Celebrities Are Not Just Like Us

My worst brush with a famous person was when a certain celebrity made an appointment under her alias. When she came in, I didn’t recognize her and she was greatly offended. She made such a fuss about it that I asked her if she wanted to leave. She ended up staying, but insisted that I understand the importance of knowing who she was.

Touchy-Feely

There have been some uncomfortable, non-celebrity related moments, too. I once had a client reach back as they were lying down on the table and feel me up — I had no idea that was coming! I removed the woman's hands and continued the service as if nothing happened. She tried to come in again (several times), but was never welcomed back.

Once, I also I received a cease and desist order from a West Coast brow guru’s lawyer, telling me to stop doing any eyebrow shaping and positioning myself as a brow expert. I took it as the ultimate compliment to be recognized by someone who was famously known for brow shaping.

Thick Skin

In this industry, you quickly learn that not everyone will be thrilled with their services. Once, I had a client get angry when I refused to tweeze her eyebrows too thin. The woman had large features and demanded that I take off more of her brow than would look best. It would have looked terrible on her. I just couldn’t do it, so she huffed out of the spa.

This "skinny brow" request was in 2005. The trends have been moving toward thicker and fuller brows since then and continue to stay thick with different shapes and arch variations. Right now, the trends are a square, highly-groomed brow; a round natural shape; or the combo of a square front with a round arch. But I always go by age and face shape to dictate what is best for my clients and there are always exceptions to the rule.

Brow MD

The worst pair of brows I ever had to fix was a brow transplant. The transplant technician took hair from the back of the head and inserted them into the client’s eyebrows. The hair was kinky, one-inch long, and unruly! It reminded me of a bad perm from the ‘80s. I spent 45 minutes trying to shape them. This was years ago, but brow transplants are still around. I do not recommend it, though, because they tend to look unnatural — it should be a last resort option. The most common mistake I see though, is over-waxing the brows into a comma shape. It drives me crazy. It is an unflattering shape for any face.

Not Just Brow Therapy

I am very close with many of my clients. Some of them have been coming to me for over 30 years. We have laughed, cried, and grown old together. I am now serving the third generation of clients' families, an accomplishment I’m so proud of. My clients open up to me like they would with their hairdresser — my room is a safe space to open up and relieve the stresses of life.