Keeping up with the latest eyebrow trends can be exhausting. What’s more, you might eventually realise that all that time spent plucking, shaping and shading your brows wasn’t worth it when you look at photos of brows gone by. This is eyebrow blindness.
Eyebrow blindness is the realisation that your brows aren’t or weren’t the most flattering, thanks to serious overplucking or styling. It’s a TikTok trend, so many conversations around brow blindness relate to the blocky brows of the 2010s.
But bad brow styling predates TikTok by decades. And ultimately, keeping up with society’s ever-changing brow trends can take a serious toll on your eyebrow health. So how can you maintain healthy brows that also look good?
Here, learn about all things eyebrow blindness:
Eyebrow blindness happens when you don’t realise that your brows aren’t quite flattering your face the way you hope. This is pretty much a universal experience: we’ve all seen old photos of ourselves that show our features in a way we’d never style them today. And it’s unfair — but very natural — to compare your modern look to the ghost of eyebrows past.
To get a better understanding of the meaning of eyebrow blindness, let’s take a look at some viral videos on the matter. James Charles — arguably the man who popularised the blocky brow trend — has weighed in on his own brow blunders:
@jamescharles Worst part is that my old tutorials definitely caused this… I’m so sorry 💔 ♬ Gnarls Barkley Crazy Stephen Kramer Glickman - Gustavo Rocque
Worst part is that my old tutorials definitely caused this… I’m so sorry 💔
And since the trend’s gone viral, plenty of other TikTok users have weighed in with their eyebrow blindness stories.
@mercedvu if u had eyebrow blindess i hope this makes u feel better #eyebrowblindness #makeup ♬ original sound - nova...bear
if u had eyebrow blindess i hope this makes u feel better #eyebrowblindness #makeup
Source: @mercedvu on TikTok
@angelmrils I guess i took it too far #fyp #eyebrowblindness #eyebrows #feathereyebrows ♬ Guilty as Sin x About You - molana_zhr
I guess i took it too far #fyp #eyebrowblindness #eyebrows #feathereyebrows
Source: @angelmrils on TikTok
These kinds of trends can trigger worries about your own styling choices, both now and in the past. There’s nothing you can do about previous brow faux pas — but what about your current eyebrows? Here are five signs you may have eyebrow blindness.
As the saying goes, trends come and go, but style is forever. If you chop and change your brows depending on current fashions, you probably haven’t settled on a timeless look that genuinely suits you. This is the key to avoiding eyebrow blindness.
Plucking your brows to remove a few strays is one thing, but tweezing excessively is likely to result in very thin eyebrows. If you pluck your eyebrows too much or too often, these changes can become permanent.
Overplucking is one of the most common causes of eyebrow hair loss — and it’s completely preventable. So if you’re worried about developing brow blindness, put down the tweezers and give your brows room to bloom.
Find out how long it takes for eyebrows to grow back.
Thick, heavily stylised eyebrows are a more recent trend than skinny brows, but they’re now similarly scorned by TikTokers. (Certain makeup products, like brow pomades, have come under fire for facilitating this trend.)
Overly thick and/or defined brows can look unnatural, especially if the rest of your makeup is relatively light.
Microblading, lamination, feathering — tons of different brow enhancing techniques have been developed in recent years. And while using lots of eyebrow enhancements isn’t necessarily a sign of brow blindness by itself, all these changes might increase your chances of the odd mishap.
Aim to find a simple routine that gives you face-flattering brows without too many different styling techniques.
If you don’t always love the way your eyebrows look in photos — even if they looked fine in the mirror that morning — you may have current brow blindness. Your reflection in a mirror isn’t the exact way others see you, or the way you’ll look in a photograph. So be mindful of these differences when designing your brows each morning.
If you have very thin brows, a good way to take brow design stress out of the equation is to opt for semi-permanent brow makeup, or better yet, an eyebrow transplant. These solutions will ensure your brows look natural, flattering, and consistent.
It’s not just eyebrow trends that ebb and flow. Beauty standards are constantly changing, whether it’s hairstyles, makeup, or beard trends. And most of us aren’t immune to these demands, so we chop and change our looks accordingly.
Times change quickly, so it’s not fair to berate yourself for past eyebrow designs, even via a tongue-in-cheek #browblindness TikTok video. So even if you feel like you have eyebrow blindness now or in the past, try not to take this trend too seriously.
That said, if you’re unhappy with your appearance, it can take its toll on your confidence, self-esteem, and other important aspects of your life. One study found almost two-thirds of women with hair loss said their alopecia affected their career, while 25% said it had impacted their marriage [1]. So taking steps to tackle madarosis (eyebrow or eyelash hair loss) or other types of hair loss can help you regain your confidence.
No matter how your eyebrows currently look, you have options to restyle, reshape, and even regrow them. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective ways to tackle bad brows.
For permanent, natural-looking regrowth in overplucked or overwaxed eyebrows, an eyebrow transplant is normally your best option. While this is more expensive than other treatment types, an FUE transplant for your brows will give you natural-looking results that last a lifetime.
“I had an eyebrow transplant at the Wimpole Clinic and Dr Sciacca and his team are first class. Without a doubt he is the best in the business. I was looked after so well — the whole procedure was explained clearly and I knew what was happening the whole time.”
— Wimpole Clinic eyebrow transplant patient
Semi-permanent makeup like microblading and brow tinting can give you hassle-free brows in no time. You won’t have to worry about shaping, laminating or styling your eyebrows — the most you’ll need to do is remove the odd stray.
Choose an experienced practitioner with an extensive portfolio to be sure your brows look as natural as possible (nobody wants semi-permanent eyebrow blindness).
Eyebrow tattoos offer more permanent results than microblading or brow tinting, so you need to be sure your brows will look good when they’re done. A good eyebrow tattoo artist will design an eyebrow shape that follows your natural browline and suits your face and colouring.
Eyebrow tattoos and semi-permanent makeup may help you cover up sparse eyebrows or bad styling, but they won’t stimulate regrowth. Take a look at using Minoxidil for eyebrows to see how to use this hair growth treatment.
If you have naturally skinny brows you want to enhance on a daily basis, take the time to practise. It’s easy to overdo the makeup when you’re looking for that perfect browline. But it’s actually natural to have slightly asymmetrical eyebrows, so don’t worry if your brows are more like sisters than twins.
This tutorial offers some great tips for natural eyebrow makeup, so you can banish eyebrow blindness forever:
Cosmetic solutions are a great way to cover up thinning eyebrows, but if there’s an underlying problem that’s making your eyebrows shed, you need to get it checked out. Conditions like alopecia areata, psoriasis, and thyroid disorders can all cause eyebrow hair shedding, so seek a diagnosis from a trichologist or dermatologist if necessary.
Successfully treating any underlying conditions can make your eyebrows grow back without the need for cosmetic procedures or topical treatments.
The Wimpole Clinic has been voted Hair Transplant Clinic of the Year four years running, from 2021 to 2024. But that’s not all we offer. As well as creating eyebrow transplants to restore natural growth along your browline, we can help you beat your brow blindness with:
Book a consultation with our team of specialists to discuss your brow restoration options.
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