Written by Fareeha Molvi, CNN
This feature is part of CNN Style s new series Hyphenated, which explores the complex issue of identity among minorities in the United States.
It s been a year since Misbah Etman, a real estate agent in Los Angeles, stepped foot in a salon for any kind of beauty treatment, but threading is the one she has missed the most.
Before the pandemic, Etman frequented her go-to salon every few weeks for brow-shaping appointments. Like many South Asian American women,
she found that the routine did as much for her mindset as it did her appearance. (I miss) that clean feeling that makes me think I can handle the world, said Etman. If my eyebrows are unruly, the rest of my life is too.