Caring For Your Eyebrows

The importance of good brow health in maintaining shape and volume

Consultant Trichologist Eva Proudman FIT IAT (www.ukhairconsultants.com ) has been working for over 20 years as an expert in hair and scalp health. Here she shares her advice for maintaining healthy brows – vital for avoiding brow hair loss.

Eva Proudman comments;

“As the saying goes, if our eyes are the windows to the soul, then our brows are the frame – they are so important for shaping our faces and helping to give us our personality. But behind the cosmetic aspect, they also serve a key role in protecting our eyes.”

Why do we even have eyebrows?!

Our eyebrows have two main key functions; they are there to protect the eyes from sweat, water and debris falling into the eye socket.  But eyebrows also define our facial features and play an important job in expressive communication.

What are the main causes of eyebrow thinning or hair loss?

There are multiple causative factors when eyebrows start to thin or are even lost totally.  Physical trauma such as excessive plucking can cause thinning and loss. In fact, trying to achieve ‘pencil thin’ eyebrows from waxing or plucking is the biggest contributor to eyebrow loss.  But hormonal changes, such as an overactive immune system, or Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, (FFA) and Lichen Planopilaris, (LPP) can all cause hair loss in the brow region. British-American journalist and author Louis Theroux has famously documented his brow hair loss as a result of Alopecia. Infections and skin conditions can also be factors, as can emotional stress and of course our diet and nutrition.

What can we do if we notice our brows thinning?

If you lose the outer third of the eyebrows, the first thing you should do is see your GP and have your immune function checked. If it is due to a thyroid problem, medication can rebalance this function and the eyebrows can recover. 

It’s important not to be too enthusiastic with plucking and waxing, as over time the volume can diminish from this type of trauma and won’t regrow. Hormonal fluctuations can cause thinning to the eyebrows especially at perimenopause and menopause.  Oestrogen helps your hair to grow and reduces the rate of hair shedding; so, if oestrogen is low or depleted you can find that the follicle produces thinner weaker hairs.

How can we look after our eyebrows?

First and foremost, make sure that the eyebrows are clean! This may sound obvious, but they can be easily overlooked. If you use powder or pencil to fill in your brows then make sure you cleanse them each day to remove it all- micellar waters are gentle and perfect for this, as are good facial cleansers.   When you wash your face, remember to include your eyebrows, and use the towel to dry and gently buff them to stimulate blood flow in the area to encourage growth.

Moisturising over your eyebrows is a good thing, as it rehydrates the eyebrow area, so make sure you include this as part of your daily routine whilst applying moisturiser to your whole face. Serums that contain peptides, keratin and biotin are also supportive to eyebrow growth.  As is eating a balanced diet and keeping hydrated.

Natural looking brows that are maintained with conservative tweezing, where the hairs are removed one at a time, helps to keep the natural shape and volume in the eyebrow. Be gentle when removing your make up at the end of the day, using a circular motion with a cotton wool pad to wipe over the brows – always avoid scrubbing and rubbing as it’s too harsh and can tear out the eyebrow hairs.