Tri-City woman offers ancient technique of threading to remove unwanted facial hair

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer

KENNEWICK -- In the hands of Rana Deep, a string of cotton becomes a tool to get rid of facial hair.

Her fingers move expertly while she lassos unwanted hair and lifts it out of the follicle in a swift motion.

It's called threading, an ancient art of hair removal practiced in India, China and the Middle East, and it's becoming popular in the Tri-Cities, said Deep, a licensed cosmetologist who works at N.W. Beauty in Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

Clients have come to prefer threading over waxing, Deep said. It's relatively painless and safe for the skin, said the native of Syria who's lived in the Tri-Cities for 10 years. Threading also is the best way to shape the eyebrows, she said.

Ruth Bolser of Pasco, who's been Deep's client for about six months, prefers threading over waxing. "I was a little nervous initially," she admitted. But Bolser quickly saw the benefits. Redness on the face barely lasts 10 minutes after a threading treatment, instead of up to two hours with waxing, said Bolser.

It also seems to delay the regrowth of hair, Bolser said. "I don't have to get it done as often," she said. Threading also takes care of the little blond hairs that waxing doesn't get, she said.

Threading at N.W. Beauty costs the same as waxing, said Lisa Self, salon manager. But lately more customers are giving threading a try, she said. Most of them, particularly those with sensitive skin, stick with it, she said. Waxing can rip off the skin sometimes, she said.

Deep, who began working at N.W. Beauty about 11/2 years ago, gets about 10 to 15 threading customers a week, Self said. Most business comes from word of mouth referrals, she said.

Deep said she has been offering threading treatments for about six years. She said she learned the art from an Iraqi friend in the Tri-Cities almost nine years ago and perfected it with lots of practice. She said she threaded her own eyebrows and upper lip before trying it on others.

Threading sessions last up to 10 minutes and cost $12 to $36 at N.W. Beauty.

-- Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com; Business Beat blog at tricity herald.com

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Tuesday, Jul. 07, 2009

Tri-City woman offers ancient technique of threading to remove unwanted facial hair

By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer