1. Causes of Eyebrow Hair Loss
The causes of eyebrow hair loss are diverse. Often, hormonal fluctuations are behind it, for example during or after pregnancy or at the onset of menopause. Thyroid dysfunctions, illnesses, and the intake of certain medications can also lead to eyebrow hair loss and cause the eyebrow hairs to fall out. Allergies, deficiencies, and stress can also contribute to eyebrow hair loss.
Cosmetic treatments can also lead to eyebrow hair loss: years of excessive plucking can cause the hair root to be permanently damaged, preventing the eyebrows from growing back. Unlike the hair roots of scalp or body hair, eyebrow hair roots can be completely damaged by constant plucking, so no hairs grow back. The timing of this permanent stop varies from person to person. However, if you now only have pencil-thin eyebrows due to earlier eyebrow role models like Pamela Anderson or Gwen Stefani, you can only fill them in: from eyebrow pencils to eyebrow powders, there are now many products to visually fill in thin eyebrows. However, this is not a long-term solution. Permanent makeup, where color is tattooed into the skin, can also cause eyebrow hair loss. Although the tattooed color is supposed to make the eyebrows look fuller, in the long term, the skin around the eyes can scar and the eyebrows no longer grow back.
Without eyebrows, we feel naked; the eye area looks undefined and unfeminine. As a last option with a long-term result, often only an eyebrow transplant remains. Although eyebrow transplant costs are involved, if you want a long-lasting result, this money may be very well invested.
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2. What exactly is an Eyebrow Transplant?
An eyebrow transplant is generally an autologous hair transplant, a procedure in which one's own hair is transplanted to a new position. Often scalp hair is used because it is very similar to eyebrow hair. The method was mainly performed in the USA for a long time and was originally intended to restore eyebrows to burn victims. However, when Cara Delevingne hit the catwalks and bushy arches suddenly became fashionable again, the demand for surgical eyebrow thickening also increased significantly in Europe. Although eyebrows also serve to protect against dust and dirt, the procedure for denser eyebrows is primarily cosmetic. Therefore, the costs of an eyebrow transplant are not covered by health insurance. Although an eyebrow transplant is a surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia, it is relatively small and associated with few risks.
As with any surgical procedure, proper preparation beforehand and finding an experienced specialist are essential. Even though the health risks of an eyebrow transplant are low, this does not mean that things cannot go wrong visually. Since everyone has a unique eyebrow structure, it is important that the hairs are implanted accordingly and do not contradict the natural growth. Also, a few important things must be observed after the procedure to ensure that the eyebrow area recovers after the transplant and that wonderfully dense eyebrow hairs develop in the long term.
An eyebrow transplant also has its costs: between 1000–3500 euros must be spent for the procedure.
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There are 2 methods for an eyebrow transplant:
Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT Method)
In Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT method), the follicular units to be transplanted (also called grafts) are obtained by removing a narrow elliptical strip of skin from the back of the head. The FUT method is therefore also called the strip technique. A graft, or follicular unit, consists of one, two, or three hairs with one root. These hair roots are then individually separated from the skin strip and transplanted into their new position in the scalp. After removal, the grafts are cleaned and prepared under a microscope and transplanted into the area of the scalp where no hair grows. The advantage? The FUT technique is a treatment method proven for decades and used worldwide. The disadvantage? This procedure leaves small scars.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE Method)
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE method) refers to the removal of individual follicular units and is therefore also called single hair extraction. This method allows a particularly gentle removal of the hair root. Since an extremely fine hollow needle (only 0.6–0.7 millimeters in size) is used, no scars remain. The disadvantage: this method is much more time-consuming than the FUT method.
How many of these grafts are actually transplanted depends on your own hair structure and the size of the area to be filled. Depending on hair type, 100–500 hair follicles are implanted per eyebrow. The procedure itself is outpatient under local anesthesia and lasts 1–5 hours. Depending on the size of the areas to be filled with hair, 1–2 sessions are necessary. The eyebrow transplant costs amount to 1000–3500 euros.
For flawlessly dense eyebrows, an eyebrow transplant is often done in two steps. Since placing the eyebrow hairs too densely can prevent proper growth, it is usually only possible to achieve 70% of the desired density in the first session. If the result is not dense enough, further hair roots can be implanted in an (optional) second treatment nine to twelve months later. The costs for the second procedure are usually added on top.
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3. Procedure of an Eyebrow Transplant
An eyebrow transplant is not a quick, spontaneous cosmetic enhancement. Those who decide on an eyebrow transplant should not only consult an experienced expert but also receive thorough advice beforehand. It is clarified in advance what result is aimed for during the operation and what costs will be incurred for the eyebrow transplant. For an exact final result, the distance between the eyebrows and between the eyebrows and the hairline is measured and checked to determine where hair can be added for an even fuller result. The surgeon also provides detailed information about the risks and what must be observed in the weeks after the treatment. The surgeon also draws the new eyebrow shape. In most cases, it is also possible to draw the desired eyebrow shape yourself, which will serve as a template during the operation. Generally, it can be sensible to transplant a few more hair roots, as excess hairs can be plucked later if necessary.
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How does the procedure proceed?
First, the surgeon marks the area where the hairs are to be transplanted. Then the hair area from which the hair follicles will be taken is shaved. Care is taken to keep the donor area as small as possible.
Next, the surgeon removes the hair roots from the donor area at the back of the head. This is done under local anesthesia, and the procedure itself is completely painless. The removed hair roots are then thoroughly cleaned and carefully separated so they can be implanted into the eyebrows later. Small holes are then made in the skin of the eyebrow area, into which the hairs are inserted. Each follicle is individually placed into one of the pre-made holes. This is not done randomly: to mimic the natural growth direction of each hair as precisely as possible, they are implanted millimeter-accurately along the growth direction. Wound healing ensures that the roots later merge with the skin. This process is only complete after nine months: initially, the fine new hairs fall out to make room for stronger hairs to grow.
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After the procedure
After the operation, stronger itching may sometimes occur in the eyebrow area, which can be alleviated by applying cooling packs or wearing cooling glasses. It is important to know that the new hairs must now be regularly trimmed with scissors, as the new hairs carry the genetic code of the scalp hair and can theoretically grow as long as the hair on the head. The full results are only visible after a few weeks, as many of the transplanted hairs initially fall out again. After the operation, it is possible to resume normal daily activities without restrictions. The eyebrow transplant is a drastic but long-term method that achieves a strong filling of sparse eyebrow hairs.
4. Eyebrow Transplant - Costs at a Glance
An eyebrow transplant is a cosmetic procedure, so the costs are not covered by health insurance. How much does an eyebrow transplant cost? The costs mainly depend on how many hair follicles are transplanted but usually range between 1000–3500 euros. Another factor influencing the cost is the method chosen for transplanting the hair follicles. Another type of cost is the time you must invest for a perfect result: besides consultation appointments beforehand, the treatment itself lasts between 1–5 hours.
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5. Advantages
The biggest advantage of an eyebrow transplant? A natural-looking result! Since not only your own hairs are transplanted but also your personal eyebrow base remains, an eyebrow transplant usually leads to a natural, full, and dense result. The new eyebrow hairs can also be plucked again. However, this should be done very sparingly and only where hairs protrude in a particularly disturbing way. Strongly plucked eyebrows are not only very out of fashion but also destroy the foundation of any eyebrow styling in the long term.
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6. Disadvantages
Although an eyebrow transplant is a surgical procedure, it is relatively small. Generally, you should entrust yourself to an experienced specialist who not only ensures a perfect result but also performs the procedure professionally and safely. It can happen that the result is not as expected. For example, the hair density may be too low, subsequent hair growth may fail, or the hairs (if implanted incorrectly or carelessly) may grow in an unnatural direction. For those hoping to spend less time caring for their eyebrows after an eyebrow transplant, it can be a huge disadvantage that the hairs must be trimmed weekly from the time of transplantation. Even if it doesn't look like it, the new eyebrow hairs are still scalp hairs and grow like the hair on your head.
7. Side Effects of an Eyebrow Transplant
After the procedure, redness and slight swelling usually occur in the areas where the hair roots were implanted due to the ongoing contact with the microscalpel. The hair roots are stressed by the procedure, and the small wounds must first heal. This often causes strong itching, which can be alleviated by wearing cooling glasses. During the healing period, the newly implanted eyebrow hairs fall out. Long-term growth begins only in the 13th or 14th month after treatment. Mild swelling is possible but disappears after a few days, at most within two weeks. It is also possible that 20% of the transplanted hairs do not grow in as part of the healing process and thus do not form new hairs.
8. Alternatives to Eyebrow Transplantation
An eyebrow transplant is an option when other methods fail. Not everyone wants to undergo surgery and may look for gentler alternatives beforehand. If you do not want to redraw your eyebrows daily and are possibly bothered by gaps in your brows, you can try microblading (link to article that also covers microblading). This is essentially an upgrade of permanent makeup: with a kind of scalpel tipped with fine needles arranged in a row, fine lines are scratched into the skin and then filled with color. This way, unlike drawing on your own or conventional permanent makeup, a 3D effect can be created, making the tattooed hairs hardly distinguishable from real hairs. However, there is also a risk that the tissue in the eyebrow area scars and no hair grows in the long term.
A gentler alternative is stick-on eyebrow hairs. Did you know there are falsies for eyebrows too? These work essentially like disposable eyelashes that you apply between your own lashes for a party night. The disadvantage? This solution only lasts for one long evening. If you don't want to fill your eyebrows with individual lashes, eyebrow wigs might be right for you. Yes, you read that correctly! The so-called eyebrow wigs are simply glued over your own eyebrows and can handle a lot: everyday stress, sports, parties – (almost) nothing can throw these artificial arches off balance. Originally, these stick-on arches were developed for cancer patients who lost their eyebrows during chemotherapy. However, since Hung Vanngo, makeup artist for celebrities like Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, and Julianne Moore, posted a video with an eyebrow wig on Instagram, the hype around these practical helpers has been unstoppable. Link to the video: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/05/154728/eyebrow-wigs
You can easily achieve a natural result like this: If the hair roots are not yet destroyed, an eyelash serum or eyebrow serum can help stimulate the growth of your sparse eyebrows again. Eyelash serums contain active ingredients that not only promote the growth of fine eyelashes but also of eyebrow hairs. This way, not only do the existing hairs grow fuller and denser, but hairs can also sprout again in previously bald spots. Compared to the costs of an eyebrow transplant, an eyelash serum is also an affordable method to stimulate your own hair growth.
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