Thinning or sparse eyebrows can be challenging for most. While this is a fairly common experience, it still has its effects. Many people don’t realize that eyebrows play a very important role in the face. It not only helps accentuate the eyes but also impacts how your face shape looks and it helps in effective communication. Because of this, it is understandable that many people feel a dip in their confidence and happiness levels when their eyebrows are not working in their favor.
In this article, we explore the best ways on how to fix thin eyebrows permanently, semi-permanently, and temporarily while also considering certain precautions.
How to Fix Thin Eyebrows Permanently? Understanding the Causes of Thin or Sparse Eyebrows
The first step to fixing thin eyebrows for good is getting to the root cause of your hair loss. By knowing what exactly is causing the issue, the easier it can be to narrow down solutions that could be most effective.
How Age and Hormonal Changes Lead To Thinner Brows
Age is one of the most common causes of thinning brows. As we grow older, there is a natural decline in testosterone production in men and estrogen production in women. These hormones play a major role in hair production and could greatly impact how much hair one can maintain. For some, hair loss due to age starts as early as 40 years old.
Over-plucking or extensive tweezing can damage brow hair
Many consider tweezing, plucking, and waxing as a part of their monthly routine. This is perfectly fine when spaced out regularly, however, doing this too often can physically damage the hair follicles and surrounding skin.
Between each plucking session, it is important to give your hair enough time to heal and regenerate properly. Over-plucked eyebrows may cause hair loss that spans much longer than one would like and cause hair regrowth problems over time.
How Eyebrow Hair Follicle Health Impacts Thinning
The very function of a hair follicle is to grow hair. It protects the hair shaft as it goes through different phases to complete hair production and also helps in repairing the surrounding skin when a wound or injury is present. In fact, hair follicles contain glands that release sebum, a natural oil that keeps hair strong and healthy.
Should hair follicles get damaged, it can lead to unhealthy strands of hair and a decline in production, which leads to hair thinning.
The Role of Alopecia in Eyebrow Thinning
Alopecia is a fairly common autoimmune disease that leads to eyebrow thinning. It occurs when the immune system starts to attack the hair follicles and eventually stops hair production. Other autoimmune diseases that could affect the brows are psoriasis and lupus.
Autoimmune diseases are not the only skin conditions that can cause issues with hair production. Different kinds of dermatitis and even ringworms result in loss of hair as well.
The Effect of Certain Medications on Eyebrow Hair Loss
Medications are taken precisely to have an effect on the system. However, sometimes these effects can have a few unfavorable reactions. Depending on the type of medication, dosage, and how one’s body naturally reacts, there are some drugs that could lead to eyebrow hair loss. Some of the biggest examples are chemotherapy, antithyroid, blood thinners, cholesterol pills, and valproic acid.
Prevention and Basic Care For Thinning Brows
Now that we have covered the common causes, let’s move on to basic care for thinning brows, which also doubles as hair loss prevention.
Applying Nourishing Serums That Encourage Brow Hair Growth
Eyebrow growth serums are packed with nutrients that help support hair growth, strengthen your strands, and create a healthy environment for your brows. There are many brow growth serums on the market that range in budget and specialty.
Regularly applying serums may help stimulate hair regrowth and also prevent hair loss by keeping the follicles nourished.
Utilizing Castor Oil, Biotin, and Other Natural Supplements For Thicker Brows
Apart from growth serums found in most drugstores and makeup shops, natural oils and supplements are also a great way to thicken your brows. Castor oil on eyebrows has proven to be quite effective. Biotin, aloe vera, tea tree oil, and other natural supplements also work great to fix sparse eyebrows.
Properly Using Eyebrow Makeup to Avoid Hair Follicle Damage
Eyebrow makeup is generally safe for as long as your skin is not sensitive to any ingredients used. Because of this, it is important to do a patch test on a small portion of your skin before applying it generously on your brows or other areas.
Apart from that precaution, it is important that the products you are using aren’t expired. Makeup past its use-by date can cause infections especially if the product is easily absorbed into the skin. Last, but not the least, always remove your eyebrow makeup before bed. By leaving the product on overnight, your hair follicles can get clogged up and possibly cause eyebrows to fall out in the long run.
Regularly Getting a Check Up by Your Dermatologist
One of the best ways to maintain luscious brows and prevent any bald spots from occurring is by regularly visiting your dermatologist. These serve as a great way to combat issues while still early, and also serve as a great way to preserve healthy brows.
Try Temporary Eyebrow Tattoos for Fixing Thin Eyebrows
Now that causes, care, and prevention have been discussed, let’s get down to the quickest and easiest solution on how to fix thin eyebrows.
Temporary eyebrow tattoos are one of the best ways to get natural-looking brows without needing an appointment with a professional or any downtime. In fact, you can apply these in the comforts of your own home in 3 easy steps. All you have to do is align the temporary tattoo on your brow area, dab it with a wet cloth, then slowly peel the transfer paper - that’s it!
You can choose from 5 different sizes, 5 different styles, and 11 different colors, ensuring that you find brows to perfectly match your natural pair. Moreover, they are just as easy to wipe off as they are to put on, but if you’re happy with your chosen brow, they can stay for up to 3 days.
What Other Solutions Can You Try?
If you are looking for other eyebrow replacement solutions, we’ve listed 3 other ways you can consider. While these may not help grow back your natural brows, they can help fix thinning or sparse brows by covering the gaps, filling out the outline, and helping you achieve natural-looking brows again.
Microblading: A Semi-Permanent Solution For Thin Brows
Those looking for a semi-permanent way to fix their eyebrows often turn to microblading. Microbladed brows can last between 1 to 2 years when properly maintained. These are widely different from permanent eyebrow tattoos in a number of ways.
For one, microbladed brows look more natural as they mimic realistic hair strokes. It results in a light, fluffy, and subtle look.
Powder Brows
Powder brows are another semi-permanent fix, it’s quite similar to microbladed brows in concept but you can expect the technique and outcome to differ. With powder brows, the professional uses a shading method that results in a soft, powder-like, natural yet somewhat ombre brow. They are very well-defined and can last between 1 to 3 years.
Possible Risks
With every cosmetic procedure comes potential side effects. In the case of powder brows and microblading, the main risk lies in allergic reactions and keloid - both of which are on a case-to-case basis, depending on how the individual’s body naturally reacts. To prevent this, it is important to test out if you are allergic to the pigment used, and also to disclose if you are prone to keloids.
Eyebrow Makeup
For those looking to find a more DIY solution, there are a multitude of eyebrow makeup products that you can use to fill in your brows. Perhaps the most beginner-friendly of them all is the eyebrow pencil, which can basically be used to outline your brows and roughly make them seem fuller.
Apart from eyebrow pencils, tint, pomade, and gels are other great eyebrow makeup alternatives to try out.
You’re All Set
Apart from the solutions listed above, there are also ways on how to fix thin eyebrows permanently. Depending on the cause for hair thinning, eyebrows can take quite a while to grow back, and unfortunately for some, it could be a permanent loss.
Before deciding on a solution best for you, we encourage setting an appointment with your dermatologist to discuss the most effective options for your case. For any concerns and questions, feel free to reach out to us at MyTwoBrows.com and we’d be happy to guide you!