Rebecca Campen, M.D., J.D. is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and former Deputy Director of the Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital Cutaneous Biology Research Center (CBRC). She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CBRC and divides her time between clinical practice of dermatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and private practice in Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Campen is the author of two books for medical students and residents, Going Into Medical Practice and Blueprints in Dermatology.

Question:

What would cause the eyebrows to fall out? Mine are thinning quickly.

Answer

There are many reasons that eyebrow hair fall out. Excessive plucking, rubbing eyebrows from habit, or vigorously applying eyebrow pencil can cause eyebrows to fall out. Eyebrow hair can thin with aging, just as scalp hair can.

Telogen effluvium, a temporary condition where excessive hair falls out, can affect eyebrows as well as scalp hair. This is a normal "resting" stage of hair growth that can occur periodically. It can also be precipitated by medications, stress, trauma, or medical conditions. It can be a fairly rapid type of hair loss. It is more noticeable when hair is also being lost through normal aging.

Certain medical conditions may cause loss of eyebrows. "Hertzoge's sign" is loss of hair on the outer third of the eyebrow. This is sometimes associated with low thyroid conditions (hypothyroidism) or endocrine imbalances. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition where a person's own antibodies attack hair follicles, can create patches of hair loss on the scalp and can affect eyebrows and other areas where hair grows. Eczema can sometimes be associated with loss of eyebrows, often from scratching. Some medications may cause loss of eyebrows and scalp hair.

If you experience rapid loss of eyebrow hair, see your doctor to determine if an underlying medical condition or medication is causing the hair loss. If the cause is simply aging, gently applying eyebrow cosmetics can help. If the cause is telogen effluvium, Eyebrow Rogaine may be helpful in diminishing hair loss.