Sacha Walters, Staff Reporter

The ancient art of threading, a form of hair removal. - PHOTO BY Sacha Walters

The process, while uncommon in Jamaica, has been around for centuries and found its origins in Arabia and South Asia. It is still used by women in parts of the Middle and Far East today.

Threading, also known as khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egypt, involves using a simple tool, cotton thread, and some dextrous hands.

A delicate method of removing unwanted facial hair, that's what threading promises.

He took a piece of cotton thread and knotted it at both ends and twisted it. The thread was then used to pull the hairs out by way of a twisting motion.

Stacking up

Advantages are stacking up for the process which takes approximately 10 minutes to complete if you're doing your eyebrows. It can also be done on the upper lip, chin or anywhere on the face where hair needs to be removed. Like plucking, strands are pulled from the follicle. However, a row of hair can be removed at a time instead of one at a time as with plucking.

It lasts approximately three weeks and gives a more natural look than other methods.

Paul said it can be used for all hair types.

But how painful is it? Well its less painful than plucking. However, like most hair removal methods, some individuals' skin can become irritated. He recommends wiping the area with alcohol for two days after the procedure to prevent potential irritation.

Paul charges $500 to thread eyebrows and $300 for other parts of the face.

He can be contacted at 840-5420

HAIR trained make-up artist Paul March, showed us how it's done.

Sacha.Walters@gleanerjm.com