The 5 Eyebrow Mistakes Everyone Makes, According to a Brow Expert

Removing a few stray hairs here and there seems harmless enough, but according to Vucetaj, it’s better to leave freehand tweezing to the pros. Instead, take a minute to plan out your shape before you pluck. “Fill in with a brow pencil to create a good, strong symmetrical brow. Then tweeze around it, which will help protect you from over-tweezing and making them uneven,” she instructs.

2. You’re Getting Product On Your Brows

Cleansers, serums, sunscreens—they’re all beneficial for your skin, but you might be overlooking the effect your favorite skin-care products have on your brows. Vucetaj stresses, “Do not get product on your brows, ever. The product blocks the follicle, causing brows to shed, and stops them from growing back.” She stands by the simple mantra: “Treat skin like skin and hair like hair.”

3. You’re Using A Magnified Mirror

Raise your hand if you’ve over-plucked. According to Vucetaj, these double-sided mirrors might be to blame. The close-up view can lead to obsessing over every detail, and even one or two hairs can alter your brow shape. The same goes for bright lights and even standing too close to your mirror, which she says are equally as risky. “All of these cause you to lose perspective. Tweeze in a regular mirror, focusing on the back of the brows and alternating a few hairs at a time.” She recommends stepping away after every couple of hairs to get the full picture (and stop yourself from going overboard).

When in doubt, do less when it comes to trimming. “When you cut too short and choppy, the brows can look thinner, hang down and grow back coarse,” Vucetaj says. Instead, she suggests brushing your brows upward, and “only trimming the tips so brows layer over each other, making them look full and feathery.” Sign us up.

5. You’re ConsideringMicroblading

Never having to fuss over your brows again? Sounds like a breeze, but Vucetaj advises against the procedure. Along with risking a permanently bad shape, she notes that the color can “start off dark, then fade to purpleish, blue or pink.” And since there’s no going back on needled brows (for up to four years), it’s important to consider the aging process. “Your lids will drop with age,” says Vucetaj, “and you can't lift the brow shape when you most need it to create a brighter, youthful lift.” So play it safe and stick to that eyebrow pencil for filling things in.