Threading is a hair removal process that has been used for thousands of years in the Middle East and is practiced at many spas and clinics around the world. Using thread is a fast method of hair removal that only requires one length of thread and some skill to perform. An electric threader is a handheld device that operates on electricity or battery power. The device moves the thread automatically to catch hairs and pull them out; it only needs to be held in the right place to remove the hair and requires no knowledge of manual threading hair removal techniques.
There are different types of threaders, from manual devices to electric threaders, available for consumers to use today. It is also possible, and preferable for many, to simply use one piece of thread and learn how to twist it properly to remove hair. When the thread is twisted together and held in the correct way, quick pulls on the ends of the thread let it twist and coil smoothly back and forth. This grabs the hair inside the twisted threads and pulls it out from the root.
When an electric threader has the thread correctly attached to its two prongs, the device automatically achieves this pulling motion. The twisted thread glides back and forth, catching and pulling hairs free from the skin. The benefit of using an electric threader is that it is not necessary to learn to twist, hold and move the thread for hair removal. One potential drawback is that it may be harder to get the thread into proper position, giving the user a little less control over where the hairs are removed. The device is usually in motion the entire time it is turned on, so improper placement can quickly remove hairs that the user did not mean to remove.
Depilation techniques that pull hair out from the root include tweezing, waxing and threading, among other methods. All of these methods can actually damage the hair follicle over time, which means some or all of the hairs may stop growing back. Some people prefer other methods of hair removal because they find these methods too painful. One possible benefit of threading over other similar methods is that someone skilled at threading or using an electric threader can do it very quickly, minimizing any discomfort. An electric threader may also come with a topical numbing gel to make the process less painful.
Overall, an electric threader may be ideal for people who prefer the speed of the device or for those who do not have enough manual dexterity to use thread manually. Threading, whether manual or electric, is usually only done on facial hair, such as eyebrows and stray hairs, and generally is not recommended for body hair removal. It will be necessary to let coarse hairs grow enough that the thread can catch them, so other methods might appeal more to people who prefer to avoid any regrowth at all.