Our eyebrows are an essential part of our face, as they allow us to communicate non-verbally. They also help to frame the eyes and can affect the overall appearance of the face.
Understandably, losing your eyebrow hair or having thin eyebrows can have devastating effects. Not only can it affect your expressions, but it can also affect your overall appearance. As a result, your self-confidence can suffer, affecting various other parts of your life too including your social, emotional, and mental health and in some cases even professional perforamnce.
Eyebrow hair loss can be challenging, but there are ways to turn things around in many cases. Read on to find out more about eyebrow hair loss or eyebrow thinning and restoration.
What Causes Eyebrow Hair Loss?
There are many different causes of thin eyebrows or eyebrow hair loss. One of the most serious to be aware of is an autoimmune condition that affected hair follicles called alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out since it involves the hair follicles. In cases where this affects the scalp hair as well as other areas such as eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair this is called alopecia universalis.
Another type of inflammatory hair loss that can affect the eyebrows is frontal fibrosing alopecia, which can lead to recession of the hair line as well as in many cases eyebrow hair loss.
Below are some other causes and conditions you should also be aware of.
Overplucking
Many people pluck their eyebrows to give them a better definition and shape. However, it’s easy to overdo it, and a result of chronic overplucking can be permanent thinning or loss of eyebrow hair.
If the overplucking has not caused permanent damage to the hair follicle, then it may be that if you stop over plucking you may see new hair growth. However, in some cases the hair follicle is permanently damaged and the hair will not grow back even if you avoid plucking the area.
Naturally Thin Brows
Genetics play a huge role in how thin or thick your eyebrows naturally are. Typically, those with sparse and thin body hair will have thinner brow hairs. However there can be those with thick eyebrows and still thin body hair or other facial hair. Some individuals may naturally have thicker eyebrows while other may naturally have thinner eyebrows both in terms of overall shape and/or density.
In addition, you may find your eyebrows thinning out with age. Many individuals start noticing this in their 40s and 50s.
Inflammation of the Skin
If there is any type of inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis (also known as dandruff) on the eyebrows, then this can potentially lead to loss of eyebrow hair especially if the condition is severe. It is important to have any skin conditions affecting the eyebrows treated first to prevent worsening of the condition and to see if treating the skin condition leads to improvement of the eyebrow density.
Thyroid Problems
Thyroid issues can affect both your skin and hair. In particular low thyroid levels (called hypothyroidism) can lead to thinning or loss of the outer third of the eyebrow (known as ‘hertoghes’ sign). This pattern can also be seen in other conditions. However, if you notice you are losing the outer third of the eyebrow, you may want to discuss checking your thyroid levels with your doctor.
Other Causes
Your body requires proper nutrition to carry out its functions, and hair growth is no exception. A lack of a number of nutrients or stress on the body can lead to increasing shedding of scalp hair and sometimes increase loss of eyebrow hair as well (this is called telogen effluvium).
Certain medications may lead to eyebrow loss or thinning. There are also a number of other conditions such as Hansen’s disease (leprosy) that can lead to eyebrow loss. Thus, it is important that you see a doctor and make sure to mention any other symptoms that you are experiencing, so an appropriate work up can be performed if necessary.
How Can Eyebrow Restoration Help?
Now that you know what can cause eyebrow hair loss, you might have a good idea of what may have caused your eyebrows to fall out. However, it’s best to see your doctor to receive an official diagnosis and get effective treatment to address both the hair loss and any underlying health issues.
In certain cases, treating an underlying condition such as your thyroid, leprosy, or an inflammatory skin condition may be recommended. In others, if there is existing hair present in the area of concern of the eyebrow, then a topical or oral medicationt to help thicken the hair may be recommended. However, in some cases, eyebrow restoration surgery may be recommended such as thin eyebrows from natural thin eyebrows, overplucking, or traumatic scar in the area especially if there is little to no existing hair in the area.
Here are the potential benefits of eyebrow restoration surgery if you are a candidate.
Fuller Eyebrows
Whether you naturally have thin eyebrows or have lost hair from trauma, overplucking, a condition, or disease, it may have a negative impact on your self confidence.
Eyebrow restoration surgey can help many individuals gain fuller and thicker eyebrows. It can be used to increase density in areas with thinning or loss. There are other options as well such as microblading which provide long lasting pigment in the area. However, eyebrow transplant is unique in its ability to actually increase hair density in the area rather than just pigment. This can help frame the face better, which can then improve self-confidence.
More Symmetrical Eyebrows
Some asymmetry of the eyebrows is normal and aesthetically pleasing. However extreme asymmetry is sometimes distressing to individuals as they feel it affects their overall facial appearance. Eyebrow transplant can help correct major asymmetry; however, it is important to note that some degree of asymmetry is usually recommended to give a natural look. Grooming and plucking the eyebrows can also be used after the surgery to further achieve the exact desired appearance of the eyebrows.
Hide Eyebrow Scars
If you have a scar or scarring in the eyebrows, then eyebrow transplant can potentially help to increase hair density through the scar to make the scar less visible. Often as high of a density cannot be achieved in scar tissue due to limited bloodflow; however, there often can still be significant improvements in density. It is important to discuss your individual case with a hair restoration surgeon during a consultation.
Natural-Looking Results
Eyebrow restoration surgery involves harvesting hair often from your head. The hairs are often selected from areas such as the sides or lower portion of the scalp that are thinner to better match the quality of the eyebrow hair. The follicular units are then placed one by one with great attention to detail to the angle, direction, and tilt to achieve the most natural results possible.
It is also important to communicate your preferences and desired shape and give any feedback on changes you desire to the proposed plan to your surgeon and team before beginning the procedure, so they can best help you achieve your desired result.
Often Long-Lasting Solution
Initially, it’ll take several months for your transplanted hair to grow, so it’ll be around a year before you see the full results.
However, once they grow in, your eyebrow hair is long-lasting in most cases. Unlike the pigment with microblading that tends to fade after a few years, the hair with an eyebrow transplant is long lasting in most cases. It is possible you may need touch-up procedures to achieve the desired density or if you have further eyebrow thinning or loss. This is why it is important to get evaluated and determine if there are any underlying issues that can be identified and addressed before undergoing eyebrow restoration surgery.
Let Root Hair Institute Help
If you’re dealing with eyebrow hair loss, you may be considering an eyebrow hair transplant.
The best next step is to meet with a hair loss specialist to determine what cause/type of eyebrow loss or thinning you are experiencing and if you are an appropriate candidate. If you are, then it is important to also discuss with a hair restoration surgeon the risks, benefits, and alternatives with you as well as expected outcome.
If you are in the greater Seattle area or willing to travel to the greater Seattle area for treatment, then you could consider our doctors at Root Hair Institute. Getting the process starting is as easy as scheduling a consultation with Root Hair Institute today.