Friday, March 21, 2014

Brows: To Be or Not to Be ?

   Brows are very important for maintaining a youthful, attractive look.  I see alot of female patients at my office that have thinned or almost absent eyebrows from either overplucking, thyroid problems, hormone changes, aging and genetics.  There has been an overplucking trend in recent years that likely originated from a woman's desire to enhance the lateral arch of their brows.  Thinned or barely visible eyebrows can instantly age a person, not to mention look unnatural.  When we first meet a person or begin speaking with a person (whether we know them or not) there are psychologic studies that show the first place we look is the eyes, nose and mouth soon follow.  The eyebrow accents the eye, and is very important as a beauty enhancer. 

  That doesn't mean you should immediately go and paint the eyebrows in.  I have seen brows that have been painted or tattooed-in and look equally strange as if they were absent.  If you do pencil or tattoo them in then be careful to do only as dark as the roots of your hair or the darkest shade of hair on your head, and try not to over thicken them.  In addition, if you're hair is thinned or absent I would consider hair recovery or replacement with either minoxidil or NeoGraft (see below).  Overdone, overthick or too dark eyebrows not only look unnatural but masculinize the face.  Please see my post on permanent make-up, and celebrity weekly featuring Khloe Kardashian for more tips.  If you are losing eyebrow hair for whatever reason, there are some other options that can be tried.  One:  try minoxidil (Rogaine) liquid sparingly twice a day to the face.  This is off-label, may not work, and could irritate the skin so use with caution.  Two:  try NeoGraft eyebrow hair transplant.  It's a permanent solution to the problem, requires monthly trimming (hair comes from head) and may cost $2500 or more.

Enhancing your arch is still advisable to give your eyes a more open and awake appearance, but do it gently and cautiously with limited plucking under the lateral brow where you have a natural arch.
 

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