Instructions for Sharpening Tweezers

Sharpen your tweezers and they'll last even longer.
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No beauty kit is complete without tweezers -- they're an essential tool for shaping eyebrows and plucking stray hairs. If your tweezers see regular use, they're bound to get dull eventually. Dull tweezers can't grasp hair well, so you might be tempted to toss them and buy a new pair. If you have a nail file or emery board on hand, though, you can use it to breathe new life into your tweezers. A file's abrasive surface sharpens the blades, so you'll score a few more uses out of them.

Rinse your tweezers under lukewarm running water for a few seconds. This gets rid of any hair or debris caught between the blades. Dry the tweezers well with a towel.

Hold the tweezers in your non-dominant hand and hold a nail file or emery board in the other.

Close the tips of the tweezers around the file or emery board.

Pull the file or board out toward you using a single quick motion. Push it back in, then pull it out again. The tweezers will sharpen as the blades rub against the file's abrasive surface.

Repeat this process a few more times. Get the best results by pulling and pushing the board in different directions.

Check the tweezers for sharpness. If the blades are still dull, go through the sharpening process again.

  • Do not use your tweezers as a tool for non-grooming purposes. For example, avoid using them to open soda cans. Doing so may dull the tweezers quickly.
  • If your tweezers get dull after just a few uses, consider buying a higher-quality pair -- they're more expensive but will last longer. Some tweezers can last for two or more years even with regular use.

Melissa King began writing in 2001. She spent three years writing for her local newspaper, "The Colt," writing editorials, news stories, product reviews and entertainment pieces. She is also the owner and operator of Howbert Freelance Writing. King holds an Associate of Arts in communications from Tarrant County College.

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