"After waxing my eyebrows to oblivion at the back of the nail salon in high school (and then single-handedly depleting the stock of Anastasia Dip Brow at my nearest Ulta in college), it’s safe to say my thin brows have always been an insecurity of mine. After years of trying to rectify my situation and grow back any number of precious brow hairs, I decided to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I could do to really help achieve the fluffy, full brows that I envied on my Instagram feed.
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After ending my relationship with my long-time brow girl (sorry, Stacey!), I ditched my old eyebrow products and committed to a simpler eyebrow routine. Over time, I slowly noticed my eyebrows begin to regain some shape, and was seeing new hair growth that I didn’t know was even possible. My eyebrows might never be on par with Cara Delevingne’s—never say never, though—but compared to this time last year, the confidence I have in my brows has increased tenfold.
These are the four easy steps I commited to to help my thin brows grow thicker and fuller.
4 Tips for Thin Eyebrows
1. I gave my brows a break
Step 1: Lay down your weapons (pencils, dyes, serums, tweezers) and give your brows a breather. It could take weeks—and maybe even months—to see progress, but I’ve found that giving your brows a break is a necessary, restorative step in the road to regrowth.
Whether you can spare a few weeks or even just a few days for your brows to breathe, leaving mine untouched when I can spare it has helped the overall health of my brows. We may not realize it, but every tug of a waxy pencil or pull of a gelled spoolie puts a slight strain on the brow’s hair folicles, so starting at the root (pun intended) has helped give my brows he opportunity to grow.
2. I started paying attention to how I cleanse
Every night, I double cleanse my skin to make sure all of the makeup left from my day is removed, but even after that, never feel like my eyebrows are totally void of product. My concerns led me to testing a brow shampoo that’s formulated to promote growth and strengthen hair follicles by cleansing both the brows and the skin underneath them. I’m currently on my second bottle, and I swear by it. My brows now feel completely free from any leftover residue from products, and I’m wholly convinced that it’s been the catalyst for much of my regrowth.
3. I swapped to gentler brow products
For a solid decade (I’m not being dramatic), I refused to deviate from Anastasia’s waterproof pomade and precision brow pencil. But that was pre-fluffy, laminated brow popularity. When push came to shove (read: my carved brows of 2016 were no longer going to cut it), I took the blind leap to volumizing gels, promising me the illusion of full brows. Only, applying and removing the harsh, glue-like formulas to and from my fine hairs each day felt like I was doing my brows a disservice.
I swapped to gels that require less product to make an impact on how full my brows look, and have felt switching from heavy-duty products has made my brows happier over time. I’m currently partial to Kosas brow products, but finding one that works for you might take a bit of trial and error.
4. I stopped waxing
Finding a great brow technician feels like a risky game—after all, if you choose the wrong one, you can lose years of progress with one pull of a wax strip. Out of fear of damaging my new brow hairs, I ended up splurging on a world-renowned brow artist at Sania’s Brow Bar in NYC, whose chairs have seen A-list celebs like Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker. What I love about Sania’s isn’t the chance of an SJP sighting (although, if the opportunity presents itself…), it’s the fact that, like me, they’re committed to brow regrowth and restoration. You won’t find a pot of warmed-up wax or a stockpile of cling wrap in the corner of their salon; instead, you’ll be in and out in five minutes after a good tweeze, since they believe that it’s the best (and only) way to restore the natural brow.
Fear not: You don’t need a renowned brow artist to achieve the same results. Instead, I suggest trying out a brow technician who tweezes rather than waxes the next time you need your brows cleaned up.
Tinsley Crisp, Fashion & Beauty Staff Writer
Tinsley Crisp is a Fashion & Beauty Staff Writer at The Everygirl and specializes in reporting on the season’s latest trends and hottest products. As a New York City-based stylist, she’s committed to injecting joy into the art of getting dressed and delivering attainable yet aspirational content to our readers.