Threading (khite) hair removal

Threading (khite) hair removal

Threading (khite)

Basic facts

Called khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egyptian, it's a less common method in the West for removing hair at the root, used primarily on facial hair. Rows of stray hairs are yanked out with twists of cotton thread.

Description:

The practitioner holds one end of the cotton thread in his or her teeth and the other in the left hand. The middle is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand. The practitioner then uses the loop to trap a series of unwanted hairs and pull them from the skin. There are also devices made that can hold the thread during the procedure.

Advantages:

Inexpensive, fast, neat, considered less painful than plucking for many. Good for eyebrows and facial hair. Like plucking, results can last up to two to four weeks.

Disadvantages:

Hard to find a professional practitioner outside large cities. Can be painful and cause itching afterwards. Side effects can include folliculitis, a bacterial infection in the hair follicles, skin reddening or puffiness, and changes in skin pigment.