Eyebrow Restoration

Eyebrow hair transplant has become in the past few years an increasingly popular procedure that Dr. Lam and his team regularly performs. Although there can be a host of medical conditions that lead to eyebrow loss, like a low thyroid condition (hypothyroidism), one of the most common reasons for eyebrow loss (besides being born that way) is overplucking. Once hairs from the eyebrow have been repeatedly plucked, these removed hairs can be permanently gone and require surgical hair transplantation. This is typically an easy procedure to perform but it requires absolute artistry by the surgeon and the most technically precise work from the assistant team. In Dr. Lam’s annual St. Louis hair-transplant course, he exhorts his students to put eyebrow transplantation as the absolutely last procedure they learn to master because it requires the greatest artistic and technical mastery to achieve excellent results. Anything less than that mastery will lead to poor and difficult to correct outcomes.

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This patient had an eyebrow tattoo that appeared unnatural, so she underwent laser tattoo removal followed by an eyebrow hair transplant to achieve a more natural result.

Not only do eyebrow transplants require artistic input to create the preferred shape, length, and position, but the details of the flow of each eyebrow hair must be designed in such a way to be uncompromisingly natural. One drawback that every patient should be aware of is that hairs transplanted in the eyebrow region must be trimmed regularly (typically every other week) since hairs taken from the scalp retain their characteristics of faster growth. We supply you with a special pair of eyebrow trimmers that make this task very easy and quick to perform as one needs to do so.

If anyone is old enough to remember the Pink Floyd movie The Wall, the absence of eyebrows can be disfiguring to the face and can alter one’s identity and diminish the recognizable landmarks of a face that contributes to our sense of being human. Restoring one’s eyebrows in an artistic manner tailored specifically to a patient’s desires, gender, ethnicity, and particular facial features can be very rewarding for both the surgeon and patient alike.As a good hairline can restore the lost frame to the face, a natural and artistically rendered eyebrow can restore the luster of one’s eyes by framing the eye properly. The absence of an eyebrow is simply unnatural for the human face, and many women try to mask this eyebrow hair loss by using permanent makeup. Unfortunately, permanent makeup rarely looks natural because it provides two dimensional and oftentimes stark coverage. Many of Dr. Lam’s patients come to his office requesting eyebrow to be transplanted over a permanent makeup hoping to make their eyebrows look more natural.

Placing hairs over an eyebrow tattoo can truly help make an individual look both natural and more attractive and is a common goal for many patients seeking eyebrow hair transplant.

At times, Dr. Lam also uses injectable cosmetic fillers, like Restylane, to complement the goals of an eyebrow hair transplant that would be to further frame the eye in a youthful way.

This individual underwent fillers around the face and eyes to achieve a more rejuvenated appearance. Fillers can be a complement to an eyebrow transplant.

Many cosmetic surgery procedures aim to remove tissues from the eyelids or lift them hoping to make them appear more youthful. Dr. Lam believes that this surgicalapproach may seem intuitively correct but in many patients isunnecessary and wrong minded. By placing a small degree of fillers around the eyes, the eyes can look even more rejuvenated and properly framed. You can ask Dr. Lam more about his fast and painless method of eyelid rejuvenation if you are interested at the time of your consultation.

Female eyebrow hair transplant – A female eyebrow is uniquely different from the male eyebrow in shape and position. There is oftentimes a more pronounced arch and the eyebrow typically resides higher above the eyes in a female than the male eyebrow. Besides these general characteristics, female eyebrows are very unique and different for every woman. Studying beautiful models, one can see that eyebrow shapes are extremely varied and still render a face more feminine and beautiful. A discussion of exactly how to create the perfect eyebrow for a patient is a matter of artistic interpretation and open dialogue with a prospective patient.A beautifully restored eyebrow should not only frame the eye but also do so in a feminine way to restore the lost femininity of the entire face. A woman can feel more feminine and beautiful after eyebrow hair restoration, which should be an ever-mindful goal to achieve.

This patient lost her eyebrows due to overplucking. The loss of her eyebrows makes the face not seem as vital or attractive, as she has lost the frame to her eye. She underwent an eyebrow hair transplant showing a much improved eyelid and facial appearance.

Male eyebrow hair transplant – Increasingly men are recognizing the importance of eyebrows to enhancetheir masculine attractiveness. A male eyebrow is typically lower set, thicker, flatter, and longer than many women’s. These uniquely masculine characteristics, albeit universal, still vary considerably in each individual man based on gender, ethnicity, and specific facial features. When an eyebrow follows the general masculine guidelines and then tailored to that individual, the result can be a significant improvement in one’s masculine features and attractiveness. Since the center of socio-professional engagement is one’s eyes, the subconscious impact on a viewer can be both subtle yet profound when the eyebrows are restored in a man.

Thin eyebrows were in vogue years ago leading many people to have overplucked their brows. Today, however, full and luscious eyebrows are back in. Eyebrow restoration is more popular than ever, and Dallas facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Lam performs this procedure routinely with many people flying in to Dallas for his artistic and technically precise surgery that he performs in both men and women, in all ethnicities, including the technically challenging African patient, and in both virgin and revision cases. He also performs this procedure to fix traumatic hair loss or hair loss from other causes.

Key Points

This man underwent an eyebrow hair transplant to improve his appearance, making him look more masculine and properly framing his eyes. Note the difference of this eyebrow shape, size, and position compared with the female examples.

Ideal candidate
- Men and women who were born with weak eyebrow hair density and/or a thin eyebrow shape
- Men and women who have any type of scar that caused their eyebrows to fall out
- Women (and some men) who over tweezed their eyebrows or have lost their eyebrows, especially the tail end, due to thyroid problems but their thyroid function is now under control
- Women who have eyebrows done with permanent make-up but would prefer having more naturally looking eyebrows to mask the permanent make-up
What to do
- Schedule your procedure and plan on one week for recovery during which time you are functional but may not be entirely socially presentable for a few days due to visible scabbing and swelling around the eyes.
- If you are from out of town, you will be required to arrive the day before the procedure and will be allowed to travel the day after, staying in town for a total of two nights. However, if you are not in town at two weeks after the procedure, you will need a professional to remove your sutures (stitches). Dr. Lam has many colleagues across the United States and the world who may be able to help remove your sutures so that you do not need to stay in Dallas for two weeks or return in two weeks to have your sutures removed.
What to expect
- You may have swelling around the eyes that may last 3 to 5 days. Due to healing and tiny scabs around the transplanted hairs, your eyebrows are going to look darker for the first week. Do not be alarmed by that observation.
- You can wear a hat and sunglasses immediately after the procedure, and you can wash your hair and eyebrows 24 hours after the procedure. You can travel the next day.
- You will need to trim your eyebrow hairs every 1 to 2 weeks. Hair growth cycle for eyebrow hairs is 2 to 3 months, while the hair growth cycle for scalp hairs is 3 to 5 years. This means that eyebrow hairs fall out after they reach a certain length, while scalp hairs will grow longer and need to be trimmed on a regular basis. Since scalp hairs are used to transplant lost eyebrows, hairs will need to be trimmed about weekly.
- You should wear an ACE wrap at night after the first week for the next two weeks at night and then when the hair starts to grow in at 2 to 4 months every night for the next 8 to 12 weeks thereafter to train the hairs to grow flat. Do not wrap it too tightly, just tight enough to cause gentle downward pressure on the the transplanted hairs.

FAQs

What if I have a tattoo already?

Should I have this removed first? This is up to you. If you like the shape of your tattoo, then you may keep it and have eyebrows transplanted over the tattoo. The advantage of doing this is that the eyebrow hair density in many cases looks denser because the tattoo, as a background element, provides more visual hair density, while at the same time the tattoo looks more natural because it is now covered with transplanted hairs. If you do not like the shape or size of your tattoo, then you may remove it prior to your transplant so as to have a clean slate to design the eyebrow you should desire. In this case, laser tattoo removal (which Dr. Lam does not perform and does not offer) should be done first until the tattoo has been eliminated before an eyebrow transplant should be undertaken.
What if I am not willing to trim my eyebrow hairs every week or so?

Then, you should not have the procedure performed. Although in some cases eyebrow hair growth slows down after several years to mimic the growth rate of native eyebrow hairs, this cannot be guaranteed. To alleviate some of your concern, the special eyebrow scissors that Dr. Lam provides to you at no extra charge are very easy to use and with blunt tips make the trimming very safe and very fast. We will be happy to instruct you on how to trim your eyebrows with these scissors very easily and quickly.
Can I design my eyebrow the way I want it?

Yes. Dr. Lam allows you quite a bit of latitude in designing your eyebrows. You can pencil them in to your satisfaction and then he can use that as a template for the eyebrow hair transplant. However, he will definitely give you guidance. There are certain parameters of attractiveness and naturalness based on gender along with other guidelines that Dr. Lam will use to help direct you on what would be more appropriate for you. Please see the accompanying Figure for some guidelines for eyebrow placement and shape.
Is one surgery enough to attain desired density?

Because eyebrows are restored by using a large number of small grafts placed close together, sometimes hairs compete for blood supply and a few grafts may not survive, leaving occasionally very small gaps. Some people see these gaps as insignificant while others choose a touch-up session. Considering the large number of grafts transplanted per eyebrow, we believe that one surgery should give you adequate coverage and that the results should still look good. Depending on your expectations, you may choose a touch-up surgery or touch-up tattooing session to fill in any small gaps. We always recommend waiting at least 12 months post-procedure to evaluate your results.
Are there cases of eyebrow hair loss that Dr. Lam cannot fix?

Yes. If the eyebrow hair loss is caused by specific skin conditions that would not benefit from a transplant, then Dr. Lam cannot perform the procedure safely. For example, alopecia areata or frontal fibrosing alopecia would most likely not allow transplanted hairs to grow. These types of skin conditions do not accepted transplanted hairs, and hairs will not grow after an eyebrow transplant. If Dr. Lam suspects these types of conditions, he will refer you to a dermatologist for a confirmatory biopsy. Conversely, if any type of traumatic scar causes a region of eyebrow hair loss, Dr. Lam can easily transplant hairs into the scar for a favorable result. A consultation with Dr. Lam will help to determine what kind of condition you may have and the best course of action for you.

Lam Institute For Hair Restoration

I had a hairline & eyebrow transpalnt with Dr. Lam & I couldn’t be happier with my results! Dr. Lam and his staff are so professional & attentive. I can’t believe how gorgeous my eyebrows are now & that I have finally have hair at my temples! It is difficult to find doctors who have experitse working with African American hair, so finding Dr. Lam was literally like finding a needle in a haystack. I highly recommend Dr. Lam for any hair restoration procedure & for all ethincities.

Google Reviewer
I had an eyebrow transplant done in April 2015. As an African American women I had searched all over the country for a Doctor I could trust. I entrusted Dr Lam and his staff and what a great choice I made. I traveled from SC to TX. I have since regained my confidence and I am very pleased with the work as well as the treatment and care of the staff. Every part of this experience has been great. The results are amazing. I had over 95% hair loss and now my brows look better than ever. Thanks!!!

T.L. Brooks
Dallas, TX
My eyebrows look amazing!! I should have done this long time ago, but I was scared they won’t look natural. I was wrong!! Dr. Lam and his team did an amazing job. Now I feel confident to go out without any makeup. Thank you so much, Dr. Lam!!

Realself Community Member