The 90s and early 2000s left a lot of women with over-plucked eyebrows — thin was in when it came to brows. But now, super thick eyebrows are all the rage. Strong and bold brows can complement just about any face and gives a bold, exotic, and mysterious look. If you’re wondering how to grow thicker eyebrows, follow these simple tips.
But first, let’s quickly review some basic info about eyebrows and how they grow…
Eyebrow Basics
Your eyebrows serve aesthetic and biological functions. Research has even suggested that when it comes to facial recognition your brows might be just as important as your eyes (and other prominent features like nose and mouth).1 Over-plucked eyebrows can really take away from what makes your face “you.”
The loss of eyebrow hair isn’t detrimental to physical health. But it can create distress since eyebrows are an important cosmetic feature with a meaningful social role. It might also be a symptom of an underlying condition, so pay attention to your brows. And if you think you’re losing hair due to something else you want to see your doctor immediately.
Loss of eyebrow hair can have a variety of causes including:2
- Underlying skin conditions
- Endocrine issues
- Immune system disorders
- Infections
- Genetics
- Exposure to a damaging chemical/agent
- Trauma (like over-plucking!)
The follicles here are similar to the rest of your hair follicles in basic structure. However, they function slightly differently with a shorter “anagen” phase. This simply means that they have a shorter growth period. Just as with other hair, your eyebrows can suffer the effects of alopecia (or hair loss).
However, there are things you can do to help keep these follicles (and their important stem cells) healthy to encourage growth.3 Read on for the best tips to grow thicker eyebrows…
Forgo Your Tweezers, Wax, and Other Methods
The first thing you should do if you’re wanting to get thick eyebrows is put those tweezers down for a while! If you wax at home or in a salon, take a break. The same goes for threading and any other method of hair removal.
If you don’t feel like this is an option (because let’s face it — some of us have way more brow hair than even the bushiest of today’s styles), then make sure you communicate your wishes with your stylist/esthetician. If you do hair removal at home, try to tweeze minimally and focus only on the stray hairs that aren’t in the “typical” eyebrow region.
Please don’t try to trim your eyebrow hair. This could end up disastrous for many reasons. You could cut far more than you want, or worse, end up with an injury while trying to use scissors so close to your eyes. Bottom line — don’t do it.
Grow Thicker Eyebrows: 2 Ingredient Topical Serum
Another option that many women are using to try to boost thickness is a DIY hair growth serum. It’s all natural and easy to make right at home. The ingredients for this topical serum are:
- Argan oil
- Vitamin E oil
You can find these ingredients in stores or online. Use an equal ratio of 1:1. It is recommended to store this serum in a glass bottle in the refrigerator — to avoid degradation of the oils.
To use, simply dip a cotton swab into the bottle and apply to your eyebrows. Very gently rub back and forth to get the serum all the way down to the base of the hair and the follicles. Do not re-dip the used end of the swab back into the bottle (hello, bacteria). Use the opposite end to apply to your other eyebrow.
Let’s go over these two ingredients and discuss how they can help you to grow thicker eyebrows…
Argan Oil
This oil is said to help keep the hair shaft moisturized and resistant to water, in turn keeping your eyebrow strands strong. Argan is also rich in nutrients and powerful antioxidants.4 It can even be ingested with beneficial results for hair. Studies have suggested that it could help prevent the loss of hair color/pigmentation.5
Another added bonus is that argan oil applied topically can help boost skin elasticity.6 The eyes are one of the first areas to start showing signs of aging. So, using this oil around the eyebrow area could help keep this skin tight and smooth.
Vitamin E Oil
This oil also does a great job of moisturizing and contains a good deal of antioxidants. The antioxidants in Vitamin E can help prevent oxidative stress, which is known to speed up the aging process (and all that comes along with it, like hair loss).7
Please note that, while rare, some individuals can have skin irritation from topical Vitamin E.8 With any new product (store-bought or homemade), you should always do a small skin patch test before actual use.
You can also find some ready-made brow products on the market containing these ingredients. Just make sure that you check the other ingredients, especially if you have sensitive skin. It’s always a good idea to run these products by your doctor to ensure they are safe for you to use. You don’t want to end up with some horrid reaction trying to recover from over-plucked eyebrows — so, play it safe.
How to Grow Thicker Eyebrows with Diet
Just like the hair on your head, the health of your eyebrows starts on the inside. Here’s a quick list of healthy foods that can help boost hair growth (added bonus – they’re great for skin and nail health, too):
Avocado- Broccoli
- Nuts & seeds
- Leafy greens
- Mushrooms
- Fish
- Eggs
- Cauliflower
- Sweet potato9
Final Thoughts
Now you know how to grow thicker eyebrows with methods that tackle this issue on the outside as well as in. While you’re waiting for things to speed up with your over-plucked eyebrows, don’t forget that you can always use cosmetics to give the illusion of fuller brows. No matter what, remember that there’s nothing more attractive than a confident smile!
Learn More:
The Skin Benefits Of A Diet Rich In Zinc
Protect Your Hair With This Quick and Easy DIY Styling Spray
8 DIY Hair Masks To Soothe Damaged Hair
Sources
1.http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1068/p5027
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18039016
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24385126
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387693
5.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3723062
6.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321565
7.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929555
8.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387693
9.Hart, Jolene; Eat Pretty: Nutrition for Beauty, Inside and Out
