An Eye-opener On Eyebrow Hair Loss

Eyebrow hair loss or as most people medically term it, eyebrow hypotrichosis or eyebrow madarosis is one such condition that can cause a person to notice an extra layer of thinning hair or certain abrupt but evident missing patches of hair along their eyebrows. The symptoms usually include dry skin, itchiness, or hair thinning along other parts of the body. This usually may not be a serious condition. However, it certainly takes a toll on one’s mental health, especially as it caters directly to standards of beauty.

Early Signs

There could be various signs and causes for this sudden patchy disappearance of eyebrow hair. It could range from over-plucking and over-grooming techniques to ageing (after 60 years). Other underlying causes could also include thyroid disorders or autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata that present a patchy loss of eyebrows. “Eyebrow hair loss can occur in both genders but is most common among females” says Dr Aanchal Panth, M.D and Consultant Dermato-logist & Hair Transplant Surgeon. She shares how females’ eyebrows usually tend to be perceived as the spine in framing the face a certain way, adding splashes of charm and appeal to one’s overall facial aesthetics.

Dr Aanchal speaks of how the thinning of eyebrows is a common occurrence noticed in people after 40-45 years of age. She adds, “In postmenopausal women, there could be episodes of thinning of eyebrows for a span of five to six months in one go.”

These usually tend to coincide with the sagging of skin, loss of facial fat and the dryness of skin which are nothing but facial changes aka repercussions of menopause. Stress is a punching factor for many ailments. Dr Aanchal cautions that the impact of stress is lesser known or noticed on eyebrow hair.

People need to pay attention to underlying symptoms of chronic illnesses that usually have a loss of eyebrow hair as a dominant symptom. Younger girls too, should be cautious with eyebrow-thinning techniques, especially if they have a history of thin eyebrows. Dr Aanchal speaks of how girls today want thicker eyebrows. She adds, “But the number of follicles simply cannot be increased and there is no way to increase the thickness of existing hair permanently either.”

Alopecia Areata

Many times autoimmune conditions develop too. These are instances when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own body cells, disrupting it in harsh ways. Here, there is a possibility that the immune system even launches a series of attacks on healthy cells that contribute to overall hair growth.

One such condition is Alopecia areata. It’s a condition that causes the brutal appearance of patches of unpleasant hair loss on the head, which soon spreads to other areas of the body, most likely the eyebrows!

Yet, another form of alopecia is frontal fibrosing alopecia. This mainly affects people (women) post their menopause. “It is not uncommon, usually alopecia areata occurs as a single patch affecting the lateral or outer side of eyebrows which could be concerning” says Dr Aanchal. She explains that a completely isolated loss of both eyebrows is not usually witnessed in alopecia areata. Suggesting that this usually tends to be mostly present in other areas like the scalp.

Treatment & Remedies

Eyebrow hair loss may happen quickly however home-based remedies available for the same aren’t as many. The first and foremost thing to do with eyebrow hair loss is consult a specialist, in most cases a dermatologist. Dr Aanchal opines that castor oil application may help a bit in reducing the thinning of eyebrows. She says, “Other than castor oil treatment no other home remedy has been scientifically proven to improve eyebrow hair growth.”

Word of Caution

There could be a plethora of reasons for possible causes of eyebrow hair loss. Rushing to the salon to get these addressed could act as an aggravating factor rather than a solution. Address the root cause through medical examination and intervention.