Just like one finds grey hairs on the head upon ageing, appearance of grey hair on the eyebrows is also a sign of ageing/premature ageing. While for some, these signs start showing up in the 40's or 50's, some folks encounter the problem of grey hair on eyebrows in their 30's.
Head hair doesn't change colour all at once, but many men have grey hair when their eyebrows are still dark. All kinds of body hairs change colour when ageing hair follicles stop producing the pigment melanin that makes hair dark. Eyebrow hairs also change texture, grow bushier and longer with age.
Eyebrows are somewhat of a mystery. They frame our eyes and give character to our faces. But, as we age, they have a tendency to become a little “higgledy-piggledy.” They also turn grey with time, sometimes on a completely different schedule than the rest of our hair!
If your brows are mostly gray, dyeing them is the best fix. Ask your stylist if your salon offers the service (it's often free when you get your hair colored), or have it done at a spa. "Even if the hair on your head is silver or gray hair, I suggest dyeing brows light brown," says Petrescu.
Treatment to restore pigments in your eyebrow highly depends on its cause of the problem. For example, people with vitamin deficiency in the body can show visible signs of premature graying of hair, including grey eyebrows. The cure for such a case is to include more and more vitamin B12-rich food in their diet.
Mix two teaspoons of coffee in two tablespoons of cold water. Now boil water and add that coffee solution. Mix well and let it cool. Use the mixture to rinse your eyebrows.
To make your eyebrows darker naturally, try applying olive oil to them every night before bed since olive oil contains vitamins that can help promote hair growth. You can also try moistening your brows with aloe vera for 30 minutes every day, which might make them thicker and darker.
Melanin is a chemical that gives your hair its color. As you age, these cells start to die. When there is a lack of pigment, new hair strands grow lighter and eventually turn to shades of gray, silver, and eventually white," Friese explains.
Plucking/Tweezing: This is probably one of the easiest things to do to get rid of white eyebrow hair. All you have to do is to pick a good tweezer and pluck out grey hair. Also, applying colored brow wax and brown/black eyebrow pencil will help conceal white hair if you do not want to pluck them out.
As the follicles grow more sensitive to androgens, the hormones keep them in the anagen phase longer, leading to more hair growth with age in places such as the eyebrows, nose and ears.
“While it depends on many factors, including the tweezers you use, how often you pluck and how traumatic it is for your hair, you won't be stuck with thin eyebrows forever,” says dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. “Most of the time, they grow back.”
It's just a way of life for everyone. Yes, some people get it earlier than others; it really is dependent on your genetics and stress levels. With that being said, white or grey hairs aren't always due to old age; there are other reasons your eyebrow hairs are losing pigment.
As you age, the amount of melanin in your hair naturally declines, which causes your hair to appear gray and eventually white. Along with the hair on your head, your eyebrows and eyelashes can turn gray or white with age. The graying process often starts with a few hairs before spreading.
Vitamin A, C and B12 are the most needed vitamins to increase the melanin production in your hair. Add citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, pineapple, and melon to your diet. Also eat vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, etc. Non vegetarians can try adding red meat, chicken liver, fish, and eggs to their diet.
Most of the time, eyebrows do grow back, but how fast they grow will depend on your age and overall health. A little patience, avoiding plucking and waxing, and changing your diet may be all you need. An underlying medical condition can cause your eyebrows to fall out or prevent them from growing in properly.
It can be a shock to find your first gray hairs on your head, especially if you're only in your 20s. But women's expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones says a few gray hairs is perfectly normal, even for women in their late 20s and early 30s. However, stress, genetics and other factors can play a role.
Some people develop their first strands of gray or white hair in their 30s or 40s, whereas others develop white strands in their 20s or teenage years.
A new study shows that stress really can give you gray hair. Researchers found that the body's fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. Your hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, darker brows were found to make a person look younger, since we seem to (subconsciously) associate defined contrasts in facial features with youth. That makes sense, considering eyebrows do tend to lighten with age.
Coffee grounds can actually make an effective brow tint that gives your brows a natural, defined look. All you have to do is mix the coffee with some other ingredients that you may already have in your pantry, and let the dye sit for less than a half hour -- which means you'll have envy-worthy brows in no time.
Your brows will stand out and look fuller right away. However, we advise avoiding getting your brows wet for 12 hours after getting the treatment done and to clean around the area with gel or cream-based cleansers. The tint can last 3-5 weeks and we suggest coming in every 4-6 weeks for a touch-up.