Many factors contribute to the health of our bodies. Not only is diet one of them, but stress levels, hormones, age, medical conditions, and so much more can have an impact on our physical appearance.
One of the aspects of our physical appearance that changes the most is our hair. While most may focus on the hair on their scalp, it is important to remember that our eyelashes and eyebrows both suffer the consequences of poor health as well.
Below, we discuss everything you need to know about sparse eyebrows – from why they happen to easy remedies you can try.
What are Sparse Eyebrows?
When eyebrows are sparse, it means that the hair on your brows is very thin and looks spaced out. This makes them appear to have patches or may even fade into your skin. Those with very sparse eyebrows tend to look much older and sometimes unhealthy, though this is on a case-to-case basis.
Are sparse eyebrows normal?
While having sparse eyebrows may not exactly be considered normal, it is, however, very common.
When one has thinning brows, it could mean many things – from natural aging to signs of over-plucking or perhaps a temporary skin condition to more severe medical diseases.
Brows thinning out as we age is completely normal. However, if they fall out in big patches out of nowhere, it is best to consult a medical professional for further diagnosis.
Why are my eyebrows thinning?
While there are many factors that contribute to thinning eyebrows, we will focus on the top 3 reasons with a short summary of the rest:
Aging
Aging is by far the number one cause of thinning eyebrows. This is a natural occurrence for both men and women, especially when they hit their 40s. This is because as we age, our bodies slow down the production of our growth hormones – specifically testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Once the hormone production slows down, we can expect our hair to start thinning out and not growing as much as it used to.
Skin conditions
There are many types of skin conditions that can get in the way of hair growth or even cause trauma to the hair follicles. Some of the most common ones include:
Psoriasis. This autoimmune disease creates thick and scaly patches, which can be very painful. These patches block the hair follicles, thus stopping growth.
Alopecia Areata. This is another type of autoimmune disorder wherein the body attacks the hair follicles, which stops hair production.
Contact Dermatitis. This is more commonly known as skin irritation and happens only when your skin comes into contact with certain chemicals that your system rejects.
You can learn more about these and more types of diseases in our article Eyebrow Bald Spots.
Over-tweezing or pulling
Plucking or tweezing out the brows is a common practice. However, most don’t realize that the more we pull on our hair follicles, the more physical trauma we end up causing. With constant over-tweezing, these hair follicles can stay damaged and unable to produce new hair permanently.
Other reasons
Other reasons for sparse eyebrows include insufficient nutrients, thyroid problems, poor mental health, pregnancy and childbirth, or even undergoing chemotherapy. To learn more about these other reasons, check our article on Eyebrow Hair Loss.
How to Treat Sparse brows
Before trying various treatments for thinning or sparse eyebrows, you should get a proper diagnosis. Knowing what causes hair loss in your situation can lead you to the right treatment moving forward.
That being said, there are a number of ways you can try to treat sparse eyebrows, including:
Use a Growth Serum
Growth serums are packed with ingredients and nutrients specifically combined to improve production and our eyebrows' health. Some of the well-known components include biotin, which is great for hair growth, and peptides, which nourish the hair follicles. You may also find amino acids, which are what hair is made up of.
Note that growth serums are topical and are a great addition to your skincare routine!
Moisturize the Brows
By now, you must have heard that moisturizing your skin works wonders. It’s exactly the same for your brows! By keeping the skin on your brows hydrated and healthy, you can better prevent hair loss, hair thinning and encourage a healthier growth process.
One of the most common and cost-effective ways to moisturize your brows is by dabbing some Vaseline on them. You may also use moisturizing cream, aloe vera, or different types of oil, including jojoba, coconut, bio-oil, and the like.
Making thin eyebrows look thicker
Apart from applying growth serums, moisturizing, lessening the amount of plucking, and other healthy practices, you can also opt to make your eyebrows look visually thicker (without actually making them grow thicker). An affordable, user-friendly, and instant solution to getting thicker eyebrows is by using temporary eyebrow tattoos.
Temporary eyebrow tattoos come in different shades, sizes, and shapes to meet anyone’s needs. Moreover, they are super easy to apply! All you have to do is choose your preferred brow, line them up in place, and apply a wet cloth on top of it. The application process is very similar to children’s water-based tattoos, except temporary eyebrow tattoos look very realistic, are 100% waterproof, and can last up to 3 days.
Using Makeup to Fix, Fill, and Shape Thin Eyebrows
Another way you can fill in sparse eyebrows is by applying makeup. There are many options on the market today, from user-friendly tools to more complex makeup instruments. To fix, fill, and shape your brows, you may try out eyebrow pencils, gels, pomade, and more.
Home Remedies for Eyebrow Regrowth
There are many home remedies that one can try to regain their sparse brows. While this may not work for every single person, these have definitely shown positive results for many. The list below is some of the most popular natural growth serums that couldn’t hurt to try out!
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the most versatile types of oil out there. You can apply it topically to different parts of the body and mix it into your daily diet for a healthier dose of nutrients. When it comes to eyebrows, coconut oil has been proven to enhance hair growth and keep follicles healthy if applied topically and left on every night.
Olive Oil
Studies show that olive oil can stimulate hair growth. Like coconut oil, you can apply it topically every night and gently massage it over your eyebrows to stimulate hair regrowth.
Peppermint oil
Some studies show that the components of peppermint help stimulate blood flow. Because a healthy blood flow is essential for hair growth, this oil indirectly improves the latter.
Aloe Vera
Moisturizing your skin and hair is essential for healthy hair production. In addition, it also helps in strengthening the follicles. For these reasons, aloe vera has been shown to help in hair growth and in keeping existing hair healthy.
Other Remedies
The above four are the most common home remedies most people with sparse eyebrows try. However, if these don’t work out, you can also try rosemary, lavender, or onion juice mixed with honey or apply a mashed unripe banana on the area.
How to treat eyebrow thinning
The type of treatment or home remedy you decide on should depend on the cause of your thinning brows and how much time you have to resolve the situation.
One way to go about it is by treating it for long-term growth while at the same time applying a temporary cover-up while your hair follicles work their magic.
What is best for very sparse eyebrows?
It may take some time to regrow eyebrows naturally for very sparse eyebrows. In some cases, having the entire area completely grow back may be nearly impossible. In this case, we highly recommend a non-invasive or minimally invasive solution. You can find options in our article Eyebrow Makeup For No Eyebrows.
FAQs
Why are my eyebrows so sparse?
Sparse eyebrows can be due to aging, skin irritation, over-plucking, nutrient deficiency, medical conditions, or many other factors.
Can you regrow sparse eyebrows?
The chances of growing sparse eyebrows again mostly depend on why the brows started thinning in the first place. However, there are many solutions that one can try to get their eyebrows back.
How do you treat sparse eyebrows?
The best way to treat sparse eyebrows is by fueling your body with enough nutrients to stimulate growth, including applying serums, eating healthier, moisturizing, lessening stress, etc. You can also treat sparse eyebrows with an instant yet temporary eyebrow tattoo.
What deficiency causes thin eyebrows?
Deficiencies in vitamins A, D, E, B-complex, Zinc, Selenium, Calcium, iron, and Amino acids all contribute to thin eyebrows.
What can be done for thin eyebrows?
Thin eyebrows can be remedied through natural oils, makeup, temporary eyebrow tattoos, and other solutions.
Can thinning eyebrows grow back?
Thinning eyebrows can grow back, however, how much and how fast it can grow back depends on the cause of thinning in the first place.
What do thin eyebrows indicate?
Thin eyebrows can be nothing more than a natural sign of aging. However, if they start to fall off in chunks or if you feel other sensations such as itchiness, pain, and discomfort, this may need the attention of a medical professional.
You’re All Set!
You have a variety of ways to treat sparse eyebrows, no matter the cause! If naturally growing them back is not possible at the moment, your next best bet is investing in affordable yet quality eyebrow tattoos that are both temporary and waterproof. You can find more info on My Two Brows.