Eyebrow regrowth after chemo is one of the aspects of recovery that can be the most frustrating as eyebrow growth is typically much slower than the growth of scalp hair. It can be up to 3 months before the eyebrow hair begins to grow back with enough vigor to be discernable and for some people they may never grow back to the same extent as they were originally.

It may take some time for the body to settle down and for the natural hormones to get back to their normal job. In the meantime it would be helpful to the body’s creation of eyebrows if you were to eat a healthy diet. In order to grow hair the body needs to have a strong supply of Vitamin A, C, B3 and E, all of which are found in what is considered a healthy balanced diet. Further folic acid supplements would also be helpful as a means of stimulating the hair follicles back into action.

A little extra stimulation would not be a bad idea either. This can be done with an eyebrow brush, brushing it over the area in the direction that the eyebrows grow. A 2 minute routine of eyebrow brushing may help to stimulate the area.

You may find some advice on what to do to ensure that you don’t lose your eyebrow hair once the chemo treatment has started. Unfortunately there is no sure fire solution with the final reaction to the treatment different from one person to the next. The drugs used with chemotherapy cause all sorts of things to happen inside your body and the effects can linger for some time after treatment has completed.

Some hair growth treatments such as Minoxidil (which is better known by the brand name Rogaine) can be applied to the eyebrow area in an effort to promote new growth. This is a solution that could work, but only when your eyebrows have reached the point where they are ready to start growing again. What it might do is help your eyebrows to grow back thicker. Many people who have been through chemo find that while their eyebrows do regrow, they don’t come back as thickly as before. Rogaine can be a method you can try to avoid the eyebrow thinning effect.

Some claims are that castor oil nourishes the thyroid and endocrine system to bring your body to its maximum health. Through the increased health of your entire body enhanced eyebrow grow will follow.

There have been some fairly heated discussions about the use of castor oil with mixed reports about the effects of castor oil on the eyebrows. Some people have complained that applying castor oil to the eyebrows in the hopes of making them grow thicker has caused the opposite effect and their eyebrows actually fell out. Others have claimed that their eyebrows initially fell out, but then they regrew even thicker.

Applying castor oil around the eyes can be dangerous to the eyes and to the skin surrounding the eyes. It can cause irritation and puffiness to the eye. Still more people have complained that applying castor oil has resulted in sties due to the pores of their skin being blocked.

I have seen advice given by numerous people claiming that castor oil, when rubbed into the eyebrows or eyelashes once or twice a day will result in thicker eyebrows. Not only that but they will grow back more quickly. What I haven’t seen is any expert or scientific explanation as to why this may work.

Take this quote from one person espousing the use of castor oil “The first thing is to start applying castor oil to your eyebrows overnight. Castor oil has the specific property of making any kind of hair grow miraculously fast.” This person gives absolutely no explanation about how much to use, where exactly to apply the castor oil or the reasons why castor oil helps your eyebrows to regrow. There is also no warning about any possible side effects, as there must be if it is potent enough to cause a “miraculous” change to your body’s functions.

The nearest expert or authoritative comment I have found that could suggest that castor oil is effective in eyebrow growth comes from the FDA which categorizes castor oil as being able to Castor oil penetrate deep into the skin thanks to its molecular weight, which is low enough to penetrate into the stratum corneum. Castor Isostearate Succinate is a polymeric mixture of esters with Isostearic Acid and Succinic Acid used for skin conditioning, such as in shampoo, lipstick and lip balm.

The FDA report above can explain how castor oil applied externally can have an effect on eyebrow growth which relies on hair follicles beneath the skin to produce hair. Yet there are still no clues about the chemical properties that can stimulate any growth.

From what I can see you would use castor oil to promote eyebrow hair regrowth at your own risk. There is no guarantee that the result will be any increase in the growth of your eyebrows and there is actually the risk that it will cause the eyebrows to thin instead. The further risk that skin and eye irritation could be the result is very real.

Before putting anything on your eyebrows I would recommend that you see your family doctor and question them about using it. Beware of advice that is given without any solid evidentiary backing.

Before we get started on any specific medications it should be noted that eyebrow growth is part of the growth cycle of your body and the hairs will continue to grow and fall out naturally. There is no guarantee that your eyebrow hair will respond to the application of any hair loss medication no matter how strong the claim may be that it will work.

Possibly the best known regrowth product is Rogaine which uses a drug called minoxidil. Minoxidil was originally created to help people with high blood pressure but it had an interesting side effect in that it was noticed there was increased hair growth in patients. This then led to the use of the drug in the treatment of male-pattern baldness.

Just like with scalp hair, eyebrow hair loss can be reversed by stimulating the hair follicles responsible for producing healthy hair. Minoxidil will work on these follicles exactly the same way as it does on the scalp. The only difference is that eyebrow hair growth happens at a much slower rate than scalp hair and so the results will take longer to become apparent.

There are warnings related to the use of minoxidil involve possible adverse reactions that lead to flaky skin or scalp irritation. This will also apply to use on the eyebrows with the possibility of itchiness to the eyebrows after prolonged application.

Another topical treatment that is available is the use of copper peptides which shorten the resting period undertaken by the hair follicles. In effect the growing phase is increased giving more time for growth to take place and less time to the resting and falling out part of the cycle.

Other medications which help in hair growth includes Avodart with the active ingredient Dutasteride and Propecia which contains Finasteride. Both of these products are used in treating male pattern baldness but results are not clear as to whether they are effective in helping with eyebrow regrowth.

There are more methods of eyebrow enhancement available and most of them will give you quicker results but this method attempts to assist the follicles in becoming stronger and more healthy.

More information about alternative methods of eyebrow regrowth or eyebrow replacement is available on the following pages.

Vitamins For Eyebrow Regrowth
Eyebrow Replacement Options – discussing more permanent solutions when it is not possible to regrow eyebrow hair.

Poor nutrition has been known to result in hair thinning and this comes about through the health of the hair follicles. If you body is generally unhealthy then there will be a risk that the body’s ability to produce healthy hair will be reduced. Your eyebrows are included in this growth ability and if it is something that concerns you then it is advisable to give some consideration to increasing the intake of the following vitamins and minerals.

• Protein – needed to grow healthy hair, if you don’t get enough protein the hair may thin to the point of balding.
• Beta-Carotene – found in fruits and vegetables this is converted to vitamin A. Vitamin A is required to aid in the making of healthy sebum.
• Vitamin E – needed for increased circulation near the surface of the skin
• Vitamin C
• Folic Acid – required to stimulate the hair follicles into action, this is one of the most important factors to increase the possibility of regrowing your eyebrows.

Basically, each of these supplements constitute part of a healthy diet and should be able to be attained by eating the right foods. Even though the diet may improve, don’t expect an immediate regrowth of eyebrows. Eyebrows are extremely slow growing and even if you create the perfect growing conditions for them it will still take at least 8 weeks before any real difference is noted.

It should also be noted that sometimes eyebrow regrowth may simply not be possible. If the eyebrow follicles are damaged to the extent that they cannot be revived then no matter how good your diet is and how much extra protein you take, there won’t be any new growth forthcoming. In that case other options will have to be taken.

You local doctor can help with advice on whether a dietary change is necessary to help with your eyebrow loss. While we’re at it, never undertake a new vitamin supplement regime without first consulting your doctor. There may be other medications or conditions that will be adversely affected by the vitamins you start taking.

Eyebrow growth is not always certain and there may be contributing reasons for the loss of eyebrow hair. It may be an indicator that there are other related medical reasons causing the loss. Medical advice is the best way to determine the exact reasons for any sudden eyebrow hair loss.