How To Prevent and Reverse Thinning Eyebrows, According to Pros

Step one: Stop plucking.

Thin eyebrows sure made waves in the '90s. Everyone from Gwen Stefani and Tyra Banks, to Christina Aguilera and Pamela Anderson rocked the pencil-thin trend. And while this throwback style is making somewhat of a comeback, many people still prefer to don thick arches. (Hey, it's why brow pencils, waxes, and powders are soaring in popularity, not to mention treatments such as microblading and brow lamination.)

However, it can be a bit of a shock when you notice that your eyebrows have started to thin out on their own.

We all know that our hair texture changes with age, but how and why does that have an effect on our eyebrows, too? To answer all our questions surrounding thinning eyebrows, we tapped three experts. To find out why it happens to how it can be reversed, read on.

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What causes thinning eyebrows?

As with all types of hair loss, there could be a plethora of reasons your eyebrows may begin to thin. Apart from the obvious over-plucking or over-waxing, Delphine Breyne, a Restorative Permanent Makeup Artist and owner of Delphine Eyebrow Couture in Manhattan, says there are a number of other causes, such as alopecia, thyroid disorders, or hormone issues that impact eyebrow fullness adversely. "And unfortunately, many people suffer from eyebrow thinning as a consequence of chemotherapy treatment," she furthers. "As a final and more general note, it’s important to emphasize that as we age, we will naturally lose eyebrow hairs — it’s perfectly normal."

Can you prevent thinning eyebrows?

The best type of treatment is always prevention. Joey Healy, Celebrity Brow Stylist and Founder of his eponymous eyebrow studio and brand, says to approach this as you would a preventative skincare routine. He recommends drinking plenty of water, getting a good amount of sleep, and eating a balanced with a ton of iron and foods high in good fats (omega 3-6-9's) are key. What's more, both he and Breyne cite extreme stress as a cause for hair loss, so to try and maintain a wellness routine to promote a relaxed, positive outlook on life.

What's the best treatment for thinning eyebrows?

First and foremost, the most important thing to do is is understand the root cause. Once that's been identified, treatments can then be addressed. Below, find several ways to promote fuller brows.

• Put the tweezers down. This is obvious, but you can't promote hair growth if you're tempted to pluck out strays as they grow in. Instead, let them grow out and disguise any patchy areas with makeup.

• Use a brow-boosting topical treatment. Typically found in serum-form, find a product filled with ingredients safe for the eye area and that are known to promote healthy hair growth, such as keratin, peptides, and soy protein. We love Joey Healy's Brow Renovation Serum and/or Benefit's BROWVO! Conditioning Primer.

• Massage the brow area. "Every hair is connected to a tiny blood vessel, so stimulating blood flow to the brow area can help encourage healthy hair growth," says Jared Bailey, Global Brow Expert for Benefit Cosmetics. "Give your brow bone a micro massage with your fingertips by gently using your finger tips to tap over each brow for about 30 seconds."

• Try PRP treatments. Healy says many people opt for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to stimulate brow hair growth. As previously mentioned in InStyle, "platelets can heal and regenerate cells in your body, so when injected into your skin, the activated serum kick-starts natural collagen production, and helps to regrow new tissue."

• Avoid highly acidic skincare. Any type of exfoliant will slough away dead skin cells to reveal brighter, newer skin — which is great for achieving a natural glow. However, doing so will negatively impact hair growth, so avoid applying these types of products near the brow area.

• See a doctor. If you're experiencing drastically thinning eyebrows, seek medical attention.

What's the best way to disguise thinning eyebrow?

While you wait for your brow growth treatment to work, fake it 'til you make it. Thankfully, there are several ways you can do this — from in-office options to at-home solutions, here are some of our favorite ways to disguise thinning eyebrows:

• Eyebrow pencils, gels, and powders. For a quick, at-home fix, use a brow makeup product to create full brows. The trick here is to find the right type of product for your desired effect and the right shade. "First, select shades that mirrors the undertone (warm, cool, neutral) and depth (blonde, brown, black etc.) of the hair on your head," begins Bailey. "Then, begin adding a few hair-like strokes in the sparsest areas of the brow using a thin, micro-lining pencil." He suggests Benefit's Precisely, My Brow Pencil. To create more texture, follow up with a brow gel. Breyne says this can add color and a fluffy, brush-like effect. Now, powders can create a very natural look, too. "The powder is a lot more gentle to apply and remove, and also, if you want to shade in the brows you're not going to see the thinning," explains Healy.

• Microblading. For those looking for a more permanent solution, look no further than this type of semi-permanent tattoo. "The benefits of microblading are meaningful beyond making eyebrows more full: my clients experience tangible time saving – they wake up ready to start their morning, no longer burdened with spending lots of time in front of the mirror doing their mark," says Breyne. When looking for a microblading artist, make sure to find someone whose work you've seen and admire. "Details matter, and it’s important to proceed conservatively, ensuring that matching eyebrow hair color, shape, and other nuances are taken into great consideration," she furthers.

• Brow lamination. Lastly, getting your eyebrows laminated is an effective way to push up your brow hairs to create a fuller look. Bailey says lamination makes it easy to fan out the brow hairs and cover more surface area on the skin so you’re not just reliant on makeup alone. Furthermore, the results last anywhere between six to eight weeks.

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Read the original article on InStyle.