For several years, I’ve had skimpy, sparse, thinning eyebrows that never grow in thicker. The outer third of my eyebrows is what is the most effected, and the hair there is almost completely missing. As I’ve stated before, my thinning eyebrows are either from having them waxed, which has permanently damaged the hair follicles, or the thinning is from having Hypothyroid, a very common disease, especially among women. Most of the hairs that were waxed underneath the eyebrow hairs I still have left have ceased growing in as well, which leads me to believe waxing is a major culprit in my problem. I used to get my eyebrows waxed every three months, and it’s now been two years since my last wax! So I guess I am lucky that I’m saving all that money:(
Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
Rogaine, the topical solution that can help to grow thinning hair on your head, is not FDA approved for use anywhere but your scalp, but out of desperation I used it on my eyebrows. If you are interested in trying it on your eyebrows, please consult a Dermatologist, and don’t necessarily follow what I did! A lot of women use Rogaine on their eyebrows, but again it’s not recommended for that and can be dangerous since the product is being placed near your eyes.
Nonetheless, I applied 2% Rogaine (the Women’s version) with a Q-tip to my eyebrows twice a day for over six months. I didn’t wax or tweeze my eyebrows at all during this time (except a few stray hairs underneath my eyebrows). After the six months, I saw No Results! :( I then gave up, and haven’t tried anything else for my eyebrows since then. Since some women report Rogaine does work to regrow their eyebrows, my theory is that it does work for some people, or they didn’t have a problem in the first place. I have a feeling some women will have their eyebrows waxed, tweezed, or threaded, and they will find their eyebrows have been overplucked, so they will freak out, and then try Rogaine, or another product, to try to grow them in faster. Since the hair follicles haven’t been damaged, the hair will grow back in, and the women will attribute this success to the Rogaine. That’s just my theory!
Other Eyebrow Regrowing Treatments
There are tons of different products on the market that claim they will regrow dormant eyebrow hairs, and they are perfectly safe to use on eyebrows. Since my disappointing results with Rogaine, I’ve been afraid to spend money on anything else, but I probably will in the future, especially since some stores offer money-back guarantees.
Eyebrow Serums I want to try:
Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum
Billion Dollar Brows
Finally, on a side note, I’ve been on medication for low thyroid (Hypothyroid) for the last nine months, and it also has had no effect on regrowing my missing eyebrows:(
Have you had success regrowing your eyebrows? Have you tried any products that have actually worked?
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January 27th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I also have a problem with my eyebrows — I have a terrible habit of tugging at them unconsciously and (eventually) pulling chunks out.
I’ve tried Talika Eyelash Lipocils (has a better applicator than the eyebrow version) which has shown very very slight improvement on fullness of my eyebrows (some completely ripped-out hairs grew back — and the simply broken ones grew in faster), but at $40, I can’t bring myself to keep buying it.
The Talika product did have a much more immediate and noticeable affect on my eyelashes, I will say.
I’m going to try Ardell Brow and Lash Growth Accelerator next, since at about $6 (including shipping!) from Amazon.com (in addition to an abundance of good reviews), I feel like I have a lot less to lose if this doesn’t work out.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
http://www.amazon.com/Ardell-Brow-Lash-Growth-Accelerator/dp/B000VDUOFM/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1
January 27th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Hi
I know this is defo going to sound weird but simple, old castor oil has worked for me. My eyebrows literally all fell out due to sickness and just never managed to grow back the way they were. Castor oil is available from the chemist and is usually known for its quality to relieve constipation. You make the mixture using half quantity coconut oil (or almond oil, whichever you prefer) and half quantity castor oil (50/50), give it a good shake and apply it liberally in a back and fourth motion, making sure you rub it into the roots of the brows. This needs to left in over night and should be done at least 3-4 times a week to start with. These oils are in no way harmful but actually have a plus side as they are good for delaying the skin aging process and the forming of wrinkles, so I guess you could say that its a win win situation….Anyway goodluck and let me know how it went…..kiran
February 1st, 2010 at 10:41 am
Loved your blog. Readers might also be interested in another article I found, about beauty and dry eyes. It can be found at this website:
http://whatistheeye.wordpress.com/
March 4th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
You may have heard of Latisse, the eyelash grower that Brooke Shields is advertising. It is made by Allergan, who also manufacture Botox.
Latisse absolutely, positively works. It is the only FDA approved eyelash grower.
Well, guess what. I use it on my eyebrows, too. This is called “off-label” use. Nonetheless, it works.
My eyebrows, as well as my eyelashes, were getting sparse so I thought I’d give Latisse a try.
I now have to trim my eyebrows.
(You need a prescription to purchase Latisse. But it sounds like you see a doctor often enough, so ask!)
Ageless Elaine
March 10th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Elaine,
I had just written about Latisse – http://www.savvyskin.com/latisse-eyelash-growth-treatment and while I don’t want to get it for my eyelashes, I do want to try it on my eyebrows! The only thing stopping me is the cost. Even if it worked on me, I don’t know if I’d be willing to continue using it forever because of the cost. One day, though, I will try it! I also want to know if studies are being done on Latisse’s active ingredient and its effect on head hair. If it worked, and was affordable, that would be the biggest hair news ever!
May 9th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
hi,
I have the same problem. my eyebrows are being overplucked and they don’t seem to regrow back in certain areas and i had a major hair loss even in the middle of my eyebrows..I tried an eyebrows enhancing serum which were supposed to regrow my eyebrows and the producer claimes that all the ingredients were natural but i ended up losing half of my eyebrows..so i think 1000 times be4 buying somthing else…however i decided to use almond oil and brush them regulary and maybe have some vitamins which are good for the hair growth…srry for the spelling mistakes…Hawra
May 10th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I had luck with Talika Eyebrow Lipocils. You have to use it 2 times each day but it worked for me. I also have a low thyroid and had over plucked my eyebrows over the years. This takes a while to start working but it really worked for me. I continue to use it. Instead of just putting the liquid on top of the eyebrow hair, you need to really rub it down to the skin with the applicator. The cost is about $40 and you can get it at http://www.talika.com. It was well worth the money to me to grow missing and thicker eyebrows again. I had missing hair in places and very, very thin eyebrows in other places. I had to use eyebrow pencil every day to make them look normal. But once it started working and eyebrows began to grow back in, I didn’t have to use the eyebrow pencil anymore or use it very little.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Latisse has worked wonders on my eyebrows. I am over 60 and have had very thin brows for years. With 2 months of use I had numerous new brow hairs and all were normal hairs (not peach fuzz type hairs) slightly darker than my usual color. I have been using Latisse for about 6 months and my brows are fuller than they have been since I was a teen. I now use it about twice a week to maintain. If you use Latisse on your brows or lashes, forget the instructions that come with the product and also forget the little brushes they supply. Get a much finer brush (at an art store) then pour a drop into the lid itself and dip the brush into the solution. Don’t try to put a drop directly onto the brush (as the instructions say) or you will waste a lot of the product. Afterward just run water on the brush and let it dry before using again. Another tip for coloring in thin brows while you wait for Latisse to work: To make your thin brows look fuller, forget the brow pencil which always looks fake. Instead use a matt eyeshadow in a color several shades lighter than your brow hairs. Using a “brow” brush (again from the art store, a fairly stiff and angled brush) fill in within the brow hairs you do have using the eyeshadow. (I use a pale taupe shadow.) You are not really trying to color in the brow itself, you are really trying to softly color the underlying skin so the pale skin color does not glare through the brows. This method gives a much more natural look. (In addition, haven’t you always had trouble finding the right color “brown” brow pencil to draw in those so-called “little individual hairs” along your brow line? No matter how careful and artistic you try to be, they always look fake. Ugh!) Hope this helps. Susan
June 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Jeni, sorry. I somehow missed that article. We sell a tremendous amount of Latisse at our medspa and really have not had reports of complications (knock on wood).
Susan, however, makes some excellent points. Keep reading, Jeni…
Susan, I totally agree that a great way to waste this expensive product is to try to drop ONE drop on the brush. We tell our clients to use the cap! It’s easy to drop ONE drop into the cap. Voila` You can also use the same brush over and over.
Susan, you are right again — Eyebrow pencils are just crazy. I use GloMineral Makeup brow shadow with a slanted brush to fill in the problem areas. Frankly, tho, hardly any sparse areas are left. It’s been so long since I’ve had such thick eyebrows, I’ve forgotten how to tweeze and shape them. I’m going to have one of our aestheticians wax them!
Jeni, also note: once you achieve lots of lashes and thick brows, you can cut back to every other day.
Ageless Elaine
(check out my blog: http://www.AgelessRemediesSouthPark.com/blog)
October 25th, 2010 at 9:27 am
I’ve read many threads on the topic and some women said that after using the 2% for women, they switched to the 5% which worked for them. After using the 5%, some moisturized/massaged the eyebrows with emu oil (with vitamin E).
Diet is extremely important as well, below are just some of the vitamins and trace minerals that are involved in hair growth:
Iron
Folic Acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin B6 (100 mg)
B12 Complex (rather than taking the B-Vitamins individually, which also contains Folic Acid)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Beta-Carotene
Vitamin E (400-800 iu)
Biotin
Sulfur: red-meat, beans (Sulphuric Minerals)
Zinc
Magnesium
Vitamin C
Protein
Inositol
Silica
I found the best way to get most of these Vitamins/Minerals and Protein is by taking a meal-replacing protein shake daily, like the EAS Myoplex protein shake.
Even use of mineral makeup/non-comedogenic makeup might work along with everything above.
October 26th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I have tried both Billion Dollar brows (don’t waste your money there) and Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum. The Brown Enhancing Serum by Anastasia seemed to be “filling in” areas of my brows that were very sparse, although I have not seen major results. Perhaps over time – a long period of time with the recommended usage – one could see satisying results with the serum, but I have also given up on almost everything.
November 24th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Have your THYROID checked! ASAP. if the outer 1/3 of your eyebrows is missing, it can mean you have an underlying thyroid condition
November 29th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Great news for everyone buy MaximumLash @ Walgreens.com and fax your receipt to 866-466-7909 and get a $10 rebate check.
March 4th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
I’ve heard many times that the 2% Rogaine for women will do nothing for brows, but the 5% for Men will (even the company that makes it “unofficially” says this). I’ve tried pretty much everything else – Anastasia did NOTHING for me – so I’m going to try the men’s Rogaine next.
May 22nd, 2011 at 9:06 am
Hi! i have very thick eyebrows, with very dark hair, that is also very thick (not soft and fluffy)…i’m spanish, so it’s a given. unfortunately alot of my eyebrow hairs fall out from just general shedding, i’ve also subjected myself to over plucking and therefore have some yucky sparse bits. ALL highly noticebly give the thickness of my eyebrows and the hair.
Someone mentioned latisse, and you mentioned that the cost is too much for the long term. latisse does work! extremely well. it won’t necessarily fill in all the sparse missing hairs, but you will notice a very big different. and it’s the most proven product to work
and the best thing is, you can buy the generic latisse for around $10-$30 dollars!!
it still needs a prescription, but it’s called CAREPROST. EXACTLY the same as latisse, but made by a different company!
there’s also another one made by the same company as latisse- allergen- but it’s not marketed as an eyelash enhancer
(it’s used as actual eyedrops- Latisse was originally a medication for gluacoma, when it was accidently discovered that a side effect is lash growth)
but again, this one is IDENTICLE to latisse, same ingredients, same bottle, same company- different name, it’s just alot cheaper as it’s not sold as a cosmetic item. I think this one runs for around $30, it’s called LUMIGAN. you also need a prescription for it.
i hope this helps, as i truly do understand annoying eyebrow issues! goodluck ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any) :):)
June 28th, 2011 at 10:56 am
I’m coming into this thread late but boy, is this me. I have missing outer 3rd or more on one eyebrow for 8 years. I’ve had my thyroid tested and they said it’s normal (I have other thyroid symptoms, also). I’ve been to a couple of doctors and also my dermatologist, they have no clue. I have had spells of losing hair all my adult life but it’s so thick it’s not noticible and always grows back in. But my eyebrows were full and beautiful naturally without any plucking or waxing. They just came out on one side and NOW I’ve lost over the outer 3rd of my other eyebrow! I have tried some expensive crap called Neaveaubrow which was 100 bucks for a mascara sized tube and no results. I want to try the Ardell regrowth stuff but I also found some stuff at Walgreens called Hairsil that I am considering. It’s for hair but I wrote to the company and they said it should work for eyebrows, too. I’m just loathe to shell out more money for something that probably won’t work. I read the castor oil and almond oil suggestion here, I am going to try that. It’s just so weird and frustrating. I was sure it was thyroid but the endocrinologist said nope!
July 14th, 2011 at 2:27 am
hey guys,
I have the same problem as Leslie, but its been 6 months and i am missing my left eyebrow completely…. not sure whats going on castor oil did not work for me… i tried a few remedies it still isnt working…. I am a boy… and do not pluck my eyebrows or touch them at all. my right one is fine… and very bushy but my left has 1 or 2 hairs…
thanks
August 7th, 2011 at 3:52 am
Zac. You have a hair loss condition call alopacia. Not sure of the spelling.
August 7th, 2011 at 3:53 am
You could.* I meant
August 20th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
I am Hypothyroid as well. The outer 1/3 of my brows are much thinner than the rest of my brows. I also have sparse areas in the middle of my brows due to over plucking. Unfortunately, I plucked throughout my teen years and 20’s and I don’t even remember how thick they used to be.
Brow Boost definitely filled in the sparse areas of my brows but did not give them the overall fullness that I really wanted. I tried Castor Oil as well and it definitely worked on my eyelashes but not so much my brows, so I went back to Brow Boost.
I’m currently working on a concoction of my own to put on my brows using Saw Palmetto Extract, which is what they use in Brow Boost (just not enough of it), and certain essential oils.
Regarding Hypothyroidism… If your doctor tested your thyroid using the TSH lab test but the results came back normal EVEN THOUGH you still have hypothyroid symptoms, you need to be re-evaluated according to your clinical presentation (symptoms). Go to STOPTHETHYROIDMADNESS.COM (STTM) and read EVERYTHING. Then go back to your doctor with this information (print out parts of the website even) and insist that he/she treat you accordingly, or find a new doctor. Here’s a great website that lists doctors all over the world that are knowledgeable of thyroid and adrenal disorders and are willing to prescribe the medications you need: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/index.htm. Don’t expect your current primary care doctor or even an endocrinologist to be able to help you.
Hypothyroidism affects your beauty in other ways as well, including pale lips, dry skin, puffy face, falling hair, pubertal delay, not to mention decreased libido. You can’t trust most doctors with your health these days. You need to research these problems YOURSELF and can even order your own lab tests at online laboratories (listed on STTM). Check out STTM even if you only have one or two symptoms of hypothyroid or don’t think you’re hypothyroid at all. You may have more symptoms than you realize. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s body reacts differently to thyroid problems causing a variance in symptoms. Many of us are also in denial of our own health issues and/or have gotten used to them to the point that we don’t think they’re an actual problem. You may even think these problems are just a part of growing older.
I am really hoping the words gets out about STTM because I’ve gone almost two decades being hypothyroid without knowing it. It has caused me a lot of pain and personal problems over the years which could have been avoided if I saw the right doctor.
August 20th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Holly, I had gone to STTM and read their book and about 5 other books on thyroid disorders. My antibodies were slightly high, and given my myriad symptoms of hypothyroid, my doctor prescribed thyroid medication. I was on it for a year but it never helped with any of my issues, and it made me really speedy, so I had to go off it. I still think I may have a thyroid problem, but for me it’s more complicated than just taking thyroid medication. I still think I could have another hormone imbalance, the pill (which I will go off one day) is interfering with my thyroid, I have another issue like adrenal fatigue, I’m not absorbing nutrients properly, my anxiety is causing my problems, or it could be something else. However, I know lots of people get help treating their thyroid – I just wish it was easier to do!