In brief
- Plucking, waxing and shaping are about shape: whatever grows outside the line is removed. Tinting is about the colour of the hairs that stay.
- Shaped brows stay neat for three to four weeks. Tint stays visible on average for up to about four weeks.
- Tint only colours the hairs. The skin beneath does not take colour, so sparse patches stay visible.
- The order is shape first, then colour.
- At Moons in Enschede shaping costs €19.50 and shaping with tint €30.00.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
Plucking, waxing, shaping: what is the difference?
The words get mixed up, and they belong to the same job. Shaping is the whole thing: giving your brows a neat shape. Waxing is done with wax, which removes a row of hairs in one go, including the fine downy hairs. Plucking or tweezing is the work with tweezers, hair by hair.
In a salon they are usually used together. First the wax removes whatever clearly grows outside the line, then the tweezers finish the line precisely. Tweezing is another word for plucking. So plucking and tweezing are the same thing.
Tinting is separate from that. Tint removes nothing and colours the hairs that are there. Light tips and fine hairs become visible, which makes your brows look fuller.
Waxing, plucking, threading or shaving?
| Topic | How it works | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|
| Waxing | Wax removes a row of hairs in one go, including the down | A quick, even line above and below your brows |
| Plucking or tweezing | With tweezers, hair by hair | Finishing the line precisely and removing stray hairs |
| Threading | A twisted thread pulls out a row of hairs at once | A crisp line. At Moons we work with wax and tweezers |
| Trimming | Long hairs are made shorter | Hairs that sit in the right place but hang over the line |
| Shaving | A razor cuts the hairs off at the skin | Better not. One stroke is enough to lose part of your shape |
At Moons every brow treatment includes shaping with wax and tweezers, with trimming where needed.
Which shape suits your face?
A shape starts with your own growth. In the trade a rule of thumb with three points is used: where your brow starts, where the arch is highest and where the tail stops. You read those points off your nostril and your eye. How that works is on the page about brow shaping.
After that, what you like counts. Some people like a straight, soft brow, others a clear arch. Two brows are rarely exactly alike. The aim is for them to match each other.
If you pluck at home, only remove what clearly sits loose below your brows. The top and the start determine the shape, and you leave those alone.
How often do you pluck or tint your brows?
Every three to four weeks. Shaped brows simply grow back, and after three to four weeks you see hairs outside the line.
Tint fades in the same time. So shape and colour last about equally long, and you touch them up together in one appointment.
Plucking the same spot for years can make the growth there thinner. That is why it is better to take away too little than too much. What stays can always go later.
How long does brow tint last?
On average up to about four weeks. The colour does not disappear all at once. A tiny bit comes off with every wash, until your own colour shows through again.
How quickly that happens depends on your skin type and on what you do at home. Don't rub your brows hard and keep scrubs away, then the colour stays lovely for longer.
If you want the colour to last longer, there are two options that go a step further. Hybrid brows and henna brows last on the hairs for up to about seven weeks, and colour the skin beneath too.
Showering, make-up, sauna: what is allowed when?
What you avoid on the first day depends on what was done.
| Topic | The first day | After that |
|---|---|---|
| After shaping | Better no make-up on the waxed areas. Skip the sauna and sunbed | The redness is usually gone within an hour |
| After tinting | The same as after shaping, because that is part of it | Don't rub hard and keep scrubs away, then the colour lasts longer |
| After hybrid or henna | Keep your brows dry for 24 hours and skip steam and the sauna | Cleanse without oil and keep scrubs and acids away |
Freshly waxed skin reacts faster. That is why the sauna and sunbed wait a day.
Tint first or pluck first?
At Moons the shape comes first. First we remove with wax and tweezers whatever falls outside the line, then the tint goes on the hairs that stay. That way the shape is set before the colour goes on.
With a brow lamination with tint the order is different. Then the hairs are lifted and set first, and the shaping and the colour follow at the end.
Henna and a lamination don't go together in one appointment. After a lamination the skin takes up the colour unevenly. A week later henna is fine.
Tinting your brows when you are pregnant?
Shaping is fine, although the waxing can feel more sensitive during this period. We decide on the colour together. During their pregnancy many people choose the shape only and leave the tint for a while.
Mention it when you book, and if in doubt ask your midwife as well. What else is and is not possible is in skincare during your pregnancy.
Tinting or plucking your brows yourself?
You can tint at home with a brow tint kit. The tint is mixed with a developer, usually hydrogen peroxide. Only use tint made for brows. Hair dye is made for your scalp, and the skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive.
First do the allergy test that comes with the kit, even if you have tinted before. You can start reacting to brow tint even after years. Start a shade lighter than you think and leave the tint on briefly. Too light can be topped up, too dark takes weeks to fade.
When you pluck yourself, it often goes wrong in the magnifying mirror. In it every hair looks like one too many. Look in an ordinary mirror at arm's length, then you see your brows as someone else sees them.
Too dark, too thin or uneven?
The colour is too dark
A little colour comes off with every wash, so it softens by itself. Don't go over it with a scrub.
Too much has been removed
A plucked hair usually comes back, but slowly. Think in months, and leave your brows alone during that time. There is more in growing out your brows.
The brows are uneven
Almost everyone has one brow that sits higher or grows differently. At the next shaping, the balance is found with the hairs that have grown back by then.
The skin stays red
Redness from the waxing usually fades within an hour. If your skin stays red, burning or itchy, call your GP and tell the salon.
What does it cost to have your brows done?
| Topic | What you get | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaping | The shape, with wax and tweezers | 30 minutes | €19.50 |
| Shape and tint | The shape, and colour on the hairs | 30 minutes | €30.00 |
| Hybrid brows | The shape, colour on the hairs and lightly on the skin | 30 minutes | €35.00 |
| Henna brows | The shape, and colour on the hairs and the skin | 30 minutes | €38.00 |
| Lash tint | A darker colour on your own lashes | 30 minutes | €15.00 |
These are the prices at Moons in Enschede. Cleansing, shaping and aftercare are included in the price of every brow treatment. You'll find all prices on the prices page.
What to look for when choosing a salon?
These are the signs of a place that handles your brows with care.
The shape is discussed first
Before a single hair is removed, you should know what shape it will be.
They ask about allergies
If you have ever reacted to hair dye or brow tint, a test should be done first.
They would rather remove too little
What stays can always go later. The other way round takes months.
The colour starts light
A shade too light can be topped up. Too dark has to fade.
They apply care afterwards
With something calming for the redness from the waxing.
You can see real work
Photos of their own clients and what others write. Ours are on the results page and under reviews.
Itching, swelling or hairs falling out?
If you get itching, swelling, blisters or red, burning skin around your brows after tinting, don't wait and call your GP. Also tell the salon, and mention it at every colour treatment after that. If your brows are getting thinner while you are not doing anything to them, or patches suddenly fall out, have your GP look at that too.
Frequently asked questions about tinting and plucking
What is brow shaping?
Giving your brows a neat shape. Hairs that grow outside the line are removed with wax and tweezers, and long hairs are trimmed where needed.
What is the difference between plucking and waxing?
Plucking, also called tweezing, is the work with tweezers, hair by hair. Waxing removes a row of hairs at once with wax. In a salon they are usually used together.
Which is better for your brows, plucking or waxing?
They complement each other. Wax quickly and evenly removes what grows outside the line, including the fine downy hairs. The tweezers then finish the line precisely.
How often should you pluck your brows?
Every three to four weeks. By then you see hairs outside the line again.
Does eyebrow waxing hurt?
A little. The pull is over in a second. You notice it mostly the first time and just before your period. The redness usually fades within an hour.
Should you pluck above or below your brows?
At home only below: hairs that clearly sit loose. The top and the start determine the shape, and you leave those alone.
Can you shave your brows?
Better not. One stroke with a razor is enough to lose part of your shape.
How long does brow tint last?
On average up to about four weeks. The colour fades gradually. How quickly that happens depends on your skin type and your aftercare.
How often should you tint your brows?
Every three to four weeks. Shape and colour last about equally long, so you touch them up together.
How long does a brow tint take?
At Moons half an hour, with the shaping included.
Does brow tint colour the skin too?
No, ordinary tint only colours the hairs. If you also want colour on the skin beneath, you choose hybrid brows or henna brows.
Which is better, a brow tint or henna?
Tint only colours the hairs and looks the most natural. Henna colours the skin too, so sparse patches fill in, and it lasts longer on the hairs. The comparison is in henna brows.
Tint your brows or have them tattooed?
Tint sits on the hairs and is gone after about four weeks. With permanent make-up, such as microblading and powder brows, colour is placed in the skin. That stays for months to years. We do not do permanent make-up at Moons.
Should you tint or pluck your brows first?
At Moons the shape comes first, then the colour. That way the line is set before the tint goes on.
Can you have a tint only, without plucking?
At Moons you always book tint together with shaping, in one appointment of half an hour.
Can you tint your brows when you are pregnant?
Mention it when you book. Shaping is fine, and we decide on the colour together. Many people leave the tint for a while during this period.
Can you be allergic to brow tint?
Yes, even if you have tinted for years without any problems. If you have ever reacted to hair dye or brow tint, say so beforehand. Then a test is done first.
Can you tint your brows with hair dye?
No. Hair dye is made for your scalp, and the skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive.
Which brow tint colour suits me?
With blonde or light brown hair your brows can often be a shade darker than the hair on your head. With dark hair the colour stays close to your own hair colour. Better to start a shade too light.
What does brow tinting and plucking cost?
At Moons in Enschede shaping costs €19.50 and shaping with tint €30.00. Both take half an hour.
From reading to doing
