Thinning Eyebrows: Causes, Preventions, & Solutions

Thinning Eyebrows: Causes, Preventions, & Solutions

Your eyebrows are one of the first things people notice about you, and they can dramatically alter the appearance of your face depending on the shape, color, and thickness you decide on. Because your face is the first thing you present to the world, you want to feel confident in your appearance, and sometimes the best way to do this is by following the current beauty trends.

We all know beauty and fashion trends of the past have a way of coming back in the present. We were here for it when the high-waisted “mom jeans” made a comeback, we love the return of platform shoes and hair scrunchies, and we are also tickled that the bold eyebrow is rocking the world once more. 

Yet, as much as we adore the bushy eyebrow game, not everyone loves the news that they are back in style. Those with sparse or thinning eyebrows may feel a little sense of dread at being left out of the latest beauty trend--but fear not! Just because your eyebrows are thin now doesn’t mean they have to stay that way forever.

We’re here with the rundown on what causes thin eyebrows in the first place and how to treat sparse brows, as well as how to prevent them from ever going rogue again. Stick with us to learn everything about growing back your caterpillar brows.

Causes of Eyebrow Thinning

(Image source: Adobe)
 

If your eyebrows are already at the point where you’ve noticed they are not living up to their full potential (we’re talking fullness here), then it’s time to investigate what is stunting growth. Here are a few common causes of thinning hair.

Age

Aging is a beautiful process, but it also has its downsides. One side effect of age is thinning hair, which includes your eyebrows. This is due to lower levels of testosterone and estrogen, part of your body’s natural reaction to growing older. 

Hair loss from age affects all genders and may start to hit especially hard in your 40’s.

Lack of Sufficient Nutrients

Diet plays a massive role in overall health, and it affects hair growth as well. Certain nutrients like Vitamin A, Biotin, Zinc, and Vitamin C support overall wellness, and some even promote hair health. A lack of any of these may contribute to your hair loss and your overall wellness. 

An iron deficiency can also be linked to a lack of hair growth. Iron deficiencies are often especially prevalent in those following a vegetarian or vegan diet since they have to find sources of iron other than those found in meat. 

Hormonal Issues or Changes

Hormonal changes can affect hair growth, whether due to pregnancy, menopause, puberty, or fluctuations in hormone levels for other reasons. And if the hormonal changes are particularly sudden, hair loss known as telogen effluvium may occur. 

While especially common during menopause and after giving birth, telogen effluvium is a relatively short-term issue that may solve itself. We still recommend getting it checked by your doctor if you think this may be something you struggle with.

Overtweezing

If you have ever gotten a little ahead of yourself with the tweezer in the past, your body may have learned not to regrow hair, resulting in an overall thinner brow. Repetitive hair removal introduces trauma to your brows, and hair growth is cut off. Brow hair needs to be retrained to grow in areas that have undergone trauma due to hair removal.

Preventative Measures To Take Against Eyebrow Thinning

(Image source: Adobe)

Maybe your brows are in a current state of crisis, or perhaps you just want to prevent hair loss in the future. But either way, there are some easy preventative steps you can make. After all, hair growth takes time, so it's better to avoid the hassle.

Be Careful When Grooming

Put down the tweezers and give your brows room to grow! Always step back from the mirror periodically during hair removal to get a complete picture, and be careful not to overdo it.

Get Checked By Your Physician

Many less-than-common health issues may affect hair growth, so get regularly checked by your doctor and bring up any concerns in advance to allow time to examine if there is a problem.

Eat Right for Eyebrow Growth

Did you know certain foods may promote hair growth? On top of eating healthy, nutrient deficiencies can easily be added back into your diet, but don’t take any nutrients without consulting with a doctor first, as too much of a good thing can have damaging side effects.  

(Image source: GIPHY) 

“Natural Brows” Are In, So How Do You Get Them to Grow?

Eyebrow goals have changed significantly over the years. During the 1980s, “natural brows” suddenly became the desired beauty trend, inspired by gorgeous women like Brooke Shields and Madonna. 

Yet, the only people who could truly flaunt “natural brows” were those who had naturally thick, full brows, and even then, some shaping was required to meet the eyebrow ideal. This meant anyone who hadn’t won the eyebrow lottery needed to find methods to boost their brow game.

The same may feel true today. Even though shaping and filling brows with products is practically an art form now, having that “natural brow” look without a lot of work is attainable. Here’s how:

Apply Eyebrow Growth Serum

Due to the ongoing need for eyebrow thickening agents, an easy and fast solution has become available to everyone who wants to fatten their caterpillars (meaning eyebrows, of course). 

 

Applying a twice-daily growth serum is the absolute best method to fill in all the gaps and crevices naturally. 

Balance Your Hormones

If there truly is an issue stopping your brows from growing, you need to get to the source and fix the problem before you can expect maximum progress. If you suspect your thinning eyebrows are due to hormonal issues, such as thyroid problems, or hormonal changes, schedule a time to talk with your physician so they can first balance out your hormones. 

Use A Fill Pen While You Wait

You’re hard at work sorting out the root of the issue, you’re applying your twice-daily growth serum, and as fast as you can expect to see results, there is still the immediate need for beautiful bushy brows. 

What can you do? Keep on filling in your eyebrows while you wait for your hair to begin growing in. 

Takeaway

It’s no secret that luscious brows are “in” right now, meaning the more dramatic the eyebrow, the better. But if your eyebrows are thin and sparse, you’ll need to first get to the root of the issue. 

Once you know what’s stalling hair growth, you can begin to treat the issue and follow preventative measures to keep your eyebrows looking good. (Need we say that anymore?)

As you’re waiting for your eyebrows to make a comeback, you can embrace your inner Cara Delevigne, grab a growth serum and a fill pen and create the eyebrow magic with a little help. 

Remember to be patient, but as long as you’ve started the process, you are well on your way to brow growth! Now is the perfect time to proudly flaunt your face and amp up the drama in your brows, so bare your beauty in all its unique glory.




Sources:

How to Choose the Best Eyebrow Shape for Your Face | Byrdie

The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review | NCBI 

The Most Popular Brow Shapes by the Decade | InStyle