Not Botox, Not Lymphatic Drainage—This Brow Treatment Has Sculpted My Face Unlike Any Other
I've tried several treatments, but brow mapping totally transformed my face, unlike any other.
As a beauty editor, I've tried several aesthetic treatments and facials over my decade of working in the industry. From Botox to lymphatic drainage, I'm a moth to a flame for any treatments that promise to lift and sculpt. So, when I came out of my last treatment review and immediately texted my group chat to explain how it had just transformed my whole face in just half an hour, you might assume that I'd just left an aesthetics clinic. However, it was, in fact, after a brow mapping treatment with one of London's most sought-after brow artists, Hollie Parkes. Scroll on for what you need to know about brow mapping and how it single-handedly transformed my eyebrows.
What Is Brow Mapping?
Brow mapping is an expert technique used by brow artists to find the best shape for your eyebrows. Drawing upon the principles of the golden ratio, it helps to determine where your brows should start and finish, as well as the placement of your arch, to best suit your facial features.
It's a kind of brow architecture that is an exact science and requires a good eye; however, Parkes tells me that no two appointments are the same, and she'll tailor the brows differently from client to client. "I'm taking into consideration the person's natural hair growth and their features, but I take the rules with a pinch of salt whilst designing something that's going to really suit that person's face," she says.
My Brow Mapping Experience
Upon walking into Parkes' treatment room, she carefully assessed my eyebrows and asked if I had a favourite brow. She tells me that most people often do, and so brow mapping helps to achieve symmetry on both sides. I've always preferred the shape of my right eyebrow, and I overplucked my left one as a teenager (and it also grows in a different way from my right side), so I've struggled to get a balance between the two of them, even with the best brow pencils and eyebrow gels, and even trying brow lamination in the past, too.
The treatment began with Parkes cleansing the area before carefully mapping out my eyebrows whilst I lay down. Using a ruler, she meticulously measured and made markings from the front through to the tail of the brows. I then sat upright, and she assessed them again to ensure symmetry. From there, it became clear exactly where I needed to fill in my brows (no surprise, it was the gap on my left arch where I'd over-plucked).
From there, she threaded any brow hairs outside of the markings and then carefully trimmed my brow hairs with meticulous precision. Lastly, she filled in any sparse areas with a micro-fine brow pencil and set my brows in place with a brow gel. Being shown exactly how to fill your brows in was enlightening in itself, and I felt better informed about exactly where I needed to place my brow pencil strokes at home. As Parkes tells me during our appointment, it's worthwhile having an expert pair of eyes on your eyebrows if you're struggling with any asymmetry. It's also a great starting place if you're going on a brow-shaping journey, or wanting to explore treatments such as microblading to create your ideal brow shape.
Before and After
And when Parkes handed me the mirror, my jaw dropped. I had never seen my eyebrows look more symmetrical, and I couldn't believe that my brows could look this good. Not only that, but having my brow mapping and styling by Parkes had totally opened up my eyes, and gave me a refreshed and sculpted appearance I've never been able to achieve from tweezing at home. It's said that brows should be sisters, not twins, and looking back on photos, my brows didn't even know one another prior to my treatment. But since my brow mapping experience, they've never looked better, and the compliments on my eyebrows have been rolling in ever since. Parkes also gave me some great brow product recommendations from her brow kit below.
Shop Brow Products:
Parkes rates this brow growth serum, which is great to apply to sparse areas for targetted brow growth in the areas that need it.
Parkes tells me that she sees a visible difference in her clients brows after they take collagen supplements—this one is a Who What Wear UK beauty team favourite.
For precision plucking, you can't beat Tweezerman tweezers to remove stray hairs in between your threading appointments.
Parkes uses a professional brow pencil during her appointments; however, she tells me this brow pencil is one of the best for delivering ultra-fine, brow-like strokes.
Another recommendation from her kit is this brow gel that she used to set my brows in place. It offers soft, flexible hold but doesn't feel crunchy or flaky.
To help enhance my brow growth, I've started taking these (delicious) hair gummies, which contain biotin to support healthy hair growth from my hair down to my brows.
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