Chances are that if you were a teenager, or even an adult, during the Nineties, your eyebrows did not survive the decade unscathed. The power brow was all the rage in the 80s, but by the next decade, thin stripes were the norm.
The noughties saw a revival of bold brows (thanks to Cara Delevingne), but it also led many people who were taken in by this plucking craze, to wonder ‘How do I grow my eyebrows?
The Causes of Thin Eyebrows
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There are many factors that contribute to thin eyebrows.
Excessive hair removal or over-plucking: Trimming, threading and waxing are all methods that can cause hair follicles to be damaged and prevent eyebrow growth.
- Aging and hormonal changes: As we age the hair follicles produce less, resulting in thinner eyebrows. Hormonal changes such as those that occur during menopause can also impact eyebrow growth.
- Nutritional Deficiencies & Poor Diet: Lack of essential nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A B C D E can affect hair growth including eyebrow hair.
- Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions like thyroid disorders or alopecia can cause hair loss or eyebrow thinning. If you suspect that there are underlying medical problems, it is best to consult a healthcare professional.
- Anxiety and Stress: Anxiety can cause eyebrow thinning due to a disruption in the hair cycle.
- Harsh Cosmetics and Excessive sun exposure: The use of harsh cosmetics or excessive sun exposure can also cause eyebrow thinning. The use of harsh cosmetics or eyebrow cosmetics excessively can also cause hair strands to weaken.
Eyebrows getting thinned Symptoms
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The following symptoms are commonly associated with thinning eyebrows.
- Sparse Brow Hair: Reduced hair density and thinning in the eyebrow area.
- The eyebrows may grow in irregular or uneven patches.
- Skin Visible Under the Eyebrows: If the eyebrows are thinning, the skin beneath them may be more visible.
- It can be difficult to shape eyebrows due to sparse hair.
- Reduced density and volume of Eyebrow hair: The eyebrows’ overall thickness and fullness are reduced.
How do I naturally grow eyebrows?
These hacks will help you stimulate hair growth by letting your eyebrows grow naturally. Did you know that?
Laurretta, the UK’s national brow artist and Laurretta-Power-Benefit brow expert, says that every hair is attached to a small blood vessel. “Stimulating blood flow in the brow area will encourage healthy hair growth,” she explains. Try giving your brow bones a gentle micro-massage using your fingertips during your skincare routine. Gently tap over each brow area for 30 seconds.
Blink’s ‘brow pinching service’ in the salon is another great hack you can try at home. What is it, you ask? Vanita Partyi MBE, CEO and founder of Blink Brow bar, tells WH that brow pinching is easy to do at home. Apply BBB’s Nourishing Oil, gently massage into your brows and pinch them from the beginning of your brows all the way to the end using your thumb and forefinger.
Then, massage your temples using your middle and forefingers. Finally, press your third eye using the middle and forefingers of your hand. Repeat as desired.
Can you grow eyebrows?
Yes, in a nutshell! Power says that brow hair grows in cycles, just like hair on the head.
Can I regrow eyebrows that have been overplucked?
It can disrupt the cycle of hair growth, but it doesn’t stop it. This depends on the health of your eyebrow hair follicles. It can take up to 12 weeks for your hair to grow to its full potential.
Experts explain how to grow eyebrows
Include eyebrow serum in your daily routine
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Olive oil and Vaseline are cheaper alternatives, but nothing beats an eyebrow serum specially formulated to stimulate brow growth.
Apply it to your skin before you go to bed, so that it can work its magic as you sleep. The best eyebrow serums will revitalise the follicles and condition the hair. This will reduce breakage, repair every strand, and protect your eyebrows against environmental damage like pollution that can dehydrate your face.
Quit plucking
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Well, yeah. You should wait at least 12 weeks before plucking hairs from your brows. You can then pluck any hairs that are not near the browline, but you should leave those that are very close. Brush your eyebrows every day with a brush.
It will encourage growth in the correct direction. Around the four-month mark, you will notice that your eyebrow hairs are starting to grow in. This is the time to book an appointment with a professional for the perfect shape eyebrows to suit your face. You can also do it yourself if you’re confident. Before you start tweezering, think about the intensity of the light that you are using to groom your eyebrows.
Experts say that too much light can cause you to pluck your eyebrows. It is best to do this in a dim, soft lighting. Do not pluck your brows in the morning, but rather the afternoon.
Use olive oil
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Castor oil eyebrows have been discussed a lot, and whether or not using the liquid to grow your brows is possible.
Olive oil can be used to grow eyebrows. While castor oil may not work for everyone (some people are allergic), it is a great substitute.
Vitamin E is rich in this oil, which has hydrating qualities and essential fatty acid that feeds your hair follicles.
How do you use this product? Use a tiny amount to condition your eyebrows each night before you go to bed. PSA: It goes without saying that you should be extra cautious around your eye area.
Eat Your Walnuts
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Foods rich in vitamins and mineral can also promote hair growth.
Walnuts, mangoes dark leafy vegetables and sweet potatoes are all good for hair growth. Also, add biotin, vitamin B and marine proteins to your morning routine to boost your keratin and amino acid production.
Eat a balanced diet
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You should include nutrient-rich food in your diet, such as fruits and vegetables, which contain omega-3 fatty acid, vitamins C, D, E, A, and B. These nutrients will help you achieve healthy eyebrows and hair.
Trickery
If you’re looking to instantly make your eyebrows look thicker, consider investing in a brow kit.
Fill in sparse areas (focusing on the arch) with a brow pen, then lightly dust your entire brow with brow powder before setting it in place with clear gel.
Avoid excessive sun exposure
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It is important to protect your eyebrows from the sun in order to prevent premature aging. It’s well known that UV rays lighten hair and make brows appear less prominent, but it’s also less common knowledge that they can damage the proteins that are found in eyebrow hair. This can lead to brittle hairs, dryness, and thin eyebrows. Kintija, International Brow Expert, and Co-Founder at Everlasting Brows, says that any sunscreen applied directly to brows can help prevent this.
Try Vaseline
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Moisturizing your eyebrows may not be high on your skincare list, but hydrated skin allows hair to grow more quickly and with greater resilience.
“Condition your eyebrows daily for healthy skin growth and brow hair. It is becoming more common to see brow dandruff and flaky skin. However, this can be easily avoided by following a daily brow care routine. Belska says to moisturise the brows with a nourishing treatment just as you would your rest of the face.
Manage stress levels:
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Stress can cause eyebrow thinning. Stress levels can be controlled by engaging in activities that reduce stress, such as yoga or meditation.
9 ways to grow thicker eyebrows
It’s not dangerous to try. There is little evidence that home remedies will help you grow your eyebrows. If you have thin eyebrows due to over-plucking, or another condition that can be treated, they may become fuller. However, if your eyebrows are already thin and naturally thin, this will not work.
Cosmetic companies sell pencils, gels and other products to make your eyebrows appear thicker. Is there a way of growing thicker eyebrows that doesn’t rely on makeup?
You can use many home remedies to get thicker eyebrows, whether you suffer from hair loss or thin brows naturally. Check out what research says.
1. Coconut oil
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Coconut oil is becoming increasingly popular as a cooking and dietary oil. Topically applied, it is said to be beneficial for hair and skin.
Coconut oil is not widely supported by scientific evidence for its use to increase hair density.
Coconut oil is still a hot topic in the natural health industry.
Use it by warming a small amount in your hands, and massaging it into the eyebrow region. You can leave it on overnight, and then wash it off the next morning.
2. Tea tree oil
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Tea tree oil is said to stimulate eyebrow growth by moisturizing the cellular and follicular barrier.
Tea tree oil has been used as a skin care treatment for centuries. It was traditionally used to treat cuts and other wounds. Tea tree oil is available in many over-the counter products. You can also apply tea tree extracts directly to eyebrows.
Tea tree oil is often touted as a treatment alternative for thicker eyebrows. However, no scientific studies have been conducted to support these claims.
Few human studies have been done, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s (NCCIH) Trusted Source. Tea tree oil is only effective for treating acne and fungal infection.
How to use: Apply it daily on your eyebrows and let it sit overnight.
3. Lavender oil
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The most well-known effect of lavender oil is its ability to calm. It’s believed that when applied topically it can also combat hair loss.
Lavender seems to be promising only for treating stress. Although lavender is not considered harmful for treating hair loss, there are no studies that support its effectiveness.
Use it: Massage lavender oil into the eyebrow area every day for a relaxing experience. Test the oil on a different part of your body, as some people can develop rashes.
4. Saw palmetto
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The supplement saw palmetto can be used to treat hair thinning.
Some people use the berries directly, while others prefer extracts, capsules or tea. These supplements are taken orally every day. Saw palmetto is not usually applied topically.
NCCIHTrusted Source states that although saw palmetto is extensively studied for prostate problems and urinary system infections, there are few other studies. The NCCIHTrusted Source notes that there is limited research on the safety and effectiveness of saw palmetto for eyebrow hair growth.
5. Smart grooming
Some cases, thicker eyebrows can be achieved by using the right grooming technique. Follow these tips.
- Avoid over plucking your eyebrows.
- Only remove unwanted hairs under dim lighting. Overplucking is more likely to occur when working in bright light.
- Do not press too hard with the brow pencils.
- Brush your eyebrows daily with an eyebrow brush.
6. De-stress
If people are under stress and make tongue-in cheek statements like “I’m worried I’m losing my hair”, they could be on to something.
According to a 2021 study of mice by Trusted Source, the stress hormone corticosterone may affect hair growth.
AmberNoon’s founder and CEO, Erum N.Ilyas MD, MBE FAAD, notes that hair loss caused by stress is often viewed as a “check engine” light.
Ilyas says that stress can cause a condition known as telogen effluvium which alters the hair cycle. Ilyas says that although scalp hair loss is often associated with stress, eyebrows and eyelashes are also affected.
Trichotillomania or the tendency to pull out hair when under stress can also affect eyebrows.
De-stressing can reduce eyebrow hair fall. Meditation, for example, may be helpful.
In a 2021 study, more than 300 people were involved. The results showed that meditation-based mental training could lower the level of cortisol stress hormone in hair.
7. Topical cream containing bimatoprost
The condition of eyebrow madarosis involves the loss or lack of eyebrow hair. Bimatoprost is a medication that was initially approved by FDA to promote eyelash growth.
In a 2018 case studyTrustedSource of a 60 year-old woman suffering from the condition, it was suggested that using a daily bimatoprost solution of 0.03 percent could help achieve long-lasting hair growth.
Ilyas claims that the evidence of eyebrow regrowth remains anecdotal. The product has not been approved to grow or regrow eyebrow hair.
8. Olive oil
Olive oil is found in hair products that hydrate your hair. Can it promote hair growth around the eyebrows, for example?
In 2015, a study of mice by Trusted Source showed that ingredients from olive trees can stimulate hair growth.
Ilyas claims that there is little evidence to support the topical use olive oil for eyebrow hair growth.
She says that, “although [it is] difficult to know if olive oil will stimulate hair growth because there are no studies to confirm this, at least it may coat hairs so they appear thicker and girthier,”
9. Massage
It’s possible that an eyebrow massage will not only stimulate natural growth, but also feel great.
According to a 2016 study by Trusted Source, nine men reported that scalp massages can increase hair thickness.
The study only involved men and was focused on scalp hair. Massage to stimulate eyebrow growth is not supported by any similar research, but you can still try it.
Ilyas says that a gentle massage can help to increase circulation in this area. I would warn against excessive friction or rubbing.
FAQ’s
Can you regrow your eyebrows?
It is possible, but only with the right care. You can encourage eyebrow growth by following the above tips and using effective products.
How can I grow my eyebrows naturally?
Avoiding excessive hair removal and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are all natural methods to promote eyebrow growth. Other natural methods include using natural oils or serums for massaging the eyebrows.
Does Vitamin C Increase Eyebrows Growth?
Although vitamin C benefits hair and eyebrows in general, it has not been proven that it promotes eyebrow growth.
How can I maintain healthy eyebrows?
Avoid excessive hair removal. Use natural oils or serums to nourish your eyebrows. Protect them from sun damage. Exfoliate and moisturize them regularly.
Can men groom their eyebrows?
Men can also groom their eyebrows. Both men and women can benefit from the tips in this blog.
How hard is it to grow eyebrows?
Each person’s journey to hair growth is unique, and it may take some time for eyebrows to regrow. The results of a good care routine are dependent on consistency and patience.
When do eyebrows stop growing?
The growth of eyebrow hair may slow as part of the aging, but it does not stop completely.
What causes thin eyebrows?
Over-plucking can cause thin eyebrows. Other causes include hormonal changes, medical conditions, stress and excessive sun exposure.
How can I stop eyebrow loss?
Avoid over-plucking. Use gentle cosmetics, protect your eyebrows against the sun and manage your stress levels.