Beauty trends come and go, we know this. So what makes us so keen to jump on a trend that just might leave a lasting impact?
We’re talking cosmetic tattooing, Brazilian butt lifts and yes, skinny eyebrows.
Plenty of of us that lived through the 90s have the lasting effects of seeking the hot eyebrow trend still on our faces. Whether it was Kate Moss, Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson or Gwen Stefani that were our motivation, plenty of us plucked our eyebrows to within an inch of their life.
Plenty of us thought they would grow back, too.
Can you regrow your eyebrows?
It’s not just passing trends that impacts our eyebrows. While 0verzealous tweezing, waxing, and even shaving is a common cause, hair growth also slows with age, and in some cases, follicles may stop producing new hairs altogether. It means it’s not unusual for our eyebrows to become naturally sparse as we get older.
If you have hair loss in your brows and you want to regrow them, it depends on the cause of their disappearance.
If you pluck a hair out once, you may see it re-grow, but if you pluck in numerous times there is a chance that it may not, depending on how much damage was done to the hair follicle.
Over-plucking can caused a build-up of scar tissue in the base of brow hair follicles that makes it difficult for blood supply and nutrients to reach the hair to enable it to grow. The hair follicle may still be present but has become dormant, and in worst cases, dead. This means that hair may never re-grow.
Injuries, burns, or surgical scars on the brow area can also permanently damage hair follicles. Hormonal fluctuations due to pregnancy, menopause, or hormonal disorders are other reasons hair growth cycles can be impacted.
If you hair loss if from a health issue, or medication like those used for chemotherapy, it may be possible.
How to re-grow your brows
1. Hands off the tweezers and products
Put down the tweezers, and step away from heavy makeup products. Allow your eyebrows to in grow completely naturally for several months without tweezing, threading, or waxing.
Thick and waxy brow makeup should be avoided too. Some brow gels and lamination products have alcohol in them that may be drying to brow hairs and their growth. If you must groom them, try a touch of Vaseline on a spoolie brush.
For colour to fill the area, try a touch of brow pencil or powder, just don’t be too heavy handed.
2. Boost your diet
Lack of essential nutrients, such as biotin, zinc, iron, or vitamins can impair hair health and regrowth.
- Biotin: Eggs, nuts, salmon.
- Vitamin E: Spinach, almonds.
- Iron: Red meat, lentils, spinach.
- Zinc: Seafood, nuts, whole grains.
Consider having hormone imbalances checked and taking advice from a doctor about how to address any deficiencies.
3. Massage gently and apply oil
Apply a gentle face oil and massage the area to encourage blood flow. Rosemary oil has proven to be as effective at encouraging hair regrowth as the popular medication minoxidil.
4. Try a serum
Hair-growth serums like lash or brow serums can only have an impact if your follicles are dormant, or ‘sleeping’ rather than damaged for good.
Most modern eyelash and eyebrow serums use a combination of specific peptides (chains of amino acids) that support the production of healthy keratin to nourish, condition and strengthen each hair. They also usually have a number of conditioning and moisturising agents, oils and vitamins to support healthy hair.
These products need to be used consistently over many weeks to months to see progress.They won’t necessarily make hair grow faster, but they can help grow hairs from follicles that still work, stronger and longer, leading to the appearance of more hair.
5. Be patient
The natural hair growth cycle takes time. Eyebrow hairs can take 6–12 weeks (or longer) to show visible regrowth, so try and be patient when looking for signs of improvement.
If you don’t notice positive changes after trying these steps for a few months, consider consulting a dermatologist or trichologist for a tailored treatment plan.
If all else fails, consider the best eyebrow makeup to suit your style, and fill them in with a colour that matches the hairs that are left. Or you could consider microblading, though that will likely be permanent, so proceed with coution.