Pittsburgh's Eyebrow Queen

She is an artist with the tweezer...a Michaelangelo of eyebrows, with a waiting list of over 300 people, and winner of Pittsburgh Magazine's best brow design.

While getting an appointment with Pittsburgh's brow guru, Pamela Jeschonek, may not be easy, it is well worth the wait.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the Pamela, the owner of Everyday Esthetics, in Ambridge, Pa. and discuss the importance of eyebrow design.

The first thing she did was assess my overly plucked brows and offer some excellent advice, then she whipped out her Damone Roberts tweezers and quickly began to sculpt an shape my brows into a whole new look. After my incredible transformation, I got to ask Pam some questions.

PB- You are known as the "brow diva" of Pittsburgh, and have won numerous awards...why did you decide to specialize in brows?!

PJ- When I started working in a salon, I just naturally gravitated towards eyebrows services. I always seemed to get clients who had horrible experiences elsewhere that I needed to fix for them.  And because eyebrow design is such a detail oriented service, it fit really well with my personality.

PB- What type of formal education do you have?

PJ- I am a Licensed Esthetician in Pennsylvania. I also studied and worked for the author of How to Create the Perfect Eyebrow, a book entirely dedicated to eyebrow design. I have studied with Damone Roberts, who is known as the "Eyebrow King". He is truly a master at his craft and learning from him was an unbelievable opportunity.

PB- What can someone expect on their first visit with you?

 PJ- The service at the studio is called Brow Couture. During your first session, we will review what you like and dislike about your eyebrows, I will do a facial features and bone structure analysis and do a quick medical history.  Then I go to work designing the perfect shape for you. You will also learn how to fill in and enhance your brows with the proper eyebrow color.

PB- What are the biggest brow mistakes you see?

PJ- Overtweezing is the biggest mistake I see...everyday! Sometimes they are too thin, too round, sometimes they are tweezed too far apart. But overdoing it with the tweezers is the main issue I see.

 

PB-  Who has the best brows?

 

PJ- There are some fabulous brows out there since women are paying more attention to them. But my favorite brows right now are a toss up between Kim Kardashian and Beyonce. My all time favorite eyebrows are Elizabeth Taylor's in the 1950's. But all of these women have one thing in common - they have brows that are full, soft and flatter their features perfectly.

PB- Name your dream celebrity to tweeze?

 

PJ- Let's see, I would love to work on Meryl Streep. As we age brows become even more important. With her massive acting range, it would also be fun to design a brow that would fit the character she is playing at the time. And I would love to give Carrie Underwood's brows some help. She is so beautiful, but all I ever notice are her bad brows.

PB-. What is it like to own your own business? Can you offer any advice to budding entrepreneurs?

 

PJ- Well, you know how people warn you about how hard it will be? It's about twice as hard as that!  I have always wanted to be my own boss, so I can't complain because I am doing something everyday that I like, that I excel at and that I get to make all the rules for!  So that is pretty amazing.

 

If I had to give advice, it would be that for the first few years, it will be all consuming.  Even if you are not actually working...you'll be working.  Getting customers, positioning yourself in the market, being prepared for when it all comes together.  It is an all consuming process.  Oh, and don't expect to take a salary for quite some time!  So have a nest egg or a side job to keep the business afloat if necessary.

PB- Do you have a favorite tweezer?

 

PJ- Love, love, love the Damone Roberts tweezer.  Not too sharp, but gets all the little hairs.  It has a slant tip and you can find it on line for about $28.  The pair I am using now I have been using for two years at least.

PB-  Any advice to maintain your brows at home?

 

PJ- Less is more when you are doing it yourself. Show restraint. Keep the area above your nose cleaned up, but don't have more than about an inch or so of space between the two brows, or you will have overtweezed. Follow the brow bone and tweeze anything that falls below. If you're putting eye shadow over it, it can go! I always suggest having an eyebrow specialist do your brows at least once, then follow that line.  

 

PB- Tweezing, waxing or threading...which is the best?!

 

PJ-I get asked this question all the time. Which one is better? It all depends on your situation.

All methods do the same thing - remove facial hair. More depends on the beauty professional performing the service than what type of hair removal you are using. With any method, if the hair is not removed from the follicle, then you might as well have shaved it off. Below, I will list the pros and cons of each method, and you should be able to decide for yourself which method is right for you.
 As always with eyebrows, if the professional does not have very specific training in eyebrow design, the outcome will be mediocre at best. And.. be sure that the professional and salon is licensed, hair removal in most states requires a license from the state.

Tweezing - The technician uses a metal tweezer to remove hairs one at a time. Pros: Most trusted method for precise hair removal. Tweezing gives the most precise line when shaping eyebrows. Can be used on sensitive or chemically treated skin. Cons: Not good for large areas of hair removal. A bit more time consuming than waxing or threading.

Waxing - The technician uses a soft, melted wax that is spread on the skin and then removed with a strip of woven fabric. Hard wax may also be used and does not need a strip to remove, as it hardens on the skin. Pros: Is a fast and proven way to remove hair. Can remove fine hairs. Can be used on larger areas of the face such as the cheeks. Cons: Should not be used if you are on certain medications, have had chemical treatments on your skin or if you are sunburned. If the wax is too hot or cold, the skin can "lift", or come off with the wax. Is not a good method to create a precise line on the brow.

Threading - The technician holds a piece of cotton thread in their teeth and fingers to create a "twist" that will catch and remove multiple hairs at once. Pros: A quick way to remove  multiple hairs at once. An option for those who cannot have waxing done for the reasons mentioned above. Works best on coarse hair textures. Cons: Most uncomfortable of the methods. Skin can be cut by the twisting thread. Requires client to hold the skin taut. Brows can easily be over threaded, resulting in a thinner brow than desired. Not good for finer hair textures.

Thanks Pamela!