Millennials are all too familiar with the struggle of trying to regrow eyebrows, a consequence of the over-plucking trend of the early 2000s. If you've found yourself spending hours on Google, searching for how long it takes for eyebrows to grow back and simultaneously panicking while looking for the best eyebrow pencils and tinting kits, you're not alone. While leg and armpit hair seem to grow at an incredibly fast rate, eyebrow hair can feel like the slowest-growing hair of all time, influenced by a variety of factors.
According to Sophia Reid, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, the most common culprit behind eyebrow hair loss is over-plucking. Excessive tweezing, combing, or plucking can cause trauma and inflammation to the hair follicle, leading to thinning and slowed hair growth. Trichotillomania, a habit of pulling at brows when anxious or stressed, can also contribute to this damage.
However, if you're not one to touch your brows and are still experiencing hair loss, it may be due to skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or alopecia, as noted by both Dr. Reid and dermatologist Meena Singh, MD. It's crucial to consult a dermatologist to pinpoint the exact cause of eyebrow thinning, as early diagnosis allows for a quicker start to a treatment plan.
Eyebrow hair grows slower than the hair on your head, at about 0.14 millimeters per day, according to Dr. Reid. The time it takes for eyebrows to fully grow back depends on the cause of hair loss, the health of the hair follicle, and where the hairs are in their growth cycle. Like all hair on our bodies, eyebrows go through three phases: anagen (growth phase), catagen (transitional phase), and telogen (resting phase). Each hair follicle operates independently, meaning while some hairs are growing, others are resting or shedding. The brow growth cycle can last for 12-15 weeks.
Here's a breakdown of the life of a hair follicle:
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A healthy, un-traumatized follicle that has been tweezed or waxed will take three to four weeks to grow back to the point where you can actually see the hair piercing through your skin, says Dr. Reid. Then add on another month (at least) before the hair is at its full length, and that brings you to a total of two to three months to see full regrowth of your eyebrow hair.
However, damaged hair follicles may still be able to regrow with topical treatments containing minoxidil, according to Dr. Singh. "As long as you have stem cells in the hair follicle, the hair can start to regrow in two to three weeks, but it will take two to three months before they are fully regrown, if they do come back," Dr. Singh says. Without treatments, the hair will either grow much slower or not at all (if the follicle is damaged), and you might want to look into other options like eyebrow tinting or microshading.
Shaving doesn't damage the follicle the same way tweezing and facial waxing can, so it won't take as long to grow back. You can expect to see hair stubble in a few days, and full regrowth in six weeks. Shaving won't make your hair grow faster; it will still grow at the same rate of .14 millimeters per day. The only difference between shaving and tweezing (or waxing) is that the hair growth starts further along in the hair cycle. “When you shave the hair, the follicle is still underneath the skin,” says Dr. Reid. “So it takes less time for you to see it coming out than if you were to pull the entire follicle out.”
The amount of time it takes for hair to grow is different for each individual. Your hormones, age, genetics, and overall health can all affect how fast your eyebrows take to grow back.
While there’s no quick fix for growing your eyebrows, there are several things you can do to encourage regrowth.
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Dr. Reid says that at any one time, all of your eyebrow hairs will be at different points of the hair-growth cycle, and there’s also nothing you can do to prevent them from eventually shedding. But both derms agree that the best way to help grow fuller-looking brows is with OTC hair-growth treatments like Rogaine or Hers (both spiked with the active ingredient minoxidil), which you can get online or at the drugstore.
Minoxidil-based products don't actually increase the number of hair follicles in your skin (only a hair transplant can do that). Instead, Dr. Reid says, minoxidil lengthens the growth phase (aka the anagen phase) of the hair cycle, so that it takes longer for it to eventually fall out. It's important to note here that minoxidil treatments require time and consistency before you’ll see results: "You need to use Rogaine for about three months before you see a benefit from it," says Dr. Reid. "And then when you stop using it, you’ll lose the benefit."
Before using hair-growth products, remember that your eye area is far more sensitive than your scalp, so irritation is very possible. Dr. Reid says if you have sensitive skin or skin conditions like eczema, be super cautious, as you would be with any new product. “If your eczema is flaring up around your eyes, I wouldn’t recommend using Rogaine,” Dr. Reid says. In general, look for minoxidil products that are unscented or fragrance free, and make sure to patch test 24 hours ahead of time on your neck just below your ear.
Currently, there are no FDA-approved prescriptions to treat eyebrow loss. However, doctors commonly prescribe Latisse (the prescription-only lash-growth serum) to help boost brow growth-and there are even studies to support its efficacy. “Latisse is actually only FDA-approved for eyelashes, but we use it off-label for people to put it on their eyebrows to help with eyebrow growth,” says Dr. Reid.
While drugstore products may use minoxidil for hair growth, Latisse is formulated with an active ingredient called bimatoprost, which helps stimulate the growth of new hairs within four to six weeks. So while Latisse won’t speed up the growth rate itself (sorry, only your DNA and hormones can do that), it will help trigger the anagen phase of the cycle, which can result in fuller-looking brows. Thankfully, you can only get this one through your derm-which, FYI, if you can’t make it to the office, you can always try a virtual dermatology appointment-so they’ll be able to answer all of your questions on side effects and directions.
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One of the first things you can do to speed up eyebrow growth is maintaining a healthy diet. Since hair is made up of a protein called keratin, it's important to include protein-rich foods in your diet. One more thing you should be wary of is iron deficiency anemia. This type of anemia can lead to hair loss, not just on your scalp but your brows as well. Ensure that your diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins essential for hair health. Foods high in biotin, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for promoting hair growth.
The first and most crucial step in growing back your eyebrows is to stop over-plucking. Put down the tweezers and give your eyebrows a chance to grow back naturally. Remember not to pluck or wax your eyebrows while they are growing back.
If you’re here, you’ve probably already seen tons of brow-growth DIYs on the internet, like castor oil, vitamin E oil, aloe vera, and coconut oil. But, says Dr. Reid, these remedies don’t actually increase hair growth or speed it up, they just condition and strengthen the hairs themselves. “They might give you stronger, fuller-looking hairs, but they’re not making you grow hair any faster,” she says. So sure, give your brows a lil castor oil at night to keep them shiny and healthy, but don't expect the hair to grow any faster. But if you really want to try an at-home remedy, Dr. Singh says that rosemary oil could help encourage hair growth, though, of course, won't be nearly as effective as prescription treatments.
Eyebrow growth serums are specially formulated to nourish the hair follicles, promote circulation, and encourage eyebrow regrowth. Look for serums containing ingredients like biotin, castor oil, peptides, and vitamins. Apply the serum to clean, dry eyebrows daily, following the product’s instructions for best results. Be patient, as it may take several weeks to see noticeable improvements in eyebrow density and thickness.
If you’re looking for more immediate results, consider professional treatments such as microblading, eyebrow extensions, tinting, or laminating. These treatments can enhance the appearance of your eyebrows while allowing natural hair to grow back underneath. However, it’s essential to research and choose a skilled and reputable provider to ensure natural-looking results. Microblading is a semi-permanent tattooing technique that creates the illusion of fuller eyebrows by depositing pigment into the skin using fine, feather-like strokes. While it doesn’t promote natural hair growth, it’s an effective way to achieve the appearance of fuller brows.
Try to avoid situations or events causing stress and try to quickly solve problems causing you stress.
There are a number of reasons why a person might lose their eyebrows. Overzealous tweezing, years of waxing, and even shaving are common reasons for sparse or missing eyebrows.
There are also a number of medical reasons for eyebrow hair loss, including such conditions as:
Eyebrow hair loss is also a common side effect of chemotherapy. According to the American Cancer Society, chemotherapy drugs damage hair follicles, which makes hair fall out. This is because chemotherapy targets and damages all rapidly dividing cells in the body, including those responsible for hair growth. Not everyone who takes chemotherapy drugs loses hair. Which hair and how much falls out varies from person to person - even on the same drugs. Some drugs cause hair loss across the entire body, including the eyebrows, while others only cause hair loss on the scalp. Hair loss from chemotherapy is usually temporary. Eyebrows and other hair often begin to grow back even before treatment is finished.
Overplucking and frequent hair removal practices can have a significant impact on eyebrow growth, often leading to challenges in achieving desired regrowth. When eyebrow hairs are repeatedly and excessively removed through methods like plucking, waxing, or threading, the hair follicles can become damaged or disrupted.
To address these regrowth issues, it's essential to exercise patience and adopt a gentler approach to grooming practices.
