Hair restoration has long been thought of as restoring hair predominantly in the scalp in men and women who have lost hair for various reasons. Advances in hair restoration techniques have made it possible to transplant hair in to the eyebrows in patients with thinning eyebrows or in patients who may have lost their eyebrows due to over-plucking. Refinements in techniques have allowed for the restoration of eyebrow hair with very natural appearing results. In part, due to fashion and culture trends, along with advancements in techniques Dr. Bared treats many patients seeking to restore their eyebrows.
Professional affiliations & contributions
Consultation with Dr. Bared
The goal in eyebrow restoration is to restore the desired shape and density, and natural direction and angle of growth of eyebrow hair. The most common presentation in women is the thinning of the eyebrows either from over-plucking, aging, or genetic causes. Men typically lose the outer aspect of the eyebrows with aging and are seeking overall thicker eyebrows. Upon meeting with Dr. Bared, you will review your goals for eyebrow restoration. It can be helpful to bring in photos of your “ideal” eyebrow as this can guide the plan for your procedure. Dr. Bared will review with you your options for eyebrow transplantation.
The donor hair is almost always the scalp because of its reliable regrowth, although other areas of the body can be used as well but the regrowth is not as reliable nor is supply oftentimes as readily available. In most cases, scalp donor hair extraction is performed from a small “strip” (FUG) from the occipital scalp. In some cases, for instance men who wish to shave their head, the donor hair is harvested via the FUE technique. Once the hairs regrow they will need to be trimmed as they will continue to grow like scalp hair.
Day of the Procedure
You will be seated in front of a mirror in the pre-operative suite. If you have a generally good idea of the shape you desire for your eyebrows. You will be offered an eye-liner pen and are given the time to draw in your desired eyebrow shape. After you are given some time to design your eyebrows, final markings, refinements, and measurements are made by Dr. Bared with a fine marker. Measurements are taken for symmetry. Men seeking eyebrow restoration typically are seeking to fill in areas within the eyebrows which are lacking density. The male eyebrow is designed with less of an arch and as an extension of the existing eyebrow. In women, the point at which the tail and body of the eyebrow meet forming the arch is usually located at or just lateral to the colored aspect of the eye called the lateral limbus. For a more dramatic look, this arch can be far lateral. However, it can vary in position and roundedness. In men, the arch of the brow is not so much as a peek but rather a widening of the eyebrow.
Once the agreed upon shape is achieved in the pre-operative area, you will be offered oral sedative medications for the procedure. Dr. Bared removes the donor hairs from typically the back of the scalp and then his dedicated team of technicians dissect these hairs individually under the microscope. Dr. Bared then makes each incision for the placement of these grafts under magnification.
Recovery and Post-operative Care
You will be given detailed immediate post-operative instructions in writing on the day of your procedure. You will also be shown the proper care for the eyebrows as well as the proper care for the donor area. On average, you can expect to have swelling in the transplanted area for 5 to 7 days after the procedure. The transplanted grafts will then fall out and you will return to your original eyebrow shape and hair density. It will then take around 4 to 6 months for the transplanted hairs to begin to regrow with results being seen around 10 months to one year after the procedure. In around 15% of the cases, a smaller secondary procedure can be performed to further increase the density of the eyebrows.
Eyebrow Transplantation
Before and After Photos
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.