Brows have become big business, and with good reason: fuller eyebrows are associated with youth and health. But not everyone is born with a thick set of brows, and many people start shedding eyebrow hair with age or because of factors like stress. The good news is there are ways you can both prevent brow shedding and make thinner eyebrows thicker and healthier looking, and it doesn’t take as much effort as you might think. Rachel Lee Lozina, owner/New York State Licensed Esthetician, Laser Technician & Oncology Esthetician at Blue Water Spa, and Merry Thornton, PA-C, Founder of Element Medical Aesthetics, weighed in with their best tips on how to deal with losing eyebrow hair as you age.
Why Does Brow Hair Shed?
First of all: why is this frustrating hair loss even happening in the first place? It may not be talked about as often as hair loss, but brow loss is very common.
“Just like our hair on our heads, we can experience shedding in the brows for a variety of reasons,” Thornton says. “Sometimes shedding is due to hormonal changes, aging, genetics, illness, autoimmune disease, or stress. Depending on the cause, it may or may not be possible to stop shedding.”
How Can You Curb Shedding?
So, let’s say it’s not possible to stop shedding completely. That doesn’t mean you can’t curb it.
As with the hair, Thornton reminds us to make sure to have a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and minimize stress. “Do not over pluck or over wax the brows,” she says. “If the shedding goes on for more than three months, see a dermatologist to make sure there is not an underlying cause that needs to be treated.”
Lozina says she is a firm believer in addressing any nutritional gaps in your diet. “Make sure you have a balanced diet that also includes supplements such as biotin, vitamin E, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids,” she says.
Which Serums Can Help?
The eyebrow serum market has become saturated, which is why it’s more important than ever to focus on effective ingredients that can actually make a difference in hair growth.
“Hair growth serums really work because they include a special peptide that stimulates hair growth as well as a myriad of other ingredients that provide the essential nutrients for optimized hair growth such as peptides, biotin, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts,” Lozina says.
If you notice increased shedding, Thornton recommends trying serums such as KeraFactor Scalp Stimulating Solution (safe for brows), which contains peptides and growth factors.
“You may also consider brow serums such as Vegamour GRO Volumizing Brow Serum or The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum, which contains pro-growth peptides,” Thornton says. “Rogaine has also been known to work via a different mechanism but make sure you are just using it on the brows, as you will not want to grow hair on other areas of the face. In my experience, Rogaine works better than Latisse, the prescription lash serum.”
Makeup Tips For Sparse Brows
And while you’re waiting for peptide-filled serums to start working their brow-growing magic, don’t forget: makeup is your friend here. Many celebs who show up on red carpets with full-looking brows, in fact, start off with much thinner ones.
“As far as makeup and techniques, pencils are good for recreating individual hair strokes, while powders give the illusion of more volume,” Thornton says. “Brow tinting is great for a longer-term result and is especially good for those with light hairs that are difficult to see.”
As for brow makeup technique, Lozina says when she pencils in her brows, she loves starting at the top — the highest point of your brow — and drawing down. “Creating that top corner is essential in creating what’s known as the brow spine, the nicely shaped curve in your brows,” Lozina says.
Your brows may not be naturally thick or may have started thinning, but there are tried-and-true solutions and makeup tips that can help.
