Eyebrow makeup can be a pivotal part of someone’s morning beauty ritual. Many people choose to apply products to their eyebrows to fix sparse or thinning hair on a daily basis.
Despite this, it’s often considered that eyebrow makeup can actually negatively affect eyebrow hair. These negative effects can cause eyebrows to become thinner and more sparse than before. In some cases eyebrows have been known to fall out completely.
Here at Crown Clinic, we have created this guide to help you find out the reasons behind eyebrow hair loss and inflammation. We will discuss what you can do to prevent permanent eyebrow hair loss and regain eyebrows where they have been permanently lost.
Does eyebrow makeup cause hair loss?
Using eyebrow products to achieve your desired brow intensity is a popular practice. Eyebrow products seem like an easy and efficient way to achieve a bolder and more defined eyebrow look. Some people also use makeup products to cover hair loss or sparse areas in their eyebrows.
However, your eyebrow products may actually be contributing to your eyebrow hair loss. Let’s find out why.
Para-phenylenediamine (PPD)
Firstly, we need to take a look at what these eyebrow products actually contain. A lot of well known eyebrow dyes contain an ingredient known as para-phenylenediamine (PPD). This is a known allergen that can cause reactions and inflammation.
PPD is one of the main reasons why packaging on dye products recommends a patch test before using. This way, you can see the product’s effect on your skin and brows before applying it fully.
There have been cases of people using products containing PPD and experiencing hair loss of up to 90%. This shows just how important it is to test before you use and to check whether your current products may be contributing to hair loss.
Synthetic materials
The synthetic products and substances found in some eyebrow products can contribute to irritated, inflamed or slower-growing brow hair. Those who aren’t aware this is the cause of their brow issues may use these eyebrow products even more to cover up, leading to a vicious cycle. It has been known in the past that products full of synthetic ingredients have potentially caused hair loss to countless people, so it’s always best to be careful when using them.
Other effects of eyebrow makeup
Apart from hair loss, there are other less-severe effects some eyebrow products can have, such as slower growth and inflammation.
Isoparaffin is one ingredient that is widely regarded as having a positive effect on hair with its conditioning qualities. Despite this benefit, it can also form a barrier over hair follicles and pores. This means that by using products with Isoparaffin, you may be trapping bacteria and chemicals against your skin, causing inflammation or irritation around your eyebrows.
Other potential causes of eyebrow irritation or hair loss
Of course, not every case of eyebrow thinning is caused by makeup products. There may also be a different reason as to why you’re not naturally achieving thick brows. Some of the main reasons include:
Over-plucking
Based on evidence backed up by The Cleveland Clinic, over-plucking your eyebrows can cause trauma to the hair follicles. This is because plucking your eyebrows constantly can cause scarring, inhibiting the regrowth of your eyebrow hair. This means that they won’t grow back as fast or even at all.
Vitamin deficiencies
Deficiencies in vitamins or iron could cause hair loss, which in turn would affect the thickness of your eyebrows. These are easily treatable, as solutions are readily available. Living in a country like the UK may mean vitamin D deficiencies are more common due to environmental or weather factors.
Conditions
Common conditions such as telogen effluvium or alopecia can impact the growth of your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. These conditions can also cause beard hair loss in males.
What’s the solution?
A lot of the eyebrow products you use may contain ingredients that can damage your eyebrows or cause allergic reactions. However, more often than not the hair loss or irritation you are experiencing is due to an underlying cause.
New products
If your current eyebrow products are causing irritation or contributing to your eyebrow hair loss, you’ll want to think about avoiding these products. Instead, research hypo-allergenic or PPD-free products, and avoid products containing Silicone or Isoparaffin.
Always do a patch test before using dyes to determine if you’re susceptible to allergic reactions. Make sure you research products before using them so you know the potential effects they may have on your eyebrows.
Hair transplants
Instead of turning to eyebrow products or mascara for a bolder look, you could try an eyelash or eyebrow transplant. These procedures will help you achieve your desired eyebrow thickness or eyelash length in a more natural way. These treatments can also help if you have lost your eyebrows, and act as a permanent solution to eyebrow hair loss.
Our expert surgeon, Dr Shahmalak, will talk you through these procedures, and ensure you feel as comfortable and confident as possible.
Choose Crown Clinic for your eyebrow transplant
Eyebrow transplants are one of the best ways to get perfect brows on a permanent basis. If you’re unsure of how your eyebrows will look post-treatment, have a look at our before and after results.
We don’t just offer eyebrow and eyelash transplants, but also general FUT and FUE hair transplants too. Both of these have been popular treatments among our celebrity patients.
Whatever hair related issue you may currently be facing, book a consultation with our surgeon today. He will talk you through the numerous treatments available to you.