Sparse Eyebrows Dilemma: Will They Grow Back?

The eyebrows maketh a look — currently, this is a mantra in the world of beauty and style. Well-shaped eyebrows bring dramatic attention to your nose, lips, eyes, forehead and chin. Eyebrows that perfectly frame your facial structures vividly improve your appearance or modify the way people look at your features.

As a result, many people are obsessed with enhancing or styling their eyebrows (eyebrow slits anyone?). Sometimes, however, the journey to perfect eyebrows doesn’t end well with people plucking too much hair or shaving their eyebrows by accident. Also, some people struggle with sparse eyebrows.

When these happen, the question is: do eyebrows grow back? Is it possible to achieve perfectly shaped and thick eyebrows? Or are you destined to live this “no or sparse eyebrow life?”

Half (if not all) of your brow may be gone but there is hope. The good news is you can grow your eyebrows back!

Best of Luck: Eyebrows Grow Back After Shaving, Plucking, Etc.

Before, people believed that when eyebrows are lost or shaven, they won’t grow back. Today, however, we know that’s not true.

Unless you have an underlying medical condition that causes hair loss, your eyebrows can still grow back.

Just like the other parts of your body that grows hair, your eyebrows follow a hair growth cycle with three phases. Keep in mind that these phases are not synchronized. Some hairs go through one phase longer than others.

Hair growth’s three phases are:

• The anagen phase. Also known as the active growing phase.
• The catagen phase. This in-between phase often lasts between two to three weeks. During this phase, hair growth stops and follicles shrink
• The telogen phase. The shedding and resting phase. Older hair falls off to make room for new ones.

Hair length depends on the duration of the first phase. Unlike the hair on your scalp, eyebrows grow at a slower rate and have a shorter anagen phase. They can only grow up to 0.16 mm per day.

Still, you won’t be stuck with thin eyebrows forever. The growth cycle of eyebrows is often four months. If you use brow conditioning products, you may enjoy thicker brows in eight weeks. But there are cases when eyebrow growth is slower than expected.

Stunted: Why Your Eyebrows Aren’t Growing Back

The following factors affect eyebrow hair growth:

• The frequency of plucking. How often do you pluck your eyebrows? The skin around your eyebrows is delicate and thin. Whenever you pluck, it traumatizes the skin. If you pluck your eyebrows every day, you’re damaging the skin, which discourages quicker growth of hair. It can also cause scarring.
• Your age. Thinning hair isn’t just a scalp problem. As you age, you lose an amount of hair, which includes your eyebrows.
• Underlying health conditions. A thyroid condition can also lead to brow thinning. For example, iron deficiencies or anemia (a common blood disorder) can stunt hair growth. Lack in zinc, vitamin D or biotin can also slow down hair growth.

Let Them Re-Grow: How to Grow Back Your Eyebrows

There’s no quick fix for growing your eyebrows. Your age, hormones and genetics impact how fast your eyebrows will grow back. Depending on these factors plus the cause of your hair loss, you may need to talk to your doctor about any potential underlying medical condition.

Otherwise, here are some things you can do to grow your eyebrow hair to its fullest.

Avoid Plucking, Threading or Waxing Frequently

Give your hair the chance to grow back. Even if you feel they’re uneven, avoid tweezing, waxing or plucking your eyebrows. Doing so allows your hair to fill in empty spaces.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet can help your pursuit of thicker eyebrows. Since hair is made up of proteins, eat a healthy amount of protein (e.g. beans and meat) to support your hair growth. Also, certain vitamins, such as vitamins A,C and D and B vitamins, are linked to hair growth. Include dark leafy greens, like kale and spinach, in your diet.

Load Up on the Supplements

Iron deficiency anemia is a common culprit of hair loss. Supplying your diet with enough iron may help your eyebrows grow faster. Increase your iron intake by eating foods that are high in iron, such as spinach, white beans and iron-rich cereals.

Biotin (also known as Vitamin H) supplements are also known for supporting hair growth. There is little research on using biotin for hair growth but it is a popular ingredient used by today’s hair growth supplements. To increase your biotin intake, you can take these supplements or add biotin-rich foods to your diet, such as whole grains, nuts and organ meats.

Use Castor Oil or Eyebrow Serums

Castor oil is one of the best home remedies for hair loss, especially for your eyebrows. The main compound in castor oil, which is ricinoleic acid, has been linked to hair re-growth. Encourage hair growth and moisturize your eyebrows by religiously applying castor oil to them.

On the other hand, eyebrow serums can help your eyebrows grow faster and thicker. Search online for the best eyebrow growth serums.

The eyebrows maketh a look, so it’s best to care for your eyebrows always. If you have sparse eyebrows or are recovering from an eyebrow styling booboo, don’t worry. You can still grow your eyebrows but the rate at which they grow will vary from one person to another. In any case, care for your brows today to enjoy whatever look you want.