Brows, Lashes, and Alopecia

Did you know there are many types of alopecia areata? Each type has a unique pattern of hair loss. You may have seen that some people with alopecia range from just a few patches to having no body hair at all. This guide will help you understand why that is and attempt to answer the common question of “how much hair will I lose?” 

If you have AA and are wondering “will I lose my eyebrows and eyelashes?” like so many things to do with AA, there’s no easy answer to this question. You could lose them very quickly, or you may not lose them. Let’s have a look at why that is in this quick guide to brows, lashes, and alopecia areata.

How Alopecia Causes Hair Loss

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease. For unknown reasons, the immune system mistakenly recognizes your own body as the enemy and attacks it.  Alopecia areata -targets the hair follicles. This results in the hair follicle slowing down hair production. 

Alopecia areata typically presents as round patches of complete hair loss. These patches usually develop over a few weeks and may present as one patch or multiple patches. Alopecia areata does not lead to the inability to regrow hair. In many cases, hair loss isn’t permanent, and patches regrow over the course of several months.

However, for some individuals, alopecia areata will persist and hair may never regrow. For an even smaller percentage of people, alopecia areata will develop into other types of alopecia. Alopecia totalis involves the complete loss of hair on the scalp and Alopecia universalis involves the loss of hair on the scalp as well as the body (including eyelashes and eyebrows). 

To best understand how Alopecia Areata works across the different parts of your body, its important to  understand the phases of hair growth. The eyebrow growth cycle typically lasts about 4 months;the eyelash life cycle typically lasts 3 months; and the scalp hair’s growth cycle typically takes about 3-4 years to complete. You can read more about them here.

When Will Alopecia Affect Your Brows and Lashes?

It’s estimated that 50% of alopecia areata patients recover within 1 year of their diagnosis. On the other hand, 10% of alopecia areata patients will develop alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis.

Individuals with alopecia universalis experience the loss of all their body hair. That includes the hair on the scalp, body, and face. But there’s no particular timeline for this. Hair loss in some individuals occurs suddenly, in only a few days or weeks. For others, the spread of hair loss takes significantly longer.

If you already have alopecia areata and are starting to notice hair loss on other parts of your body, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor. While you may be losing hair for many reasons (such as age), if you are unsure about it, a trip to the doctor can be a good idea. 

Medication Options for Alopecia Universalis

Like alopecia areata, there is no cure for alopecia universalis. However, there are some treatments that have been effective in some individuals. When treating AA there are several medications that treat scalp hair loss that will also help with eyebrow and eyelash, however, some medications can be used to specifically target eyebrow or eyelash hair loss. For eyelashes and eyebrows specifically, you make consider the use of JAK creams for eyebrows and Latisse treating glaucoma, it can be used to grow and thicken eyelashes.

Did you know we keep a list of treatment options here? This is a general list and what medication is right for you will depend on the conversation you have with your doctor. They’ll take into consideration your age, medical history, and severity of your condition before recommending something that might work for you. 

Coping with the Loss of Brows and Lashes

Although alopecia areata doesn’t have any physical impact beyond hair loss, there’s no doubting the effect it can have on the emotional and mental wellbeing of individuals who have it. Alopecia areata can cause intense emotional distress, high levels of anxiety and depression, and personal, social, and work-related problems. 

When it comes to hair loss on the scalp, you might choose to use accessories such as hats, scarves and wigs. When it comes to brows and lashes, you also have a few options! 

Options might include 

• No makeup/accessories 
• Temporary tattooing 
• Makeup (eyebrow stencils can help with this) 
• Eyebrow wigs
• Cosmetic eyeliner
• Cosmetic eyebrow tattooing
• Magnetic lashes (yes – you can use them even if you don’t have lashes). 
• Temporary stick on eyebrow tattoos. You can view them here

A note on cosmetic eyebrow tattooing: Today’s techniques, like microblading, make it near impossible to tell the difference between real brows and tattooed ones. And because brows are so in right now, there’s also tons of makeup kits that help you create the illusion of full brows. False eyelashes can help satisfy your need for thick, curly lashes. There are professional salons that do lash extensions or you can purchase fake lashes at basically any chemist or beauty place. 

But perhaps the most important strategy for coping with the loss of lashes and brows is to find people who have similar experiences. You can read about other people’s stories here or find a local support group where you can share your thoughts and feelings in a safe and understanding space.

If you are losing your eyelashes or eyebrows, we highlight recommend watching our most popular video Alopecia Style: Eyelashes and Eyebrows (insert video below) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX4dwUG67gs