SICKA THAN AVERAGE

The first time I had my eyebrows threaded (before specialized salons started popping up all over the Village), I couldn't quite comprehend how the woman (a co-worker of a dear stylist friend) was managing to pluck out my eyebrow hairs using only a tiny thread wrapped around her teeny fingers. Even more baffling was how she managed to work that thread with the finesse someone would use when plucking at a harp's strings. She was quick and incredibly precise — more so than when I'd had my eyebrows waxed (often times, the wax dribbles onto a few extra hairs and they get pulled off too like innocent bystanders). So yes, my experiences with threading have always been positive.

But that doesn't mean I would ever (and I do mean EVER) have considered trying threading MYSELF! I mean, it takes me about 15 minutes just to get the tip of a sewing thread into the eye of a needle, so my hand-eye coordination leaves much to be desired. But when, a few weeks ago, I received Sun Maita's new Home Threader Kit, I felt emboldened and I figured, "Hey? What's the worst thing that can happen? If I can't make it work, I'll just go to the salon — no harm, no foul." Luckily, the idiot-friendly instructions made perfect sense to me and, before I knew it, I was a master threader (okay, I'm exaggerating — maybe more like a humble apprentice).

The hair removal system includes the following items: the Threader, 40 Organic Cotton Replacement Threads, Chalk (so you can more easily spot the hairs you want to remove and so that you'll have greater ease in doing so since the chalk absorbs any excess oil), an Instruction Booklet, Feel Less (a lightweight lotion that lightly numbs the skin to minimize any pain), and The Closer (which soothes the skin after you're done threading).

Setting up the threader is a cinch — you just twist off a thread from the brown refill frame and load it into the cartridge in a diagonal angle, then twist another thread from the white refill frame and loop it 4-5 times around the loaded white thread, securing both ends of the thread. You then apply the Feel Less lotion to the target area and, once it dries, you dab on some chalk. Once you've taken care of all these preliminaries, all you have to do is position the Threader so that the twisted area of the threads (where they form an X) lies right on top of the hair you wish to remove. You then press the trigger button on the Threader so as to capture the hairs and lightly lift the Threader off the skin, thereby removing the hair.

Now, I'll keep it all the way real with you — because you're covering small areas and doing a bit at a time, you're prolonging the pain (with waxing, it can hurt but it happens all at once, like pulling off a band-aid). The Feel Less lotion does help to minimize any discomfort or pain, but don't expect to be completely numb because of it. All that being said, the results, especially in the long term, are way better since threading minimizes hair follicles, helps to prevent ingrown hairs, reduces hair growth and coarseness, and doesn't inflame sensitive skin (which waxing can often do). 

The Sun Maita Threader Kit is wonderful for getting rid of any hairs above the lip, in between the brows (gotta make sure you're not rockin' a unibrow!), on the chin, or on any other desired area, but it's a bit tricky to use along the eyebrows — mostly because the device itself is so bulky that it's hard to see what you're doing (and there's no room for error when it comes to eyebrows!). But the brows is the only area that really requires some practice and skill; otherwise, any amateur can utilize this kit.

And think about how much money you'll be saving when you can go the DIY route!

Sun Maita Home Threader Kit, $150. Visit SunMaita.com