Full, natural brows are widely coveted today, and there’s no shortage of products and procedures to achieve them. Between pencils, powders, and gels, to services like microblading, tinting, and brow lamination, the options to help you achieve your desired brow look can feel overwhelming and time consuming – especially if you feel like your brows may be thinning. Instead of looking to cover up the problem, sometimes it’s best to dig into why you’re experiencing it in the first place. Here are a few reasons why your brows may be thinning:

Like our skin and the hair on our heads, our eyebrows go through changes as the years go by. Brow hairs can become coarse and unruly; turn gray or white, creating the look of less defined brows; or, yes, lose density and grow in thinner, leading to sparse-looking brows. You may find that a brow pencil or tinted gel is needed to recreate the fullness and definition your brows once displayed naturally.

Hair loss is a common symptom of thyroid deficiency, postpartum recovery, or menopause. If you suspect yours may be a result of one of these things, talk to your doctor or dermatologist.

3. STRESS
Stressed out about thinning eyebrows? It’s understandable. Unfortunately, excess stress in your life may lead to a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium, which can affect areas like your eyebrows as well as the hair on your head. The good news is that stress-related hair loss is usually temporary. Addressing the root cause of your stress is the first step to feeling (and looking) better.

4. POOR NUTRITION
Along with emotional stress, nutritional deficiencies – such as a lack of protein, iron, biotin, and certain vitamins – can also contribute to telogen effluvium. A balanced diet, daily multivitamin, or supplements designed to address hair loss can help.

5. ALOPECIA AREATA
Thinning brows and hair loss may be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition where the body mistakenly attacks hair follicles. If you believe your hair loss could actually be alopecia (early signs include sudden onset of hair loss and hair loss in patches), a visit to your doctor may be in order. 

6. OVERGROOMING
Too much tweezing, waxing, and dying can cause hair follicles to suffer trauma and die out as a result. To combat this, we recommend grooming sparingly and leaving it to the professionals whenever possible. 

At the end of the day, thinning brows can easily be attributed to a variety of issues. It’s important to be in touch with your mental and physical health, yet it’s also important to create a routine that supports brow health, too. Making sure to remove makeup nightly, not overplucking, and using nourishing ingredients can do wonders for overall brow appearance.