Considering it can take years to nail down the perfect brow-shaping technique, it's a cruel twist of fate to learn that your brows do, in fact, transform with age. You won't exactly wake up one morning with an entirely new brow shape, but those arches do lose some real estate over time. Like the hair on your head and the rim of lashes along your waterline, your delicate eyebrow hairs grow older as you do.
The brows you have in your 20s will not be the same brows you have in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
How do brows change as you age?
Everything goes south (as I am very fond of saying!!). The tails tend to droop, the arches flatten out, and the fronts of the brows recede; oftentimes asymmetrically.
As for the hairs themselves, they can go grey and become more wiry in texture. It's just like the hair on your head: When the follicles produce less melanin, they tend to produce less sebum as well, which is what gives your skin and hair its natural moisture. Once the lubrication is no longer there, the hairs can become coarser.
As you age, your brows tend to get a little patchier. It doesn't happen to everyone.
Tips for your 20s
Prevention while you're young is key. Overall, keep them thick and fluffy with a light focus on product, like a clear gel and maybe a little bit of powder, just where needed. Just don't try to rework your entire brow shape and traumatise the follicles.
Tips for your 30s
You might want to focus on uniform density, as the brows get a little bit patchier. Most people start to see noticeable changes to their brows in their 30s, so it's a great time to tend to the arches with growth serums or moisturising ingredients. If I could stand the smell I would be using 100% pure castor oil to condition the hairs overnight.
Tips for your 40s
At this point, you may start to notice less definition to your brows. Just like how a sweep of blush can add warmth and sculpt the cheekbones, defined brows can frame the face and provide lift.
So in your 40s, it's all about defining the arch: Although, you might want to focus on using pencils, not powders, because pencils can give you more definition, and you can create tighter perimeter line.
Tips for your 50s & beyond
If your brows start to head south, a hit of highlighter underneath the brow bone works like a charm. Not only does it help with definition but your brows can appear more washed out as you get older; but it can also create the illusion of lift.
If you notice some hairs turning grey, you can either opt for a brow tint or a tinted gel to coat them with colour if it bothers you. Or, you can always lean into the grey and transition your brow products to ashier tones.
If you would like some professional advice about how to make more of your brows, change the colour or shape, please press the button below and make yourself an appointment for a beauty consultation.