EYEBROW TRANSPLANTATION

The Highs and Lows of Eyebrows

As humans evolved from their predecessors (the apes), they lost most of their body hair. Ever wondered why the eyebrows stood the test of time? Eyebrows are not just the set of hair that sits above your eyes.

In reality, eyebrows have a dual purpose of: Protection and Facial Expressions. How so?

  • Protection: Biologically, eyebrows are designed to keep dirt, moisture, and debris at bay. The natural curvature and angle on the ridge bone prevent liquids such as sweat or rain from entering the eye socket. This feature helps in bringing out clarity in vision.
  • Facial expressions: It provides microexpressions to the face and aids in non-verbal communication. They help us emote, intensify emotions, and even define a person’s character. Are you surprised? Scared? Or thrilled? Eyebrows give away all of these emotions!

They form the focal point of your face and enhance the other features around it like the eyes, the forehead, the nose or even the chin, despite imperfections. Yes, eyebrows are that tool; if used well can flatter your entire look. A well-defined eyebrow shape can help other features look bigger, sharper or brighter. For instance, it can help balance the shape and size of a wide or long nose and even a sharp jawline. Many people have a broad forehead area, and without the eyebrow, too much attention would get drawn to it and make it look unnatural. Thus, eyebrows that perfectly frame your facial profile and structures can significantly enhance a person’s appearance and alter the way others look at their facial features.

Today it reflects an individual’s personality, and eyebrow grooming has seen an upward trend. The pandemic also drew a lot of attention to the eyebrows, as the rest of the face was covered with a mask. While not many people pay heed to how integral it is to their face, it undoubtedly adds a distinct element to an individual’s facial profile. In fact, its absence makes them more noticeable than its presence. Loss of eyebrows also has adverse effects on a person, such as social phobia and loss of confidence. This reason is why people opt for eyebrow transplantation.

Eyebrows add a little bit of drama to your face. However, focusing on this feature should not be looked at as vanity but as a necessity. The presence of eyebrows or the lack of them, the shape, the thickness and even the appearance of the arch affects the way we look.

Eyebrows that help to define your glances have great importance to reveal the facial expression. Natural looking healthy full eyebrows point up the beauty of your eyes and face. Eyebrow loss can have many negative effects. Social phobia and lack of self-confidence can be shown among these. Eyebrow replacement surgery allows you to avoid these negative situations. Anyone who has lost a certain or all parts of their eyebrows can benefit from eyebrow transplantation. A painless and comfortable operation can be preferred by both men and women. Thanks to new hair eyebrow transplantation methods, you can easily reach a new brow that gives you a younger, natural and attractive look.

The eyebrow transplant operation has been successfully applied with modern hair transplantation methods such as FUE and DHI. Fue eyebrow transplant is much more sensitive than hair transplantation but it is a short time operation. Eyebrow transplantation procedures and hair transplantation procedures have similar features. FUE eyebrow transplantation is performed with hair roots taken from the nape area. The hair follicles that collected from the donor site by the FUE method are aesthetically formed and planted in a predetermined area for the eyebrow shape. The operation time is also short since a small number of grafts are required in the operation of the eyebrows transplant. It takes about 1-2 hours.

What are the Reasons for the Loss of Eyebrow Hair?

There are many reasons why people would want to sign up for an eyebrow transplantation. Aesthetic requirements are one of them. Here are some of the reasons people lack density in their eyebrows :

  • Accidents, Burns and Chemotherapy

One of the typical causes of eyebrow hair loss is if you were in an accident and the trauma left you with a scar or cut in that area. Burns can also affect the growth of hair follicles in that area. Battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy is no mean feat. It impacts your body and hair as the treatments are designed to go after all rapidly dividing cells, including hair follicles. Hence, it is noticed that hair falls out in clumps while undergoing the treatment.

  • Health Indicators

Loss of eyebrow hair is also a symptom of an illness due to hormonal imbalance or disorders. Some of these health conditions are alopecia areata, hyperthyroidism, eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, seborrheic dermatitis, etc. Hence, one should consult a doctor and take the appropriate medication before considering any other treatment.

  • Stress Effects

Physiological changes along with physical changes are the result of dire stress. This causes hair follicles to receive less oxygen, altering hormone levels and causing eyebrow loss. Some behavioral actions such as rubbing the eyebrows due to stress can also cause patchy spots.

  • Nutrient deficiencies

Hair growth is influenced by the sustenance of adequate nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants, etc., in the human body. Hence, a deficiency in any one of them could impact both hair structure and hair growth. The loss of eyebrow hair can be attributed to a deficiency of nutrients such as biotin, cysteine, zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B-12, C, D and E.

  • Genetics and Age

Genetically people may have thinner eyebrows, and brow loss may also run in the family. Further, both males and females experience hair thinning in their 40s as the estrogen and testosterone levels dwindle.

  • Pregnancy and Childbirth

Postpartum eyebrow loss occurs due to hormonal changes and fluctuations. The body is pumped with estrogen during pregnancy, which allows the hair follicles to remain in the anagen or growing phase for a more extended period. After childbirth, there is a sudden drop in these hormones, and hence the hair returns to the telogen or resting phase. These fluctuations disrupt the hair growth cycles and sometimes cause loss of eyebrow hair.

  • Habitual or cosmetic plucking

While some people opt for waxing or threading of eyebrows, a large majority pluck their eyebrows instead. Over-plucking of eyebrows permanently damages the hair follicle. As a result of this trauma, the hair eventually stops growing in that spot. When flashy eye-makeup is used continuously, it results in a lot of such damage. Another cause for eyebrow loss can be trichotillomania (or hair-pulling disorder) of the eyebrows or eyelashes which generally occurs due to anxiety or hormonal imbalances.

While there may be many causes for eyebrow hair loss, various medications and treatments can aid the eyebrow restoration process.

What is Eyebrow Transplantation?

Eyebrow transplantation or eyebrow restoration helps patients restore the completeness that eyebrows provide and regain lost self-esteem and confidence. It is similar to scalp hair replacement as it involves carving out a section of skin from an area with sufficient hair growth and transplanting the hair follicles to the area where growth is scanty. The patient can decide the extent of the eyebrow transplantation as one may carry it out to cover a scar or restore the entire eyebrow.

The artistic procedure requires an expert hand to provide patients with a natural and aesthetically pleasing result. It is a delicate process requiring flawless hair placement into minute angled lacerations, positioned to mimic the natural growth. As the process is done microscopically, it ensures that scarring and damage to the existing hair shafts are minimal.

This transplant can be undertaken by both the FUE or the DHI hair transplant techniques. A procedure typically involves placing 100 to 700 grafts to be transplanted, depending upon the existing hair density and size compared to the desired result. It is performed under local anesthesia and typically takes about 1-2 hours. It is a straightforward procedure performed as an in-clinic, outpatient procedure.

Stages of Eyebrow Transplantation

Once you have made the important decision to undergo eyebrow transplantation, choosing a clinic or center without making any concessions is vital. Hence, the first step to achieving beautiful and well-defined eyebrows is choosing a hair transplant clinic with the appropriate expertise, fully equipped with the latest technology, and the necessary certificates.

Next, it is vital to understand the following brow transplants stages :

  • Consultation and Planning

First, the doctor will analyze and design the desired eyebrow pattern per the patient’s face symmetry. Keeping the golden ratio in mind, your surgeon will plan the right shape of your eyebrow. Keeping your unique needs in mind, a personalized surgery is planned. Post consultation, an aesthetically pleasing and natural-looking design is finalized upon. A study will also be conducted to identify a donor area, typically the nape of your neck.

On the day of the procedure, the necessary examinations will be conducted. The number of hair follicle grafts is arrived at to decide the appropriate brow hair density. Finally, a design will be drafted on the patient, post which the patient will be readied for local anesthesia.

  • Anesthesia

Before the surgery, the patients are given an oral sedative. Thereafter local anesthesia is provided to the patients. The fluid is injected into the areas of the eyebrows and the back of the head from where the hair follicles are collected. Patients are anesthetized using a Comfort in-needle free system, and since the area is numbed, they feel no discomfort during the surgery.

  • Extraction of Grafts

Next, the donor’s hair is collected, typically from the nape of the neck either through the FUE hair transplant (strip technique) or the DHI hair transplant technique. This decision is pre-decided based on your hair type, transplant objectives or even ethnicity. The hair at the back of your neck is often selected as the donor’s hair as they are very fine. In rare circumstances, body hair, wherever fine in nature, is also used but avoided if slightly wavy. Once extracted using a micromotor device, the hair follicles are placed in a preservation solution and prepared for transplant.

The grafts are prepared under a microscope by a dedicated team in the operation theatre. With their assistance, the doctor places the grafts at the recipient sites and determines the direction and angulation of growth. After this process, the neck area is sterilized and bandaged.

  • Transplanting the Grafts

As the eyebrow regions are now numb, it is then sterilized, and a grooving process is undertaken based on the diameter of the hair follicles. Once the channels are ready for transplantation, the grafts are then carefully placed one at a time into recipient sites. A skilled surgeon can take between one to four hours to complete the surgery, depending on the total number of grafts. Post a medical dressing; the patient can leave the clinic without any issues.

  • Recovery/Follow-up

Within the first five days, redness and tiny crusts will form around the transplanted hair. Occasionally, some patients may experience mild swelling or bruises around the eyes, which will subside without any intervention. If a DHI hair transplant is undertaken, the sutures in the donor area will dissolve within a few weeks, leaving behind a small scar. Whereas if the FUE hair transplant method is adopted, lack of stitches would mean no scarring.

After 2-3 weeks, the eyebrows will look well-formed and defined. However, the transplanted hair will fall out, and it is essential not to get anxious at this point. The regrowth will then happen around the 4th month. During the next six months, the eyebrows will start getting thicker. Importantly, since the transplanted hair is scalp donor hair, the growth will be faster. Hence, the initial months will require additional grooming, and one must trim the hair every two weeks. A few of this procedure’s side effects include prolonged flushed forehead skin, weak growth of transplanted hair, and the giving away of the sutures on the donor area.

If the procedure is successful, the patient may also undergo a follow-up procedure to achieve thicker and fuller eyebrows.

Advantages of Eyebrow Transplant Than Eyebrow Tattoo

Fue Eyebrow transplant is aesthetically more successful than many other eyebrow shaping methods such as a tattoo or micro blading. An eyebrow tattoo is a permanent eyebrow makeup that is applied on the eyebrow line. This is not an alternative to eyebrow transplant, it only creates a permanent make-up effect. On the other hand, a micro blading method which provides thickening of eyebrows is 40% less permanent than a traditional tattoo. Micro blading pigmentation method is made by hand instead of a tattoo machine. This process, also known as filling eyebrow lines with pigment, results in small hairlines. The micro blading method is not permanent and must be repeated for 1-3 years.Eyebrow tattoo or micro blading can never replace real hair. Regeneration of eyebrows with the FUE eyebrow transplantation method always appears natural. In recent years, eyebrow transplantation is preferred both men and women thanks to the natural eyebrow renewal feature. Also, eyebrows do not need to be renewed periodically after transplantation. Transplant eyebrows last for a lifetime.

Eyebrow Transplant Results and Recovery Period

After the FUE eyebrow transplant operation, the eyebrow area must be well protected. In this way, new follicles are preserved from impact, pressure and all kinds of the wound. After the operation, the patient can easily return to his/her daily life, but the protection of the area is important. If there is a slight pain in the eyebrow transplant area after the operation, simple painkillers given by the doctor will eliminate this pain.One day after the eyebrow transplant operation, you need to visit the doctor again for the first wash and dressing. The bandage of the head is opened and the first washing of the eyebrow area is performed. Important details will be explained to you by the doctor after this process. Smoking and alcohol should not be used for the first three days. Moreover, you should stay away from activities such as running, pilates or swimming.

When Do the Eyebrows Begin to Grow?

The eyebrows begin to grow after 3 months and the final result visible in 7-8 months.

Does FUE Eyebrow Transplant Look Like a Natural?

There are some details to consider in the process of eyebrow and hair transplantation. Firstly, the angle of the hair and the angle of the eyebrow are also different. The eyebrows go out with a narrow 15-20 degree angle, and the hair turns out with a wider 40-45 degree angle. For this reason, the hair should not be transplanted with the same angle as the eyebrows. On the other hand, eyebrows are not in the same direction in every area of the face. For example, eyebrows stand upright in the middle of your face near the nose. They gradually become slack as they come and become parallel to the eyes. Therefore, if the channels are adjusted and transplanted according to their direction, it will be possible to achieve natural results. Especially eyebrow transplantation in Turkey is quite advanced. In recent years, transplant operations in Turkey with the FUE technique yielded very successful results.