By BR Tabatha
Who or what should we curse more? The 90s for introducing us to spindly brows that we waxed and plucked into oblivion, or Cara D, who brought back big, bushy, beautiful brows in more recent years? If that 90s trend had never happened we'd have never been stuck with brows that we had to grow back in order to channel our inner Cara D. But if Cara D had never embraced her full brow we'd never have had to curse the decade that gave us the Spice Girls.
Don't make us curse the decade that gave us Sporty, Scary, Posh, Baby, and Ginger.
Still, we can't deny the pull of a lush set of brows - and not all of us are game enough for microblading, leaving us one option. Attempt to grow them back.
So how does one get their brows back - whether it's due to zealous plucking or just a one-off 'whoops, went too far' moment?
Step Away From The Mirror
Seriously, put the tweezers down. Cancel your next brow booking. Do nothing. Leave those not-so-furry beasts alone. And we're not talking about a hands-off approach for a month or so, we are talking mooooooonths. Seriously. Brows take their time to grow. Two to six months is not unheard of. Some people recommend leaving them be for a year. Speaking of hands-off. Don't play with them more than necessary - or you could cause them to fall out unnecessarily.
Brow Beauty Comes From the Inside Out
While you're waiting for the hairs to appear, give them a helping hand by eating lots of nutrient-rich food that promotes hair growth. Think eggs and avocado, nuts and salmon, liver (if you can stomach it... personal note - bleurgh), chicket, wholegrains, yoghurt, cauliflower, bananas - basically, biotin-rich foods. (And as always, if you're looking to change your diet or take a hair-growth encouraging supplement, talk to a medical professional first.)
Serums May Help
Want to give your brows a wee hurry up? You can always invest in a hair-growth serum. Once upon a time I would have poo-pooed a hair growth serum, but after seeing the results BR Merilyn has enjoyed using FLash, I'm on board. If a brow serum like the LiBrow Eyebrow Conditioning Serum can do the same, then it's a no-brainer. If a serum is way out of your comfy wallet-zone then you can always try massaging your brows with an oil, like rosehip or jojoba oil (patch test first and discontinue use if you see a reaction), leave the oil in overnight, then rinse out in the morning.
Once You See Browage Avoid The Urge to Pluck... unless you really need to.
Yes it's tempting to pull that one random long hair out that's hovering above or below the rest of your brows, but don't. You don't know what's to come! They may have a family on a slower growth schedule readying themselves to join that solo hair. When to pluck? Frankly if it's close to your eyelid and in an area you're never going to want your brows to be growing then go for it. You're growing brows, not a forehead-full of hair.
Visit A Professional
So you've been patient, hair has sprouted, you could say you're on the verge of Delevingne-esque brows. Success! Don't ruin your hard work and patience by going back in and shaping your brows yourself, instead - reward yourself! Book yourself into a brow bar for a professional going over. Let them work with your shape to create brows that suit your face and your eyes - and from there you've a style you can work with at home in order to keep things looking good.
Now, it would be remiss of us to say this will work for every one - for every person who has had success with this method after plucking their brows to a skinny-line state, there's another whose brows refuse to budge from their plucked state, BUT - what do you have to lose by trying? Nothing. What do you have to gain? Brows that'd make Lily Collins and Cara D proud.
I feel like I've been growing out my brows for years. Agree with the above stay away from the tweezers or have kids that helps.. my time is so limited now my brows are neglected. But they have come a wee way. I still would like them to thicken up a little more so maybe I should try a serum.