If you are dealing with hair loss in your eyebrows, you're not alone. That's because stress plays a big role in hair loss, whether it's the hair on your head or in your brows. "We have reactions through our stress and anxiety levels because of COVID-19, so what's happening is that there is a loss of hair," says Jimena Garcia, brow expert at Chanel. Hormones factor into this as well. Tess Marshall, MD, naturopathic doctor and rep for hair-growth supplement Nutrafol previously told Well+Good that cortisol (the stress hormone) causes hair follicles to shift out of the growth phase and can fall out. If that's the case, you'll often see hair falling out in patches.
Skin conditions as well as your beauty habits can also both affect your eyebrow hair and cause it to fall out. "[Hair loss] can be the result of conditions like psoriasis, eczema, or contact dermatitis, which result in inflammation, or may block follicles and have an effect in brow growth," says Craig Ziering, DO, a hair transplant surgeon. Sometimes, using harsh chemicals in bleach or dyes (or even really strong retinol) can interfere with hair growth in the brows, he adds. Or you could experience hair loss from years of plucking, which can damage the follicle and weaken hair growth.
Whatever the cause may be, there are a number of at-home treatments that can help promote your brow hair to grow back. Keep scrolling for the intel.
How to regrow brow hair, according to experts
1. Exfoliate your eyebrows
The first step in rehabbing your brow hairs back to their full volume is exfoliation. "It's important to exfoliate our brows because we carry a lot of dry skin underneath our brow hair," says Garcia. "What happens is that we're then not able to receive whatever creams or oils we put onto our dry skin. So when you take the dead skin off of your brows, you're opening up the door for baby hairs to grow, and you're also preventing ingrowns."
Her tip? Take some very finely ground pink salt from your kitchen and mix with an oil like castor, or a facial oil—she loves the Chanel Huile de Jasmin oil ($120)—to rub over your arches. "This is wonderful because then, after you exfoliate, you're actually receiving all of the nutrition from these oils that you use," says Garcia. You can exfoliate your brows about once a month.
2. Massage the area around your eyebrows
Much like your scalp, massaging your brows can help to stimulate hair growth. "When you brush or massage your brows, you're creating stimulation and the circulation in the bloodstream oxygenates and it creates hair growth," says Garcia, who says that anything from your fingers and an oil to a gua sha stone, like the Wildling Empress Stone ($65) can do the trick.
3. Do a weekly brow mask
Your brows can benefit from a weekly mask, too. Garcia recommends using something like aloe vera gel (if it's straight from the plant, even better) or coconut oil to slather onto your brow hair for a nourishing treatment. Hair booster castor oil works for this too, since it delivers vitamin E and omega 6 fatty acids to your strands to conditioner. Try something like Namskara Organic Castor Oil ($10) to feed those brow hairs.
4. Add vitamins to your diet
According to Dr. Ziering, deficiencies in vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, D, biotin, omega fats, iron, or zinc can slow or stop hair growth cycles. "It seems basic, but a proper, healthy, and balanced diet is key in all facets of cellular function," he says. Be sure to eat a diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and protein to "promote hair health and growth," says Dr. Ziering, who adds that fatty acids (via salmon or spinach) are also key to nourishing your hair—and your brows back to full bushiness.
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