Reverse Eyebrow Thinning: Yes! You Can Grow Your Eyebrows Back!

Eyebrows speak a million words. When it comes to our facial structure and our expressions eyebrows play a crucial role. The hair on the eyebrows could be thinning or falling out due to a number of reasons. If you want to reverse eyebrow thinning then you need to understand the cause of your eyebrow thinning and address it.

People might tell you that eyebrow thinning cannot be reversed, but that is not true. The hair on our eyebrows is quite similar to the hair on our scalp. Taking the proper steps can reverse eyebrow thinning and help you get back your natural eyebrows. In this article on how to reverse eyebrow thinning, we will discuss the possible factors affecting your eyebrows and how to treat, rectify and prevent them.  

Reverse Eyebrow Thinning: Causes & Treatments!

Eyebrows are the natural contour of the face, a slight change in the eyebrow can bring a drastic change in one’s face and expression. Since the hair on the eyebrow behaves similarly to the hair on the scalp, the cause of hair loss could also be similar.

It could be dandruff, weak roots, unhealthy follicles, etc. Over the years not much thought was given to the importance of eyebrows. Eyebrow trends have been changing over the years from thin and arched to bushy and fluffy. Our beauty routine or just simple mistakes like accidentally over-plucking the eyebrow could all lead to sparse eyebrows.

To save your eyebrows from shedding, understanding the cause of your problem is the very first step. Keep reading this article on reverse eyebrow thinning to identify the underlying cause of your eyebrow thinning and the best things you can do to control the condition and prevent it from happening again.

Before getting into various methods to reverse eyebrow thinning, understanding the possible root causes and assessing them is important. 

What Causes Eyebrow Hair Loss?

The cause of eyebrow loss or thinning could be any of the following:

1. Infections

An inflectional condition such as madarosis could cause hair loss. Maradosis can be seen in both men and women, mostly in older age groups. Maradosis can occur due to certain bacterial, fungal, or viral infections like:

• Leprosy – Leprosy is a bacterial infection also known as Hansen’s disease. This disease targets the area around the eyes, nose, skin, and nerves, leading to hair loss from the eyebrows. 
• Blepharitis infection – A type of infection that affects the area around the eyes including the eyelash and the eyebrow. Some of the common symptoms include dryness and itchiness of the eye. It can sometimes have eyelashes and eyebrows fall out along with it.
• Staphylococcus and syphilis
• Viral infections such as HIV and herpes
• Fungal infections like Piedra, an infection that targets the hair follicles.
• Ringworms – This is not in fact a worm but a fungal infection that can cause hair loss and bald patches due to the hair falling out. 

Ringworm infections are not a pleasant sight to see, the affected area can be red and itchy with pimple-like blisters that can ooze puss and sometimes a little bit of blood. The area can form a ring-like shape hence the name ringworm infection. 

Ringworm infection is contagious as it can pass from person to person on direct skin to skin contact. Anti-fungal treatment commonly used for ringworm includes medications like griseofulvin, fluconazole, terbinafine, etc.

Note: Never take the above medicines without your doctor’s advice.

2. Skin Conditions

Possible skin conditions include:

• Atopic dermatitis: Also known as eczema, this is a kind of skin inflammation that is mostly accompanied by redness, irritation, itching, and sometimes oozing. Eczema develops when one has an extremely sensitive immune system. It can either appear once as an infection or stay for a long time. This condition affects hair growth by blocking the hair follicle.
• Contact dermatitis: It is a condition when one’s skin is exposed to or comes in contact with an allergic ingredient or irritant. If one has contact dermatitis near the eyebrows then the growth of hair in that area is affected.
• Psoriasis: It is a condition when the cell turnover of the skin drastically increases causing red, itchy patches that are also painful at times. The condition can block the hair follicles which in turn stops hair growth.
• Seborrheic dermatitis: It is caused by the overproduction of oil by the glands in the skin, this could lead to dandruff and hair fall. Some  hormonal fluctuations and genetics can trigger this condition. The hair loss from this condition is mostly temporary and with the right treatment, one can reverse eyebrow thinning. 
• Folliculitis: This is an acne-like bump that occurs in the hair follicles. As the condition worsens the hair follicles fall out causing hair loss. If Folliculitis is not treated, it could permanently damage the follicles and cause permanent hair loss.

3. Physical Trauma

Eyebrows can fall out as a result of injuries from accidents, burns, etc.

4. Reverse Eyebrow Thinning & Mental Health Conditions

Trichotillomania is a condition where a person tends to pull out eyebrows and eyelashes under stress or as a habit.

5. Treatments 

Hair loss due to treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, laser, etc. can cause hair loss.

6. Reverse Eyebrow Thinning: Medications

Medications like Botox injections, anticoagulants, androgens, anticonvulsants, etc. can lead to hair loss.

7. Pregnancy 

The whirlwind of hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can cause hair loss.

8. Hormonal Conditions

A hormonal condition known as TE (Telogen effluvium) occurs when the hormones interfere with the natural process of hair growth(1).

9. Aging

Aging can slow down hair growth, hence slowing the shedding and regeneration process.

10. Nutrient Deficiencies

When your body is deprived of essential nutrients such as amino and omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, biotin, collagen, vitamins like  A, C, D, B-12, and E, iron proteins, fats, minerals, and zinc, this could cause hair loss and affect the regrowth.

11. Stress And Anxiety

Emotional anxiety can trigger certain hormones that could lead to hair loss.

12. Conditions Affecting The Immune System

Autoimmune diseases like Alopecia areata will start attacking your own body, leading to hair loss which might include a balding scalp as well as eyebrows.

13. Reverse Eyebrow Thinning & Thyroid

Imbalances in the thyroid hormone can cause thinning by affecting the hair growth cycle

15. Makeup

Using too many eyebrow makeup products with harsh chemicals can lead to eyebrow hair loss

16. Overplucking The Eyebrows

Hair removal methods to shape eyebrows such as plucking or waxing could cause minor trauma to the area that may affect the hair growth in those areas.

Treatment Options To Reverse Eyebrow Thinning

If you have any underlying health condition, then the best treatment to reverse your eyebrow thinning will be suggested by your doctor.

• The most common topical treatment to treat hair loss is by using Rogaine commonly known as Minoxidil. Never use Monodoxil without a doctor’s consultation as the right percentage you require would vary from person to person and from man to woman. Apart from this, some treatments create a fake allergic response in the body that triggers hair growth.

• Corticosteroids or anthraquinone taken in the form of medication or injection can help in reducing skin conditions that lead to hair loss. If you do not have any severe hair loss or have an underlying health condition then regular use of castor oil will stimulate the hair follicles leading to hair growth.  There are also Acupuncture treatments that can help in improving the blood circulation in the area and also increase hair growth in that area.

• Dietary supplements such as omega-3  and omega-6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and biotin have been proven to be effective against hair loss.

• If you are facing hair loss as a result of hormonal changes, we recommend you consult an endocrinologist. They would most probably recommend hormonal medications to control or stimulate your hormones as per requirement.

• Permanent makeup and camouflage options like tattoos or microblading, etc. are widely popular to hide eyebrow hair loss and give an illusion of fuller and thicker eyebrows. Microblading is quite a popular method among celebrities to map eyebrows today.

• Just like hair transplant, there are also procedures for eyebrow transplant, the procedure involves taking skin from areas in the body where there is copious hair growth and transplanting those follicles on areas of the eyebrow where hair growth is thin or sparse.

• Bimatoprost treatment(2) for hair growth. In this treatment, the hair growth cycle of the person is extended giving your hair the time to grow back longer. This method is popular to reverse not just eyebrow thinning but hair thinning on any part of the body.

Preventive Measures To Reverse Eyebrow Thinning

• Protech your eyebrows from harsh chemicals, for example, cover your eyebrows while applying acids to your face or while getting bleach done.
• Use castor oil for lashes and eyebrows.
• Get regular health checkups to determine any underlying deficiencies or to address health conditions
• Include hair-building and hair growth-promoting food like biotin, protein, fatty acids, multivitamins, fruits, vegetables, etc.
• Resolve stress and anxiety by taking the necessary medical help and also by practicing stress-relieving methods such as meditation and yoga.
• If you are facing eyebrow hair loss and you are unable to identify the cause consult a doctor. Doctors can pinpoint the reason and also suggest the right treatment plan. Do not self-medicate as this could lead to adverse side effects and also permanent loss of eyebrows.

There are proven ways to reverse eyebrow thinning and hair loss. The key to growing back your eyebrows lies in determining the actual cause of hair loss. There are a variety of treatment options available no matter what the cause of your hair loss might be. Following a good eyebrow routine such as massaging them frequently with castor oil and applying a protective layer of vaseline while doing your skin procedures can make a huge impact on the health of your eyebrows in the long run. Hope you found answers on how to reverse eyebrow thinning. 

It’s time to flaunt those brows!