Brow threading in Hamburg
A thin cotton thread is folded double, twisted and rolled across the skin. The hairs catch in the twist and are pulled out together with the root. Technically, there is nothing more to it. In English it is called threading; in Turkish salons it simply goes by the word for thread, ip. With us in Hamburg-Hammerbrook, an appointment for the brows takes about ten to fifteen minutes. This page explains what sets the thread apart from tweezers and wax, how long the result lasts and who it suits.
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Thread instead of tweezers: what happens
In technical terms, threading belongs to epilation. The review by Kang and colleagues in Skin Therapy Letter 2021 draws a clear line, in the original English: epilation means „removing the hair shaft, follicle, and bulb“ and „includes plucking, threading, waxing, sugaring, lasers …“, that is, the hair shaft together with the follicle and the root. Shaving, by contrast, only cuts off the shaft. Compared with tweezers, the thread is above all quicker: it takes whole rows of fine hairs in one pass instead of hair by hair. Compared with wax, there is no mass that clings to the skin and has to be pulled off again. That is exactly what makes the line of the brow arch so easy to control.
Does it hurt, and how long does the appointment take
Honestly: it tugs. The sensation is short and sharp, and many describe it as being over faster than with wax, because only a few hairs come away with each pass. Your eyes may water in the process; that is a reflex and not a sign that anything is wrong. The upper lip is usually more sensitive than the brows. The appointment itself is short, and that is the real point: the brows usually take about ten to fifteen minutes, the upper lip or chin around five. A lunch break is enough for it. The waiting area and the treatment rooms are reserved for women only.
How long it lasts and how often you come
Because the hair comes away with the root, it takes longer than after shaving before anything can be seen again. Brow hairs have a short growth phase of a few weeks, after which the follicle rests. In practice that means: for many clients the first regrowth shows after about two to three weeks, and a tidy rhythm is often three to five weeks. Anyone with very dark or dense hair usually comes sooner. What matters most is not to pluck yourself in between. Otherwise the hairs drift out of step and every appointment starts again from the beginning.
Sensitive skin, retinoids and rosacea
Wax clings to the horny layer of the skin and takes part of it along when it is pulled off. Kang and colleagues write in 2021: „Patients using systemic retinoids are advised not to wax due to increased risk of scarring.“ So: retinoids taken as tablets and wax do not go together, the skin scars more easily. Wu, Bhandari and Burkhart present threading in Pediatric Dermatology 2015 as „an alternative form of epilation for patients in whom waxing is contraindicated secondary to concerns over skin fragility“, that is, as a route for skin that is too sensitive for wax. If you take isotretinoin, speak with your dermatologist first all the same.
Afterwards: redness, hygiene and the next few hours
Slight redness and small dots where the hairs came out are normal and usually settle within a few hours. Ladizinski and colleagues name as rarely reported side effects in 2012, in the original English, „folliculitis, pseudofolliculitis, molluscum contagiosum, verruca plana, hyperpigmentation and vitiligo koebnerization“: inflammation of the hair follicle, inflamed ingrown hairs, molluscum warts, flat warts, darker patches and the forming of white patches on irritated skin. They stress clean technique and fresh material. With us the thread is a single-use item and is unrolled fresh for each client. Afterwards the rule is: no make-up on the brow, no sauna, no tanning bed.
Temporary, not permanent: the distinction
Threading removes hair temporarily. It does not weaken follicles permanently, and nobody should promise you that. For a long-term reduction, laser hair removal is the method intended, and we have a page of its own on that. The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz) describes the difference like this: „In these procedures, the structures in the hair follicle responsible for hair growth are impaired in their function or destroyed by strong heating.“ (English translation; the German original is the authoritative version.) That is precisely what a thread does not do. Owner Hatice Ispir holds the required certificate of competence under the NiSV and carries out the treatments herself. For shape and curve there is also brow lifting.
Results from the studio
Real clients, published with their consent.
Prices
- Brow threading 10 min 8 €
- Upper lip threading 10 min 2 €
- Full face threading 20 min 25 €
All prices include VAT. For the current version, see the price list.
Frequently asked
How long does an appointment for the brows take?
The brows usually take about ten to fifteen minutes, the upper lip or chin around five. If several areas come together, allow around twenty minutes. Getting here will therefore usually take you more time than the treatment itself. Beforehand we look at the shape together for a moment, so that it is clear how much should come off.
Does it hurt, and can I go to the office afterwards?
The pull is noticeable but very short, and only a few hairs come away with each movement. Many clients find that more pleasant than wax, because nothing sticks to the skin. Slight redness afterwards is possible and settles for many within a few hours. If you go red very quickly, it is better to put the appointment at the end of the working day and to leave make-up off that day.
Does it also work on the upper lip, chin and cheeks?
Yes, threading is suitable for all fine areas of the face. Alongside the brows, the upper lip and chin are the most frequent requests; cheeks and the edge of the forehead work just as well. Because no wax is applied, even narrow areas close to the eye can be defined cleanly.
How often do I come, and does it grow back thicker?
A rhythm of three to five weeks often fits, and for many, visible regrowth shows after as little as two to three weeks. As a rule the hairs do not grow back thicker or darker from being pulled out; they only feel softer as they grow back, because the fine tip is preserved. Do not pluck yourself in between, otherwise the shape loses its line.
I use retinol on my face, is that all right?
Please tell us beforehand. With topical retinoids such as retinol or tretinoin we usually leave a break before the appointment and treat only unremarkable skin. With isotretinoin as a tablet, specialist sources advise against mechanical hair removal; here your dermatologist decides, not us.
Is the result permanent?
No, the hair grows back, threading is a temporary method. For a long-term reduction, laser hair removal is the method intended, and for that we have a page of its own and the certificate of competence under the NiSV. The two can be combined, but not at the same time on the same area: the laser needs the hair with its root inside the follicle. Leave the area alone for around four weeks beforehand and at most shave it.
Do I need an appointment, and how do I find you?
Yes, we work by appointment, online through the booking page or by phone. You will find us at Spaldingstrasse 68 in Hamburg-Hammerbrook, in the Hamburg-Mitte district. From the U1 stop Hauptbahnhof Süd it is around 500 metres, the Repsoldstrasse bus stop is less than 50 metres away and the StadtKontor car park about 200 metres. We are open Monday to Friday from 10 to 20 and on Saturdays from 11 to 18.
What clients ask next
- Brow lifting in Hamburg – Brow lifting with colour, brow henna and brow revitalisation in Hamburg-Hammerbrook.
- Permanent hair removal in Hamburg – Permanent hair removal with a diode laser in Hamburg-Mitte.
Where to find us
The Aesthetic House, Spaldingstraße 68, 20097 Hamburg-Mitte — a few minutes from the main station. Appointments by arrangement, by phone or online.