Understanding the Causes of Eyebrow Hair Loss
The condition that causes people to lose their eyebrows and eyelashes hair is called Madarosis.
It can be scarring or non-scarring, depending upon what causes it.
A study reported 76% of people with multibacillary Leprosy to have Madarosis.
The reasons that might lead you to lose your eyebrow hair could be varied.
Keep reading to know more about the causes of eyebrow hair loss and how to deal with it.
But now, it encompasses both eyelashes and eyebrows.
Conditions causing eyebrow hair loss
A lot of conditions can lead to the loss of eyebrow hair.
Discussed below are some of those causes.
Alopecia areata
It is an auto-immune condition that targets the hair follicles.
In an auto-immune condition, the immune system wrongly attacks your own body.
Alopecia areata attacks the hair follicles from where individual hairs grow.
This slows or stops hair growth.
Nutrient deficiency
A deficiency of essential nutrients, such as fatty acids, vitamins, etc., can lead to changes in hair and skin.
The changes to hair are not limited to the scalp but involve other body parts too, including eyebrows.
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
It is an inflammation of the skin causing redness, itching, irritation, and oozing fluid.
An overly sensitive immune system triggers Eczema.
It either shows up as an ongoing condition or a one-time flare-up.
Since hair follicles are in the skin, Eczema might interfere with proper hair growth.
Psoriasis
It is another auto-immune disorder that causes rapid multiplication of skin cells.
As a result, the skin becomes red and gets thick, scaly patches.
These patches block the hair follicles and inhibit hair growth.
Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis happens when an allergen or a toxic irritant comes into contact with the skin.
You might feel itchy or like your skin is on fire.
If the affected area is near your eyebrows, the inflammation may stop hair from growing there.
Seborrheic dermatitis
It is an ongoing condition caused either by the overproduction of oil in the skin or by a fungus.
Seborrheic dermatitis leads to dandruff on the scalp and even eyebrows.
Loss of eyebrow hair can be seen due to damage to hair follicles by continuous scratching and itching.
Tinea capitis (Scalp ringworm)
It is also a kind of fungal infection affecting the scalp and hair of your child.
Tinea capitis can be non-inflammatory or inflammatory.
The fungi causing the conditions often enter the hair shafts affecting the eyelashes and eyebrows.
Thyroid issues
One of the symptoms of Thyroid is hair loss.
The thyroid glands produce hormones to regulate your metabolism.
Over or under the production of these hormones disrupts the body’s normal processes.
This includes hair growth.
Hansen’s disease
Hansen’s disease, also called Leprosy, is a bacterial disease.
It manifests as sores all over the skin.
It is one of the major causes of the loss of eyebrows.
This hair loss is seen in the advanced stages of the condition or in case the patient gets tuberculoid lesions over the brows.
Trichotillomania
Also known as a hair-pulling disorder, it is a kind of impulse control disorder.
People with this condition have an uncontrollable urge to pull out their hair from the scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes.
It is triggered by anxiety and stress.
Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause
Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause can also tweak the balance of your hormones and disrupt the hair growth cycle.
This might lead to an abnormal amount of hair loss.
Telogen effluvium (TE)
It is one of the most common causes of hair loss.
TE is said to happen when there is a change in the number of hair follicles actively growing hair.
While TE is mostly limited to the scalp, in severe cases, it can affect the eyebrows or pubic area as well.
Aging
There is a noticeable natural decline in the levels of hormones in your body as you age.
The fall in the level of the hormones can affect the hair follicles.
This might cause the hair to become thinner and even stop growing.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the treatments for cancer.
These medicines are powerful and attack the speedily growing cancer cells.
But these medicines also attack your hair roots, causing hair loss.
This hair loss is not limited to the scalp.
Sometimes, hair from your eyebrows, eyelashes, armpit, pubic hair, and other body parts also falls off.
Hypotrichosis
It is a rare condition that affects hair growth on the head, eyebrows, and other parts of the body where hair usually grows.
The hair becomes dry, coarse, and curled in this condition and is fragile, making it prone to breakage.
Over time, the condition of the hair may remain stable or deteriorate to complete hair loss.
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA)
FFA is a form of scarring alopecia typically affecting post-menopausal women.
It is believed that hormones can partially cause FFA as it affects post-menopausal women.
It also occurs along with genetic hair loss.
Others
Some other conditions that might cause your eyebrows to lose hair include:
- Cutaneous syphilis
- Localized scleroderma
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
- Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD)
Treatment available
Once your doctor figures out the underlying cause of your hair loss, they might recommend you a proper treatment plan.
These options may include both medical as well as cosmetic treatment options.
One of the commonly recommended medications by doctors for eyebrow growth includes Bimatoprost.
| Medication containing Bimatoprost | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Careprost Plus Eye Drop | $25.38 |
| Careprost 0.03% Eye Drop | $18.41 |
| Actavis Bimatoprost (With Brush) | $15.15 |
Apart from this, treatment options include:
- Laser treatment
- Hair transplant
- PRP therapy
- Nutrition supplements
- Other brow serums
Takeaway
Loss of eyebrow hair could be caused due to a number of factors.
These factors range from medical conditions to nutritional deficiencies to mere aging.
Most of the time, this hair loss is reversible.
The treatment, however, depends on the causes of eyebrow hair loss.
A doctor might help guide you through the diagnosis and treatment plan.
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