My Thoughts On Nioxin
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Low brow, high brow and no brow!
I’ve had alopecia areata on and off for over 20 years. And I’ve come to terms with it, for the most part – in fact, I’ve gotten quite used to my bald noggin!
But when I was in my first trimester with my daughter Sunny, I began losing my right eyebrow, too. That was harder to take. Because while I could pass off my mohawk as a style choice, it’s harder when you’re bald above one eye, too.
I know lots of alopecians go through the same thing, or worse – losing their eyebrows, eyelashes, everything, in one go. So I thought it’d be helpful to share the experience of losing my my own eyebrow: what may have caused it, what’s encouraged growth, the DIY treatments I’ve used, plus some products and cover-ups available. Enjoy!
Emma’s ‘not a doctor’ disclaimer
Hi there, I’m an alopecian, I’m not a doctor! Any advice I give is based on my own research and personal experiences. This site is, however, reader-supported. When you buy through external links, I may earn a tiny affiliate commission. Learn more here.
The reason most often given for hair loss, which includes eyebrows, too. I got married in February 2020 and even though it was more of a casual festival / party thing, I definitely had anxiety around planning it.
Specific hormone tests told me I’d almost zero progesterone. This had affected my menstrual cycle throughout 2020 – I hadn’t had a period in 7 months and in fact, it was only after taking a bio-identical progesterone cream in November that I became pregnant just before Christmas!
It’s interesting too, that my eyebrow retreated so quickly during pregnancy and especially in the postpartum period, when my hormones where all over the place.
Even though I didn’t get the virus until July 2020, long after I first started losing my eyebrow, it didn’t help my cause. There’s a definite link between the two.
Having been on a strict AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet for much of 2019, I fell off the wagon before and in the months after the wedding. It was really only during our first lockdown in Vietnam (April, 2020) that I followed the nutritional advice which I knew was good for my body.
I also did a gut cleanse (outlined here) and started applying a DIY treatment (coming up!) After a few weeks, I saw a dramatic improvement in growth and it looked like Rightie had made a triumphant return!
LA Says: The fact that I started shedding again in November 2020 (when I’d eased up on the diet), and lost Rightie for good in those early months of pregnancy (when things like bread and pasta were all I craved), tells me that gluten is a prime suspect in the case of my missing eyebrow.
Heads up: I don’t think there’s a “miracle cure” for alopecia eyebrows. Just like there’s no quick fix for hair loss on your scalp. This autoimmune condition has various causes, so it may take different measures to find a solution that works for you.
But based on my own experience over the past couple of years, here are a few things I’d recommend – a DIY natural remedy, a brow-boosting serum and a few cover-up options if that’s the route you want to take.
This is the one that worked for me back in April 2020! Rather than making up one big batch, I just added a drop of peppermint essential oil (PEO) to a tablespoon of castor oil and rubbed it into my eyebrow once or twice a day.
But in hindsight, it’d be much easier to make up a jar of the treatment in advance to keep by your bathroom sink!
In a glass jar, mix together 30mls / 1 fl. oz. of castor oil and 6 drops of peppermint essential oil.
Use a cotton bud to apply a small amount on your eyebrows – careful it doesn’t get in your eye; peppermint oil is strong! The Pura D’Or oil I recommend below actually comes with its own applicator. Handy. But then again, I love anything by Pura D’Or!
Massage it in for 60 seconds and repeat once or twice a day.
Recommended brands: Pura D’Or Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil and doTerra Peppermint Essential Oil
More info: Check out my posts on the benefits of peppermint oil and castor oil
I’m a massive fan of Vegamour, who make a range of natural products for hair loss – including their best-selling Gro+ Advanced Hair Serum. Their vegan formula includes active phytomolecules, zinc and biotin – which can kickstart and support hair growth.
In June 2022, I began using Vegamour’s specialized eyebrow serum. By that stage, my eyebrow had disappeared entirely. But by November 2022, it had almost come back! (Check out my regrowth report here for more).
I’m not saying Vegamour alone caused my eyebrow to come back. But it definitely helped.
Recommended brands: Take your pick between the VegaBrow Volumizing serum or Vegamour’s GRO+ Advanced Brow serum – both available here.
More info: Check out my posts on the benefits of Vegamour for hair growth in general.
5 years ago, it was all about HD brows – with eyebrow threading and tinting a close second. Nowadays, semi-permanent eyebrow tattoos are what’s ‘in’. Good news for those who’ve lost their brows due to alopecia, because there’s more options available than ever.
So if you’ve started shedding eyebrow hair, or have no brows left, here are some ways to fake it ‘til you make it!
A semi-permanent form of eyebrow tattoo, applied manually using multiple fine blades to deposit pigment onto your skin. The brushstroke effect is really natural and your brows will last anywhere between 1–3 years.
A cosmetic machine is used in this increasingly popular procedure, as an ultra-fine precision needle deposits pigment into a deeper layer of skin. The results will typically last longer than with microblading (3–5 years) and there’s also a faster healing time.
This process uses pin-like dots of pigment (rather than brushstrokes) for a more powered, filled-in effect. Basically, you’ll look a little more ‘made-up’ or ‘done’. Microshading uses a manual or electric handheld device and, like microblading, results last between 1–3 years.
LA Says: Whatever cover-up option you choose – if any – make sure you go to a trusted, licensed provider. And follow their before ‘n’ aftercare instructions to the letter! Check out this post for more info on these treatments.
Above all, try not to stress about losing your eyebrow hair. Easier said than done, I know – but as with any form of hair loss, constantly checking for signs of regrowth isn’t going to do your mental or physical health any good! The hair may very well come back, all by itself.
Still, to help things along, take a look at your lifestyle/diet to see if you can lower any internal inflammation going on. Then try the simple DIY treatment I shared to encourage growth, or one of Vegamour’s serums, if you prefer.
The semi-permanent tattooing route won’t be for everyone – but I wanted to include it as it’s so popular nowadays. There are also great eyebrow pencils out there (I’ve heard good things about this one from Kevyn Aucoin), if you want to test out the microblading effect with less of a commitment (or cost!)
Maybe I’ll never crack the curious case of my own missing brow. But that’s ok. I’m remaining curious, myself, about the whole experience…and I’ll keep you posted on whatever progress I may see!
Love and hugs,
Update, April 2023:
Ok, so I still haven’t cracked the case – but my eyebrow is pretty much back to normal! If you missed it above, check out my full Regrowth Report here.
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Alopecian. Yoga Teacher. Copywriter. Here to share information, offer support and show people the adventures that can lie in hair loss. I’m proud to have alopecia and I want to help others embrace their baldness, too!
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I’m Emma. I’ve had alopecia for 24 years and I’m here to inform/hopefully empower people like me! Read my full story here. But I’m not a doctor, so any advice here is based on my own research and experience. I’m also in a few affiliate programs – see my disclaimer page for more. Or contact me here. Also, why not join a thousand fellow alopecians and get my-semi regular hair about life with irregular hair?
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