Buh-bye brow gel: Brow pinching is the fastest route to lifted arches

When it comes to eyebrows, there used to just be waxing, tweezing, and filling in the patchy spots with a pencil, but as we approach 2020, there are now brow treatments aplenty. You can swipe on a gel for quick volume, get a microblading treatment for a fuller effect, or try eyebrow extensions if you’re looking for more length. There’s also brow pinching, which is a more holistic way to lift your brows.

In our latest episode of What the Wellness—Well+Good’s YouTube series that examines the wackiest wellness treatments around—director of creative development Ella Dove visits the Blink Brow Bar at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City to experience “pinching.” Brow pinching is derived from a traditional Ayurvedic practice that involve massaging (and well, pinching) the area around the eyes to help lift the brow bone.

After Dove hops into the treatment seat, brow therapist Mayuri begins the 10-minute massage (which costs $26). A blend of soothing almond oil and aloe vera are used to work through marma points, AKA healing energy points in the body used in Ayurveda. Massaging these places is supposed to boost positive energy into your chakras and, in addition to helping to make your brows appear more lifted, can help with other common skin-care issues such as dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines by increasing circulation and promoting lymphatic drainage. BTW, brow pinching is something you could do yourself, much like a regular facial massage (though, of course, it helps to have a professional who knows marma points very well).

Mayuri works through plenty of figure-eights around Dove’s eye area, spritzes her with rosewater mist, and finishes the treatment with a piano massage. How do Dove’s eyebrows look after being pinched by a pro? Can brow pinching make you toss your brow gel? Find out the answers and more by watching the video, here.

For more What the Wellness, check out what it’s like to experience an aqua cycling workout class. And here’s the deal on the acupuncture-adjacent ear seeds that you keep hearing about.