Why Am I Losing Eyebrow Hair?
Key Takeaways
- Eyebrow loss can happen for many reasons, including aging, thyroid problems, stress, skin conditions, and overplucking.
- The pattern of thinning can offer clues about the cause, such as patchy loss, overall thinning, or loss along the outer brow.
- Some cases are temporary and improve once the underlying issue is addressed, while others may involve permanent follicle damage.
- Treatment depends on the cause and may include medical care, cosmetic options, or eyebrow restoration surgery.
Losing eyebrow hair can be a distressing problem and may occur due to several different factors. The good news is that a range of effective nonsurgical and surgical treatments is available to restore the appearance of thinning eyebrows.
Eyebrows are prominent features that enhance your appearance and play an important role in communication and in protecting the eyes.
The arched shape of eyebrows helps to divert debris, dirt, and moisture, such as sweat and rain, to the sides of the face and prevent it from falling into the delicate eye area.
Losing eyebrow hair is not uncommon, particularly as we age. It can occur for several reasons, ranging from hormonal changes to skin conditions. Treatment for eyebrow hair loss can vary depending on the root cause of the condition.
What Causes Eyebrows to Fall Out?
The main causes of eyebrow hair loss include:
Aging
Thinning/ balding eyebrows are considered a natural part of the aging process. This is because there is a natural decline of hormones such as estrogen (in women) and testosterone (in men), which affect the hair growth cycle and the structure of the hair follicles. Generally, this hormone decline starts in the 40s, causing some hair follicles to stop producing hair growth and hair shafts to become finer. This doesn’t just lead to eyebrow hair loss, though, because it affects hair on the scalp as well.
Dermatitis
Skin conditions, such as atopic and contact dermatitis, may impact proper hair growth if the eyebrow area is affected. This is because the area can become inflamed, blocking the hair follicles from growing properly. These conditions can also cause the skin to become itchy, which may cause scratching and rubbing, leading to damage and loss of eyebrow hair.
Losing Eyebrow Hair Due to Thyroid Disorders
The thyroid gland is a small gland in the front of the neck. It is responsible for producing hormones important for many bodily processes, such as regulating metabolism, which turns food into energy. When the thyroid doesn’t work properly, such as producing too much or too little hormone, the body’s normal processes, including hair growth, can be disrupted.
Eyebrow hair loss or thinning can be a symptom of an underactive thyroid (where the gland does not produce enough hormones), alongside other symptoms such as weight gain, tiredness, muscle aches and weakness, and constipation.
Thyroid disorders should be diagnosed immediately to ensure the issue of losing eyebrow hair is treated effectively.
Nutritional Deficiencies
To keep healthy, the human body requires a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Certain nutrients, particularly vitamins B12, D, E, zinc, iron, and biotin, are important for hair growth and health. If there is a nutritional deficiency, it can disrupt the normal hair growth cycle and result in hair thinning and hair loss.
Autoimmune Disorders
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that can cause the hair follicles to stop or slow down hair production in both the eyebrows and the scalp. It occurs when the immune system mistakenly targets and attacks normal tissues. In this case, it affects the eyebrow follicles, which leads to losing eyebrow hair. Other autoimmune disorders, such as certain forms of lupus and psoriasis, may also result in eyebrow hair loss.
Medications
Certain medications, such as chemotherapy, can cause hair loss. Chemotherapy is specifically designed to affect all rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicles, which can affect hair production in the eyebrows and elsewhere on the body. Other medications, such as cholesterol, anti-thyroid, and blood thinners, may also affect hair growth.
Over Plucking or Tweezing
Overplucking, tweezing, or pulling the eyebrow hairs can impair hair growth and lead to losing eyebrow hair. The process causes minor trauma to the follicle, which can result in scarring around the hair follicles, preventing the regrowth of the hair in the affected area.
Stress
Psychological issues and periods of excessive stress or anxiety can contribute to hair loss, including hair from the eyebrows and other body areas. A traumatic event or major lifestyle change may be the root cause of eyebrow hair loss.
Scar tissue
Scar tissue may result from trauma, burns (chemical or thermal), or other skin conditions. Scar tissue can damage and destroy the hair follicles, preventing natural hair growth.
Telogen Effluvium (TE)
Telogen effluvium is a condition that leads to losing eyebrow hair. This is temporary but often dramatic. It more commonly affects scalp hair, but it can also affect eyebrow hair in severe cases. The condition occurs when the normal hair growth cycle is interrupted and can be in response to stress caused by infection, surgery, or changes in the body chemistry.
The Pattern of Your Thinning Eyebrows
When you know where your eyebrow is thinning, this can give you a really good clue as to the underlying cause.
For example, the loss of the outer third of the eyebrow is a classic sign often associated with thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism. On the other hand, if you notice patchy, circular missing spots rather than overall thinning, the cause may be an autoimmune response like Alopecia Areata.
This is so important because by observing whether the loss is symmetrical or localized on one side, you’ll have a better understanding and differentiation between a systemic medical issue and external factors like localized dermatitis or physical trauma.
Temporary Shedding vs. Permanent Follicle Damage
Yes, the reality of losing eyebrow hair is that sometimes, the eyebrow hair loss is temporary, while in other cases, it is permanent. That’s why knowing, or having an idea, about these differences can help you tremendously.
Most lifestyle-related triggers, like acute stress or short-term nutritional deficiencies, cause the condition called “telogen effluvium,” which we discussed in an earlier paragraph. In these cases, the hair follicles remain alive but enter a prolonged resting phase. The hair will typically return once the body reaches a state of homeostasis.
However, certain factors like years of aggressive over-tweezing or deep scar tissue from physical trauma can cause the follicle to physically close or “die.”
Once the follicle is replaced by scar tissue, it can no longer produce a hair shaft, leading to permanent areas of thinning that do not respond to topical treatments or improved health habits.
How is eyebrow hair loss treated?
If you are experiencing hair loss from your eyebrows, there are a range of effective nonsurgical and surgical treatments to enhance natural hair growth or to make brows appear fuller and better defined.
If eyebrow hair loss is related to an underlying medical condition, such as a thyroid disorder, symptoms can improve once the condition is managed and treated effectively.
You should visit your doctor for further investigation if you are experiencing other symptoms alongside eyebrow hair loss. Your doctor may request further tests, such as a blood test, to diagnose the underlying cause of your condition.
Cosmetic Treatments
Over the years, it has become increasingly common for people to address any issues around losing eyebrow hair by modifying the shape of their eyebrows, and with recent changing trends, it has seen a demand for fuller, more defined eyebrows.
A range of cosmetic treatments and nonprescription products can help improve the appearance of the eyebrows or camouflage areas of thinning hair. Some camouflage products are applied to thinning hair to give the appearance of hair fullness.
They come in a variety of colors to match natural hair color. There is also a range of makeup, such as tinted brow mascara, eyebrow pencils, pens, and powders to fill in sparse areas.
Some people who are losing eyebrow hair also opt for microblading and microshading. These are types of semi-permanent makeup that can make brows look fuller and more natural in appearance. The treatment involves using a fine blade to apply a pigment (that matches your natural shade) in hair-like strokes or tiny dots to the skin in the brow line.
Eyebrow Restoration
Eyebrow restoration is a type of hair transplant surgery similar to scalp hair restoration, a permanent solution for eyebrow hair loss. There are different transplant techniques available depending on your requirements and aesthetic goals.
In most cases of losing eyebrow hair, scalp grafts are used for patients, and the ultra-refined follicular unit hair transplants (FUE) procedure is typically used. This involves removing hair follicles one at a time from the back or sides of the scalp, where the hair texture and caliber is the best match for the eyebrow hair. The individual follicles are then transplanted into the sparse eyebrow area.
To ensure desired results are achieved, your surgeon will discuss your expectations and the look you want to achieve, such as the eyebrows’ position, symmetry, fullness, and best practices to avoid losing your new eyebrow hair. Eyebrows can be tailored to your face and a design that is unique to you.
For the procedure, your surgeon will outline your desired eyebrow shape with a surgical marker. You will then be able to make any changes to the outline and give your approval before the surgery.
A local anesthetic is used to numb the area and to ensure your comfort and safety. The donor site hair follicles are removed, and each individual follicular graft is then meticulously placed within the outlined area at the correct angle and direction, resulting in the eyebrow shape and fullness you desire. On average, surgery takes approximately 3 – 4 hours.
Eyebrow Restoration in Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane, Washington
If you’ve been losing eyebrow hair and would like to discuss your treatment options, contact the dedicated team of professionals at Northwest Hair Restoration.
We are leaders in the treatment of eyebrow hair loss, and our goal is to help you maintain the hair you have and restore the lost hair.
We offer the latest advancements in hair transplant surgery, including follicular unit excision (FUE) and ultra-refined follicular unit transplantation(FUT) procedures, eyebrow transplants, facial hair transplants, and many more options to help you look and feel great.
To learn more about losing eyebrow hair or to arrange a consultation for treatment, call us today at (253) 572-2949 or use our convenient online appointment request form. We look forward to helping you love how you look!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my eyebrows seem to be thinning faster than the hair on my head?
Eyebrow hairs have a significantly shorter growth phase than scalp hair, typically lasting only 30 to 45 days compared to several years for the hair on your head. Because the growth cycle is so compressed, any internal disruption, such as a sudden thyroid shift shows up in the eyebrows much faster.
Can the way I sleep or my skincare routine lead to losing my eyebrow hair?
Yes. This is known as mechanical trauma or localized traction alopecia. Constant friction, such as sleeping face-down on a rough pillowcase, can inflame the hair follicles. Over time, this repetitive irritation can lead to “brow trauma,” where the follicles become damaged or scarred. If you notice thinning or eyebrow hair loss that is more prominent on the side you sleep on, switching to a silk pillowcase and using gentler, oil-based cleansers can help preserve the remaining hair.
If my eyebrow thinning issue is caused by a nutritional deficiency, how long does regrowth take?
Once you correct a deficiency in nutrients, your body must first reach a state of homeostasis before it redirects energy back to non-essential functions like hair growth. Because of the resting phases of the follicle, it typically takes 3 to 6 months of consistent nutritional health before you see visible changes in brow density. If no growth appears after six months, the follicles may have become permanently dormant.
How do I know if I need a medical doctor or a hair restoration surgeon?
If losing your eyebrow hair is accompanied by physical symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, or skin rashes, you should first visit a primary care physician to rule out thyroid disorders or dermatitis. However, if your health is stable but your eyebrows have remained thin for a year or more due to past over-plucking, aging, or scarring, you are likely a candidate for a restoration specialist.
