfection. Next up is trimming, just to make sure the lines are as neat and precise as possible, and finally, the aftercare segment, where your brows are revealed and you’re taught how to maintain them, along with any products recommendations.
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2 If you’ve over-plucked, High Definition brows can help
If, in the past you’ve got a bit tweezer-happy, fear not. High Definition brows and their transformational properties are still within your reach, but you may just have to wait a little while first. ‘If a customer comes to us with very thin or almost non-existent brows, we’ll put them on a regrowth programme and send them away with our Brow and Lash Booster. When they return in 6 weeks’ time, there should be more for us to work with’, explains Sandra. The same maintenance rules apply and you should still go back every 4-6 weeks to have them tended to. As you’ll be taught how to use any products you may need afterwards, (a touch of powder or brow gel are useful tools to have in your brow arsenal) chances are you can keep up the illusion of perfectly polished brows right up until your next appointment.
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3 Your brows WILL repeat WILL look natural
Before you dismiss it with fears of ending up with anything too cartoonish, stop and remember it’s a treatment completely designed to look natural and suit your face. Not only that, but High Definition Brow therapists are experts and are given plenty of training before they’re tasked with the tweezers. ‘We train stylists to be the very best at such a bespoke treatment’ says Nilam. 'You should treat your eyebrows like you would your hair; you wouldn’t cut you hair at home, so why do the same with your brows?’ While your input is definitely welcomed (though you may be gently steered clear of any desires to have a Scouse brow…) in general, therapists will work towards more defined versions of your natural brows, aiming for a shape that’s well rounded and not too thin. ‘I always split the brows into two parts,’ says Nilam. ‘The body, which is the bulb to the arch and then the arch to the tail. The body should form two thirds of the brows and the tail should form the third. There should be a soft incline and a soft decline.’The best kind of arches, as you’ll discover after your treatment, are those that add structure to your face, but in a beautifully subtle way.