How does the shape of your brow naturally change as you age? “The tails start to recede, as do the fronts of your brows, which I lovingly call 'sprouts'—they also recede as time goes on. They can get white or gray. Also, as the hair loses its color, it can also lose its lubricating oils, making it coarser.
Over time, skin loses its elasticity, causing hair follicles to become brittle and fall out. Some of these follicles may stop producing hair altogether, which is when eyebrows begin to recede and appear patchy.
Based on the reviewed literature to date, the medial eyebrow height increases with age, whereas it remains stable at the level of the lateral canthus. These results should be considered when considering eyebrow rejuvenation.
Androgen hormones make your hair production more masculine, hence why it turns your brows wiry. Usually, when you think of wiry brows, you think of middle-aged or older men such as your dad or grandpa. Wiry brows could be in your genetics, too, being passed down from either of your parents.
The angle of the bones beneath our eyebrows, in particular, decreases as we age. According to researchers, this may contribute to "crow's feet" wrinkles and droopy eyelids.
“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.”
Their natural shape evolves with each decade, from the full, straight styles of your pre-teens, to a more angular version in your twenties, thirties, and beyond. Since keeping your brows on point as you age is an ongoing process, we decided to consult brow expert Joey Healy for a few tips and tricks.
Streicher says that if you see brow hairs sticking straight out or growing in the wrong direction, it could be a result of tweezing or waxing. Healy says to prepare yourself for noticing a new variety of hair lengths, since the brow hairs you never allowed to reach their full maturation are now getting there.
Both types of thyroid imbalance are linked to eyebrow hair loss. Specifically, in hypothyroidism, a person may notice hair loss in the outer third of the eyebrow, which is the thinnest part that points toward the ears. Other symptoms of thyroid disorders include: dry, pale skin or moist, velvety skin.
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.
Eyebrow restoration
You can talk with a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon about hair grafts that target your eyebrows. These types of grafts use your existing hair follicles to fill in thin spots and encourage regrowth.
Madarosis is a condition that causes people to lose the hair from their eyelashes or eyebrows. It can affect one side of the face or both sides. This condition may lead to either complete or partial loss of eyelash or eyebrow hair.
Unfortunately, there's little to no evidence that any of the ingredients in Vaseline, which is a brand name for petroleum jelly, can grow thicker or fuller eyebrows. However, Vaseline is very moisturizing and may actually help eyebrows look fuller and thick, even if they're actually growing at the same rate.
Lora recommends that teens hold off until they're about 16, the year of many kids' first major school dance. "But if they've got a unibrow, they better start as early as possible," she adds.
"The only way to thicken brows naturally is to stop tweezing, waxing, and threading and let them grow," says Maribeth Madron, a New York-based makeup artist and global eyebrow expert. While this may seem simple enough, it can be tempting to tweeze one hair here and one hair there.
There may be a reason your eyebrow hairs aren't growing back. If you over-plucked too often or too hard, you could trigger your eyebrow to react to the plucking as trauma. Trauma to the follicle will mean your eyebrows won't grow back–at least not for now, because they're resting.
How long does it typically take for eyebrows to grow out? "The growth cycle for brows is four months," Madron says. "However, I've seen great progress with brow conditioner after eight weeks. I have also seen major brow revolutions take up to a year."
Hold the mirror in your hand, focusing on the lower front area of your neck, above the collarbones, and below the voice box (larynx). Your thyroid gland is located in this area of your neck. While focusing on this area in the mirror, tip your head back. Take a drink of water and swallow.
You may feel nervous, moody, weak, or tired. Your hands may shake, your heart may beat fast, or you may have problems breathing. You may be sweaty or have warm, red, itchy skin. You may have more bowel movements than usual.
Aging – Prostaglandin is the hormone that signals your eyebrows to grow. As we get older, our natural prostaglandin production declines. That's why it's common around menopause for our eyebrows to thin, grow a little longer, become coarse and even change color.