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Summary: Do you want thick eyebrows? Or searching for the perfect eyebrow shape? In this blog, we learn how to revolutionize your eyebrow game! Learn why your eyebrows may be struggling to grow and what helps eyebrow growth...

Thin Vs Thick Eyebrows? Well, it's big brows that are in right now and the trend isn’t going anywhere. But that’s not the only reason you need to start your relationship back up with your brows.

Did you know that eyebrows are integral to our most basic inter-human communications? We express our emotions and feelings with our eyebrows continuously, without even realising it.

We also use eyebrows to recognise other people. Did you know, you’re more likely to recognise a picture of someone if they had eyebrows and no eyes, than eyes and no eyebrows?

Eyebrows are also protectors – they prevent sweat, water, products (like shampoo) and other debris from falling down into the eye. A thin brow literally puts your eyes at risk of infection.

So, what causes eyebrows to thin and how can we get them back to looking luscious and bushy again? Welcome to Cel’s Ultimate Eyebrow Growth Guide…

Why Won't My Eyebrows Grow?

You’re over-plucking: Over-plucking is one of the most common causes of thin eyebrows. Throughout the 90s and 00s, thinner eyebrows were in fashion but this addiction will have caused the death of many hair follicles. Unfortunately, it means regrowth is practically impossible, as the excessive tweezing will have irreversibly damaged the bed of the root. If there’s no follicle, there’s no hair strand.

Your body is ageing: As we grow older, the cell renewal process slows, meaning your eyebrows and other hair-covered areas experience a reduction in hair growth. It’s natural, and is medically termed Androgenic Alopecia.

Hair loss due to ageing occurs because of changes in our hormone levels. In particular, the androgenic sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen. Once you reach 40 years old, you usually produce less of these hormones, leading to the thinning of hair on the scalp and brows. Some people will experience more hair loss than others as they age.

You’re stressed: Everyone experiences stress at some point, but chronic stress can be damaging to the body’s normal functioning. When the body is stressed, it directly impacts hair growth too. Stress can cause hair follicles to stop doing their job, leaving you with thin eyebrows. Chronic stress can also trigger disorders such as alopecia, which causes hair to literally fall out.

Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder): People who have trichotillomania have an urge to pull out their hair strands, usually as a result of stress, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, fatigue, or frustration. Most people with the disorder will pull out hairs on their head, but they may also pull hairs from their eyebrows or eyelashes. Eventually, the hair pulling can lead to permanent hair loss, which can leave the sufferer feeling self-conscious or developing low self-esteem.

If you think you may have trichotillomania, speak to your doctor or mental health professional.

Alopecia (Immune System Dysfunction): Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair to fall out, mainly from the scalp and eyebrows. This can leave brows looking thin or uneven. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly starts to recognise hair follicles as a foreign body, so it attacks the follicles which kills or damages them. Alopecia Areata can cure itself, and many sufferers will experience hair regrowth, but the issue can also reoccur.

If you think you may have alopecia areata, speak to your doctor.

Nutrient Deficiency: If you’re not getting the right nutrients, hair will struggle to grow properly. There are many vitamins and minerals we need for our overall health as well as for healthy hair growth, including Vitamins C, D, and E, Iron and Zinc. Biotin/Vitamin B7 is renowned for being the most essential for hair, skin and nail health and growth.

If you think you have a nutrient deficiency, speak to your doctor or nutritionist.

Thyroid Gland Dysfunction: Losing hairs from the eyebrow – especially the outer edge – is often considered a big tell-tale sign of an overactive thyroid; hypothyroidism. The thyroid plays a big role in many bodily functions, including metabolism, so if you have any suspicions, speak to your doctor.

What Helps Eyebrows Grow?

Grow them out: First things first – step away from the tweezers! Brows grow in a 3-4 month cycle, so no plucking for a minimum of 12 weeks, and really try to stick it out. If you really have to pluck, soften and dull your lighting as you do it. Too much light can cause you to over tweeze!

Sort out your diet: If you want to grow thicker eyebrows, you need to fuel the body right. Supplements can help here. Invest in a multivitamin that includes iron, particularly if you exclude meat and animal products from your diet. 

Oil up: There are oils you can apply to your brows which encourage natural hair growth. Castor oil is a popular one, as it contains incredible hair growing proteins, fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins which help nourish the hair follicles and promote healthy growth. You can also use jojoba, coconut or olive oils as an alternative to castor too, and you may already have these in your cupboard. Natural oils encourage blood to flow to the skin, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach the hair follicles.

Want a balm trick? Balms such as Vaseline create a sealing barrier, so it locks in moisture to help speed up your skin’s natural recovery process. It hydrates and nourishes the skin helping make the perfect hair growth environment. On a clean and dry brow, simply apply the balm over your arches with a cotton bud 3-4 times a day.

My Eyebrows Grow Down! What Can I Do?

If your eyebrows grow down, you essentially need to tame your brows backwards. So, your arch should be defined on the top of the brow rather than the traditional base of the brow. The bottom should be a subtle, almost straight angle. Brush the top of the brow down, then apply some castor oil on the top of your brows only. Leave a few moments before applying any colour or pencil product. Then brush the shade in. Once brushed into place, the bottom of your brows shouldn't need much product and you can shape.

If they get too long, try to only trim the strands that stick out.

How Can I Make My Eyebrows Look Thicker?

Makeup

The least invasive form of creating a thicker brow is by using makeup to draw on or fill out thin eyebrows.

Research the best eyebrow shape for your face, and then outline the shape with an eyebrow pencil by drawing a line underneath each brow. With the same pencil, fill in the sparser areas with small hair-like flicks.

Using an angled brush, and a similar shade of pressed powder, define the shape of each brow, being wary to not over-fill in the inside corners or make the outside ends too pointed and harsh.

To finish, comb through with a clean mascara-style wand brush to remove any excess powder, blend lines and refine that natural look. You can always use a touch of concealer underneath the arch if needed.

Eyebrow pencils and brushes are available from all beauty stores at a manageable price, so thick looking brows don’t need to break the bank. As with all brushes, make sure you wash your brushes and applicators daily to keep your skin healthy.

Microblading

Giving a thicker effect, you can essentially get eyebrows “tattooed” on. Microblading is a popular option for people who want a more permanent option than makeup. It uses small needles to scratch the skin’s surface and applies ink. Microblading’s a non-surgical treatment that gives you a semi-permanent thicker brow. You’ll need to touch it up every 1-3 years to help keep your brows looking thick and fresh!

Eyebrow Transplant

If your thinning brows are seriously getting you down, then you can always consider a hair transplant.

There are two ways you can get a brow transplant – follicular unit extraction (FUE) or strip harvesting. FUE requires taking individual hair follicles, while strip harvesting takes a strip of hair follicles. They then place them in the desired areas. The follicles grow the new hairs – but scalp hair doesn’t have a growth limit like eyebrow hairs do, so keep some small scissors handy as they can potentially grow a bit too long…

Although permanent, eyebrow transplants are expensive and can be painful.

Looking for the perfect eyebrow shape? Check out our sister eyebrow blog here.