This is the first installation on “manscaping� — or the subtle art of depilation. Since this is a multifaceted topic that covers the maintenance of your body hair from head to toe, we’ll start with your eyebrows.

It takes some, but not a ton of, skill to get a pair that are clean and neat without looking like a cast member from the Jersey Shore.

Waxing VS. Tweezing:

The first thing to remember is that it is never OK to wax your brows. Stick with tweezing and invest in a set by Tweezerman. You get more control and don’t run the risk of getting high, girly arches. Take it from me: I once waxed my brows and my girlfriend at the time told me it felt like she was making out with another chick.

Choose Your Shape:

Take a look at your eyebrows and see what should be there and what shouldn’t.  Don’t make it into a brain teaser, just identify the overgrowth. Errant hairs under or above the thickest part should be plucked. Grip at the root and give a little tug. Do them one at a time, just make sure you don’t pull the skin — it might make you cry; kind of like tweezing nose hairs, which is another topic altogether.

Trim:

Remember Andy Rooney? The producers at Sixty Minutes did him a huge disservice by not forcing him to change the fact that his forehead looks bearded. Andy actually did (and will probably do more) segments on his furry brows. To trim, you simply comb your brows upwards and snip the longer hairs to the same length as the rest.  You can use an inexpensive pair of small grooming scissors for this.

Fight the Unibrow:

This is the most offensive growth pattern around, and, no matter how attractive the rest of your face is, it will be the center of attention and the topic of conversation.  Remember your hirsute buddy you “busted� on back in high school? To get rid of it, pluck the area in between the inner corners of your eyes only. Don’t go too far back or you’re going to make your forehead look enormous. Work in stages and take breaks to step back and assess your handiwork.

Remember: Manscaping, like landscaping, requires regular servicing. Sometimes you need a mower. Sometimes you need a weed whacker. Sometimes, maybe an edger. Whatever you need, one thing is sure: you’re going to have to put some work in.

— by Carlos Rogers of Hush Salon, 45 North 3rd Street, 2nd floor (through Sweat Gym), 215-923-5010