Live in Style: Threading Salon Blends Tradition with Modern Beauty

By GAYANE TOROSYAN
ONEONTA

Saturday marks the end of Ramadan, ushering in warmer days and a vacation season on the horizon. While the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar focuses on fasting and spiritual growth, it also invites reflection on centuries-old grooming traditions.

Live in Style Threading Salon, located in Southside Mall, embraces a hypoallergenic practice rooted in the Middle East and South Asia. Threading, a natural cosmetic technique using simple thread, dates back 1,300 years and has been historically linked to rites of passage, including marriage preparations.

“Threading is a natural way: No side effects, no chemicals, we use simple thread,” said salon owner Hadiqa Rehmani, a licensed cosmetologist originally from Pakistan. Rehmani, petite and in her 50s, explained that threading enhances skin smoothness, removes hair, and gives a youthful, gentle appearance.

With more than 20 years of experience running salons in New York City and Pennsylvania, Rehmani opened the Oneonta location six years ago during a visit with her son, a professional photographer. The salon’s interior features traditional Pakistani imagery and a vibrant portrait of Rehmani with her two daughters.

Threading is especially known for eyebrow shaping and definition, though Living in Style also offers waxing, sugaring, eyelash care, and facial treatments tailored to various skin types. The salon boasts racks of Pakistani clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics, blending modern style with cultural tradition.

Facial hair removal is deeply ingrained in Muslim communities, reflecting religious teachings that emphasize cleanliness and personal hygiene. It aligns with the Islamic concept of “taharah” (purity), and broader grooming practices known as “fitrah,” which include nail care, teeth cleaning, and hair removal, all of which emphasize self-care and dignity.

“Islam recommends facial hair removal for women because cleaning is the most important thing,” Rehmani said.

Hair removal practices have long carried spiritual, aesthetic and practical significance, according to media scholar Amani Ismail, who leads a mass communication program in Cairo, Egypt.

“Hygienically, it helps maintain freshness. Aesthetically, it is essential to maintaining physical appeal and being well-groomed,” Ismail said.

Historically, grooming rituals served spiritual and practical purposes, promoting hygiene in challenging environments. These traditions are referenced in hadiths—guidance derived from the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad—underscoring their importance to self-care and personal presentation.

“Because faith and spirituality much hinge on all that is beautiful, hair removal is also part of what religions have encouraged and heeded people to practice,” Ismail added.

Traditionally, hair removal is applied “on a larger body scale for women compared to men.”

Globally, cultures have embraced hair removal traditions dating back to ancient times. Egyptian women used sugar-based waxes, similar to modern waxing techniques, while early razors made of seashells were used as far back as 3,000 BCE.

Threading gained prominence in the United States in the late 1980s, introduced by immigrants who opened threading studios in major cities. Its popularity has grown ever since, with searches for threading services increasing by 50 percent in the United Kingdom in 2015, according to “The Guardian.”

Live in Style Threading Salon continues to honor these traditions while offering modern cosmetic options, making it a destination for health and beauty in Oneonta. The salon is located in Oneonta’s Southside Mall at 5006 Southside, NY-23.