Sparse, thin eyebrows can instantly add years to your appearance. However, lush, well-groomed eyebrows have the power to frame your face and create a more youthful look. Achieving perfect brows can be challenging when facing issues such as overplucking, underlying medical conditions, or the natural aging process.
Around age 40, eyebrows often thin as testosterone declines in men and estrogen declines in women, impacting hair growth cycles and follicle structure. Other causes of thinning eyebrows include skin conditions, thyroid disorders, pregnancy, nutrient deficiencies, telogen effluvium, autoimmune diseases, medication side effects, trauma and over-tweezing.
Treatment options for eyebrow thinning vary depending on the underlying cause. These include prescription treatments like Latisse, over-the-counter solutions such as Minoxidil, and semi-permanent makeup techniques like microblading and brow lamination. Additionally, corticosteroids and anthralin can be used for specific conditions like alopecia areata or psoriasis-related hair loss, while ensuring adequate nutrition with supplements addressing deficiencies in protein, zinc, biotin or iron can also aid in promoting eyebrow hair regrowth.
Beverly Hills, CA hair restoration specialist, Dr. Craig Ziering, explains, “Just like the hair on our heads, our brow hair can thin out as part of the normal growth cycle, leaving them sparse.” Fortunately, you don’t have to settle for patchy or thin eyebrows. Explore these solutions to help you achieve your desired look.
If the cause is a medical condition, a brow pencil can create a more uniform look.
According to Washington, D.C. dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, if your eyebrow hair is falling out, it may be a symptom of an underlying disorder. “Thinning brows can be a sign of a condition like eczema, alopecia or an underactive thyroid, all of which can cause you to lose your hair.”
An easy way to transform thin, out-of-shape brows is with a brow pencil, like the Benefit “Precisely, My Brow Detailer” pencil ($25). Its ultra-fine 0.8 mm tip effortlessly creates microfine lines for a flawless, natural look, while its smudge-proof formula ensures a 12-hour wear.
If the cause is overplucking, revive sparse areas with a brow serum.
Overplucking is a common grooming mistake, but it’s also one of the biggest reasons for hair loss in the eyebrows. “Eventually, the plucked hair grows back in, but after a while, the growth rate shortens a bit with each cycle,” says New York hair restoration surgeon Carlos Wesley, MD. “The areas that have been overplucked come back shorter and thinner, leading to long-term thinning.”
Try a strengthening brow growth serum like Lash Spell Brow Spell Enhancing Eyebrow Serum ($68) which promises to transform your brows into their healthiest and fullest state ever, harnessing peptides, proteins, vitamins, and conditioning agents.
If the cause is a poor diet, thicken existing hairs with a tinted brow wax.
A diet lacking in vitamins A, B, D or E, or an iron deficiency, can be the culprit for your sparse eyebrows. In addition to adopting a well-balanced diet, a key step to getting fuller brows is to thicken or darken the individual hairs.
For a quick fix, fake better brows in an instant with Urban Decay’s Big Bush Volumizing Tinted Brow Gel ($28). This vegan formula features tinted brow gel infused with fibers for volume, allowing you to sculpt, define, and tint your brows while ensuring a secure hold that lasts up to 24 hours.
If the cause is age-related, try microblading for a long-lasting fix.
As you age, you may notice a change in the density of your brows. Although the hairs may still be growing, they may appear thin and faded in color. A technique called microblading uses fine, hair-like strokes to deposit semipermanent pigment into the skin. “Microblading is the most natural-looking way to make your eyebrows look like they have more hair,” says brow expert Nadia Afanaseva of Eye Design New York. “You can create any shape or arch you want, and your new brows can last anywhere from one to three years.”
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If the cause is genetic, eyebrow restoration can boost hair growth.
Hereditary hair loss can shorten the time that hair spends growing, causing the follicles to shrink. “A FUE eyebrow transplant involves moving hair follicles from a donor area, often the scalp, to the eyebrows to enhance their fullness,” explains Miami hair restoration specialist Jeffrey Epstein, MD. “The process includes extraction of single hair follicles and implantation into the eyebrow area based on design preferences. Eyebrow design is a very important part of the process as it can make or break results. That’s why it’s important to choose the right surgeon.”
On this patient, Philadelphia hair restoration specialist Thomas Griffin, MD removed hair from the scalp and placed individual hairs into incisions made in the brow. “Once the grafts heal, it grows like normal hair,” he says.
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