Threading (epilation)

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Threading is an ancient method of hair removal that is still used in parts of the Middle and Far East. Thin, twisted cotton threads are rolled over untidy hairlines, mustaches and so on, plucking the offending hair. Due to growing popularity in Western countries, threading is now found being performed in beauty salons. Like other methods of hair removal such as plucking or waxing, threading can result in skin irritation and ingrown hairs.

Practitioners use a pure cotton thread. They generally twist the hair and threading pulls out a whole row of hair, as opposed to tweezing where only one single hair is pulled out. Threading is often preferred to tweezing because of the naturally straight lines of hair removed by the thread. It is pulled out from the follicle. Some women focus particularly on the area between the eyebrows [1], thus interrupting so-called "unibrows". Side effects can include folliculitis, a bacterial infection in the hair follicles, skin reddening or puffiness, and changes in skin pigment.

Threading is known as khite in Arabic, but in Egypt is referred to as fatlah. It is very popular in India as well.