How to come back from a brow plucking disaster

Over-plucking brows is one of the most commonly mentioned (and relatable) celebrity beauty blunders (Delta Goodrem and Lily James can support this claim). While celebs often have a team of pros on hand to help them turn their sparse brows into beautiful bold brows, we’re generally not so lucky. So how does one come back from an over-plucking disaster (or naturally thin brows)? We spoke to brow artist Jazz Pampling to find out her best sneaky tricks for growing out your brows, as well as why they might be thinner than you’d like in the first place.

Why aren’t my brows growing?

“Every time you wax, tweeze or thread hair, you damage the follicle. Eventually the hair is pulled enough times that the follicle is completely damaged and won’t grow the hair back at all. This is why hair stops growing,” says Pampling.

Another surprising contributor to a scarcity of brow hair is the tools or product you are using. A pencil can often contribute to sparseness as they are firmer than powder, “so during application they can pull the hair a little,” she explains. An important tip Pampling notes is to be gentle when moving makeup from your brows, "pushing the hair around too much" can be another factor responsible for the lack of hair growth. 

So what can I do to help them grow?

While Pampling says that some parts of the brow are harder to grow back than others (note: the front of the brow takes the longest), there are a few things you can do to help when it comes to growing them out. Firstly, convert to a brow powder if you already have thin brows: “[After] long term use of a pencil, I have noticed my brow hair starts to become sparse, so I change to a powder when that happens,” shares Pampling. Another (slightly more bizarre) tip she has is to use castor oil. Pampling acknowledges that this may seem like an old wives’ tale, but she has actually seen it work wonders. “Use a cotton tip to apply it to the brow. I have had a few clients over the years use this and it [has] been effective in conditioning the brow hair and helping [them grow]”. Castor oil! Who would’ve thought?! If castor oil isn't quite your cup of tea, there are more mainstream brow growth products available such as LiBrow growth serum, but in Pampling's experience while these "products can work well while you are using them, generally once you stop using them the hair can fall out again."

The most important thing to remember in the process of growing out your brows, however, is to be patient and optimistic. Pampling explains, "I did re-grow the front of a clients brow over three years, so you never know what the body can do."

Once your brows are grown out, here is everything you need to know before you book your next appointment with a pro.

Have you had an over-plucking disaster? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.

Image credit: Getty