How to Fix Bushy Eyebrows (for Girls)

Co-authored by Melissa Jannes

Last Updated: April 30, 2024 References

Thick, bushy eyebrows never go out of style. That said, sometimes you may want well-groomed and shaped eyebrows to highlight your eyes or create a polished appearance. For example, you might want to shape your eyebrows for your class photo or to attend the prom. The good news is that fixing bushy eyebrows is easy and can be done at home. With a few inexpensive items, you can fix your bushy eyebrows successfully by yourself—no pricey salon visit needed.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Shaping Your Eyebrows with Tweezers

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1
Buy a pair of eyebrow tweezers. The best eyebrow tweezers have a slanted edge. The slanted edge helps you grab and pluck even the finest hairs along the edges of your eyebrows. You also want an eyebrow tweezer that gives you a firm grip.^{[1]
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- Consider choosing an eyebrow tweezer that has a brush on one end. The brush allows you to smooth your eyebrows and see how they look as you tweeze.
- The eye area has a lot of bacteria, so it's important to buy your own tools. Borrowing someone else's tweezers increases your risk of developing an infection.
2
Numb your eyebrow area with an ice pack or ice cubes. Place the ice pack or ice cubes on your eyebrows for up to 5 minutes before plucking. You want to hold the ice pack or ice cubes on your eyebrows until they feel numb. You know you've numbed the spot when the coldness of the ice no longer bothers you.
- Tweezing can very be painful for some people, so numbing your eyebrows beforehand reduces any pain you might experience.
- Taking a hot shower before tweezing, or holding a hot washcloth over your eyebrows, also reduces the pain. This is because the hot water and steam open your hair follicles, making individual hairs easy to remove without pain.^{[2]
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3
Mark your eyebrows with a makeup pencil. Draw the shape of the eyebrows you'd like to have. Marking your eyebrows makes it easier to see where you need to pluck. If you prefer to wing it, just use a makeup pencil to mark where your brow should start, the highest point of your arch, and where you want the brow to end.^{[3]
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- You should use an eyebrow pencil to draw the shape of your eyebrow no matter which eyebrow fixing method you use.
4
Pluck individual eyebrow hairs using firm, swift movements. Start by plucking out hairs below the brow. Use your finger to hold your skin taut as you pluck to make it easier. Remove the hairs that fall outside of the brow outline you made with your makeup pencil. Pull the hairs up and away from the brow.^{[4]
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- After you pluck hair from a section, press your finger into the skin to reduce the stinging.
- When tweezing above the brow, taking care not to pluck too many hairs out of your eyebrow arch. In fact, be very careful when tweezing above your brow, as it's easy to overpluck. Trim as few hairs as possible.
- Step away from the mirror often, so you can check your work. However, don't use a magnifying mirror, as it may make it harder to judge your work.
- Tweeze slowly and conservatively when first starting out to avoid plucking out too many hairs.
- Plucking your eyebrows takes a bit longer than waxing, but it offers greater precision.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Wax Strips to Shape Bushy Eyebrows

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1
Buy a package of wax strips. They look like a cross between a Band-Aid and packing tape but are super easy to use. You can buy a box of wax strips at your local drugstore or beauty supply store. Wax strips come several dozen in a box, so you'll have enough wax strips to last you for a while.^{[5]
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- The nice thing about wax strips is that you can trace on them cut them to get the exact size and shape you want your eyebrows to be.
- It's a good idea to test wax strips on your skin before fixing your eyebrows to find out your tolerance for any pain caused by using them.
Brush your eyebrow hairs upwards and into their natural shape. This helps you see any hairs that stand out longer than your natural eyebrow line. These are the hairs that should be waxed first.^{[6]
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3
Trace your desired eyebrow shape onto your wax strip. Looking in the mirror, hold a wax strip over your eyebrow. With a pen, draw a line where you want to remove hair on your wax strip. For example, to remove hair at the lower edge of your eyebrow, draw a line over those hairs.^{[7]
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- To shape bushy brows, you should outline the lower edge, the arch and the tail of your eyebrows.
- If you don't have the patience for tracing, you can buy a package of pre-shaped wax strips. These types of wax strips are a little pricey, but they come pre-cut for different eyebrow shapes and ready to use right out of the package.^{[8]
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4
Cut wax strips with a pair of scissors. Using the lines you drew as a guide, cut thinner strips out of the larger wax strips. Make them wide enough to fit over and under your eyebrows. They should also be wide enough to apply and remove with ease.^{[9]
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- Remember, you'll be butting your wax strips against the lower and upper edges of your eyebrow. The extra wax on the strip should rest on your eyelid and forehead, not on your eyebrow.
- Before applying the wax strips, it's a good idea to clean the area around your eyebrows with a gentle face cleanser. Cleaning your eyebrow area before waxing reduces the chance of swelling. You can use a gentle astringent or your preferred face cleaning product.
5
Apply the wax strip with your finger. Smooth the wax strip over the hair you want to remove. Then, remove the strip in one swift motion in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Avoid pulling it off slowly. This can be painful, and you won't pull out as many hairs.^{[10]
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- You may experience some redness after waxing, but don't worry. Apply ice or a cold tea bag to reduce any redness or swelling in a few minutes.^{[11]
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6
Soothe the waxed area. You can use hydrocortisone cream to soothe irritation and inflammation or apply an aloe-based lotion. If you have residual wax on your eyebrow area, you can clean it off with baby oil or vaseline.^{[12]
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- Olive oil also works great to remove residual wax from your skin.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Trimming Bushy Eyebrows with Scissors

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1
Use scissors to trim unruly hairs. It's common to have eyebrow hairs that stick out or just don't fall in line with your preferred eyebrow shape. Fortunately, scissors are an easy way to correct this problem, as you can simply snip the offending hair to help maintain the shape of your brow.^{[13]
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- Don't try to shape your eyebrow with just scissors. If you want to change the shape of your brow, you'll need to tweeze or wax your brows.
2
Use an eyebrow brush (spoolie) to neaten your eyebrows. You can also use a fine-toothed comb if you don’t have an eyebrow brush. Neatening your eyebrows first lets you see the excessively long hairs that need to be trimmed. Avoid brushing or combing your eyebrows in directions they don’t naturally lay.^{[14]
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- An eyebrow brush is called a spoolie, and it looks like a mascara wand.
- You might end up with an awkward shape that won’t lay flat if you brush your eyebrows in a direction they don’t normally grow.
The start of your eyebrow is the side that lines up with your nose. Look for hairs that are longer than the others, which you can trim away. Alternatively, consider if you'd like to trim your entire brow by ¹⁄₈ inch (0.32 cm) to create a neater brow.^{[15]
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4
Press down on the hairs with your finger or spoolie and trim them. Use your scissors to snip off the ends of the hairs to your desired length. Take a look in the mirror to see how your eyebrow is shaping up. Snip any stray hairs that remain.^{[16]
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- Don't try to trim hairs that aren't held in place by a spoolie or your finger, as you may accidentally trim the hair too short.
5
Brush your arch in the direction the hair grows. Use your spoolie to smooth down the hairs so you can see which hairs are longer than the others. The eyebrow arch typically has the longest hairs, but you don't want to cut them short, as the arch is the most dramatic part of your brow.^{[17]
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- Eyebrow arches draw the most attention, so it's important to proceed carefully to avoid over trimming them.
Work from the center of the arch outward, toward your ear. Hold the hairs down with your spoolie or finger, then snip. After two snips, brush your eyebrow so it lays flat. Check out your eyebrow in the mirror to see how the arch looks. Continue trimming your eyebrow arch carefully until it's the shape you want.^{[18]
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7
Smooth the tail of your eyebrow with your eyebrow brush. Remember to brush it in the direction your eyebrow grows. Snip any hairs that look too long.^{[19]
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- The eyebrow tail lines up with the outer corner of your eye.
- After shaping the start and arch of your eyebrow, you may find that the tail doesn't need much trimming. Only trim hairs from the tail if it's necessary.
You want to snip any unwanted hairs on the lower edges of your eyebrows with caution, to avoid trimming away too much hair.^{[20]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Taming Bushy Eyebrows

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1
Apply waterproof eyebrow gel with a chiseled makeup brush. First, brush your eyebrows so they lay flat. Then, dab a small amount of product on the back of your hand. Dab the chiseled brush into the product and draw a line under your eyebrow to define its shape. Lastly, blend the gel upwards into your eyebrow so that it looks natural.^{[21]
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- Some eyebrow gel brands come with an applicator, in which case you wouldn't need a chiseled brush.
- Brush your eyebrows with an eyebrow brush after applying gel so that they look natural.
- You might apply concealer under your eyebrows to hide any flaws.
2
Use hairspray, gel, or pomade to hold your eyebrows in place. Brush your eyebrows so they lay flat. Then, spray a bit of hairspray on your finger, or put a dab of gel or pomade on your finger. Run your finger over your eyebrows for a hold that lasts all day.^{[22]
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- You can also apply hairspray, gel, or pomade to your eyebrows after applying dark-colored eyebrow makeup.
3
Brush your eyebrow hairs in place with clear mascara. Mascara works like eyebrow gel to hold your eyebrows in place. Remove the wand from the mascara and apply the product from the start to the tail of your eyebrows in an upward motion. ^{[23]
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- Pushing your eyebrow hairs upward with the mascara wand tends to make them look groomed, especially if they’ve been trimmed or tweezed.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do you tame long eyebrows?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can use brow gel to hold them in place. Apply it using the included wand or a spoolie brush and style into the desired shape.

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How do you fix your eyebrows if you messed up?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can fill in over-plucked areas with a pencil or shadow. The only permanent fix is to let them grow back.

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How can I fix my bushy eyebrows at home?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Trim them with scissors and tweeze them. When trimming, comb the hair both up and down and cut away long ends.

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Tips

For a quick and easy eyebrow fix, apply clear brow gel. The gel is formulated to keep thick eyebrows in place after you've combed them into your desired shape. If you don't have the brow gel, spray a little hairspray on an old toothbrush and comb through your eyebrows.^{[24]
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You can also shape your eyebrows with dark-colored makeup. Take an eyebrow brush and carefully apply dark-colored makeup. You can use a professional chiseled eyebrow brush or the one that comes with the eyebrow makeup. Dab brush in the makeup and dab it across your eyebrow, filling in the space. You want to fill in the entire eyebrow so that it looks full and natural.^{[25]
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Warnings

Avoid placing wax strips directly on your eyebrows. Wax strips should be used to shape the outer edges of your eyebrows only. If you make a mistake and put the wax strip directly on your eyebrow, you'll have to rip off all your eyebrow hair. It may take a while to grow back.

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If you are unsure about waxing your eyebrows on your own, consider going to a professional. Waxing can bruise or damage your skin if you are unfamiliar with how to do it properly.^{[26]
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Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician

Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}

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Avoid shaving your eyebrows. This can lead to ingrown hairs and stubble as the hairs grow back. You're also likely to take off too much.

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