Eyebrows Hit the Big Time with New York Times Feature
The New York Times has finally jumped onboard the trend we began discussing more than four years ago: the increasing attention on eyebrows.
The eyebrow has a pivotal role in the appearance of our faces, framing of the eyes, and bestowing balance to the face. The eyebrows and eyes together are important in the perception of attractiveness and sex appeal. In the article, "Fewer Eyebrows Raised at Brow Grooming for Men," reporter Andrew Adam Newman explores the booming business being done by eyebrow specialists.
There are distinct differences in the shape of the male and female eyebrows. The male eyebrow tends to be wider, thicker and the female narrower, finer and more delicate looking. Some men aren't big fans of so-called "eyebrow sculpting" because if overdone, it can have a somewhat feminizing effect on a man's face.
Sure, we all know enough to clean up any evidence of a unibrow by plucking the stray hairs that might pop up above the bridge of the nose. However, if an eyebrow stylist takes a conservative approach to trimming and tweezering -- what some call "guybrows" -- it can have a significant impact on how a man's face looks. The effect can be similar to having an eyelift; it can effectively open the eye and make you look younger.
According to eyebrow specialists, it is important for a man to get the eyebrows groomed and not shaped to maintain a masculine appearance.
But what if your challenge is not that your eyebrows are growing too much - it is that you have experienced hair loss of your eyebrow hairs? It is more common than you might think. The loss of the eyebrows can have a profound effect on the look of the individual. Most affected by this condition elect to either pencil in the eyebrow or have them tattooed. The tattoo eyebrows acquire a punk look by changing to a bluish color after the brown / black pigment is engulfed by the macrophages in the skin. Those wishing to remove the tattoo should undertake its removal by laser before starting the transplantation process.
Eyebrow Reconstruction Procedure Explained
An eyebrow transplant is another option that can be considered. In the presentation below, Dr. Arocha covers the eyebrow reconstruction procedure. The presentation includes surgical and before and after photos.
Arocha Hair Restoration has offered eyebrow transplant procedures for years. In fact, the most common causes of eyebrow loss are repeated plucking of the eyebrows and physical trauma. Many of my patients come to see me as result of accidents, surgical procedures, chemotherapy or burns. All these causes of eyebrow loss are amenable to surgical restoration.
Of course, we start by identifying the donor hair follicles. The calliber of the hair is key. Sometimes we need fine hairs, as in a woman with fine facial hair in the eyebrow area. That type of hair tends to grow around the ear and in the temporal area. Conversely, to find a good match for a man with thick facial hair, we would probably go to the occipital area, in the back of the head, where the hair tends to be thicker.
By using modern artistic hair transplant techniques such as binocular microscopy, acute angling and dense packing, we can achieve a natural, undetectable result. Binocular microscopy allows the precise trimming of single hair follicular units devoid of any excess tissue but with all the essential anatomic structures that ensure it’s growth. Acute angling allows the transplanted hair to come in almost flush to the skin. We create the sites at an angle of 0-10 degrees so that the hair doesn't stick up, and the curvature of the hair needs to bend towards the skin. It can take about eight months for an eyebrow transplant to completely grow in. Results are usually very pleasing since they embellish and frame the eyes probably the single most important feature of the face.
Post-transplant, plan on having to trim the transplanted eyebrow at least monthly. It is best to cut the transplanted hair at an angle to simulate the pointed end of the original eyebrow hairs. If some of the transplanted hairs are unruly using a styling gel can shape them. The New York Times article offers some advice on grooming kits that are available:
- Remington now makes five multipurpose trimmers that include comb-like eyebrow attachments. The newest, its All-in-One Groomer ($19.99), includes three smaller attachments suitable for brows.
- From Wahl, the new Micro Groomsman ($14.99), available online now and in stores in June, is a pen-shaped device with one attachment for noses and another for brows
- Eyebrowz.com sells eyebrow accouterments, such as the Men’s Deluxe Eyebrow Grooming Kit ($47.15), which includes small brow razors, scissors, clear brow styling gel, and stencils modeled after eyebrow shapes of celebrities like Tom Cruise, Sean Connery and Denzel Washington.
Interested in learning more? Contact Arocha Hair Restoration to setup your personal Hair Replacement Consultation.
