While male pattern baldness is the more visible, prevalent type of hair loss, there is a much less discussed but equally as difficult to deal with form of hair loss that affects both women and men: eyebrow hair loss, or madarosis. The causes of madarosis are varied-it can be the result of a lifetime of over-plucking eyebrows or symptomatic of a larger health problem, such as inflammation caused by allergies or some autoimmune disorders. Eyebrow hair loss from these different causes all look very similar, so it is important to explore all possible causes incase a larger health problem is the culprit. But regardless of what has brought on eyebrow hair loss, there are many ways of addressing the hair loss itself in order to help make a very visually apparent loss of hair-which can impact self-image and cause other stresses-into a much more manageable situation.
The easiest form of eyebrow hair loss to address is over-plucking. While certain cultural norms of beauty do not support having eyebrows of a given shape-that shape usually being a more natural, larger and sometimes bushy eyebrow-too much tweezing can take a women (or man!) from one eyebrow extreme to the other. The basic prescription for addressing eyebrow hair loss from plucking is simple to put down the tweezers and stop. While it make take some time, the brows will eventually begin to grow back in, taking on their natural shape once again. However, the longer a person has over-plucked, the longer it will take for those oft-attacked hairs to grow back in, and for serial over-tweezers, some amount of permanent hair loss is inevitable (which can be addressed through other means, to be discussed further on in this article). But rehabbing a pair of brows that have been too groomed for too long does not mean giving up your preferred eyebrow shape! After the hair has grown back in and established itself, brows can still be shaped and maintained, but in a much more reserved, sustainable manner. Too much plucking will result in needing to again allow the besieged hair to grow back, increasing the chances of real, permanent hair loss.
Other forms of eyebrow hair loss cannot be solved so simply, as the hair is not just under threat from over-plucking, but has already stopped growing for one reason or another. Unfortunately, the multitudes of prescription treatments for male pattern baldness are not as effective in addressing eyebrow hair loss. However, corticosteroids-taken either orally or through injections-do yield positive results in some patients. Topically applied Rogaine is a common prescription treatment as well. Certain natural solutions are also championed, but there is nothing in the way of a cure-all to solve the problem completely. Two popular natural approaches include applying either olive or coconut oil to the brow area, or to dab the brow with a cotton ball dampened with milk, the line of thinking being that the proteins and vitamins in the dairy will encourage hair growth. But bear in mind that no medical evidence exists to support these natural approaches to dealing with eyebrow hair loss.
If eyebrow hair loss cannot managed and maintained through grooming practices, prescription solutions or natural treatments, there are surgical options that exist which can turn the course of eyebrow hair loss, bringing back long-lost hair and giving patients a dependable, long-term solution to their condition. One such provider of these services is Bosley, a company which specializes in various hair restoration techniques.The process consists of transplanting a small amount of hair from just above the ear area to the eyebrow region. As an out patient procedure, eyebrow transplant surgery takes only a few hours and, as it uses a patient’s actual hair, delivers truly naturally looking results. One of the problems faced by people who suffer from eyebrow hair loss is a feeling that their brow area doesn’t fit in with the rest of their facial features-but with a restoration, the transplant can be used to artfully craft an improved eyebrow shape.
Each case of eyebrow hair loss is unique to the individual-both in terms of the cause and the emotional issues faced due to the condition. As such, there is no one solution and each case should be addressed for its own particulars: both in terms of health and the causes of the eyebrow hair loss, and the various possible solutions.
