Charlise and I went to get our eyebrows done at Reena Salon in Garland on Saturday. She’d brought two coupons on Groupon, or something like that. I’m not sure how Groupon works. ? Anyway, I consider having my eyebrows threaded an achievement, because I’ve been wanting to get them done for the past year, but had a lot of anxiety surrounding it. I mean, there is a lot of sensory-related stuff to consider, and I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. I’ve a really low pain tolerance. ?

But getting them waxed was not an option. Waxing removes skin in the process, and my first and last time getting my eyebrows waxed resulted in an itchy forehead for days, on top of a patch of skin being ripped off and, um, bleeding.

My mom also never taught me how to do my eyebrows, or any feminine hygiene-related things, so I’m having to figure everything out myself. I learned some basics, like how to shave my legs, in magazines, but I’m on my own for everything else. So I couldn’t just pluck them with tweezers, either. I’d tried that, actually, just like I’d tried shaving them. I really dislike the way body hair feels even on myself. I don’t mind the hair on my head, but anywhere else becomes a quick nuisance. I’m hypersensitive. I can’t tolerate it.

I’ve also been criticized for even wanting to shave from many women in my life, no matter the area (e.g. arms), because I’m “beautiful” and “shouldn’t want to groom for guys”. But what if it’s what makes my life a little more bearable? What about then? ?

So this less-than-an-hour event was a Big Step for me in terms of #adulting, self-love and trying new things.

A lot of people asked me if the threading process hurt. For me, I had the autistic stimming, Tourette Syndrome tics, and general low-tolerance reaction to pain. I didn’t tell anyone I’m autistic going into this, and I knew, again, what I was getting myself into. Mostly, your hair is being pulled out of your body quickly, but slower than what it would be if you were having them waxed.

The more she worked my eyebrows, the more watery my eyes became. I also started getting itchy, but I just have an intense, year-round case of allergies, so.~

I can also see myself doing this again in the future, just because the end result is so lovely. Part of my problem with trying to do it at home—aside from my inability to keep the thread from unwinding and me struggling not to hit the mirror (you know, because glasses)—is that I gave in and up at the pain, whereas someone who is not me has the ability to be ruthless and get the job done. ?

Did I mention my eyebrows are lovely? Like, amazing. ?

Have you ever gotten your eyebrows threaded? Would you ever be up for trying it?