What is Eyebrow Hair Loss, Its Symptoms, Causes, and Its Treatment
Eyebrow hypotrichosis and eyebrow madarosis are commonly known as eyebrow hair loss. It causes a thinning of hair and missing patches of hair in the eyebrows.
It is not a serious problem, but it can affect both males and females. There are many causes of eyebrow hair loss.
Hormonal imbalance, diet, overactive immunity system, nutritional deficiencies, certain medical conditions, and many skin problems are the common cause of eyebrow hair loss.
The common symptom of this problem is hair loss. Itchiness, dry skin, hair thinning, and hair loss are some other symptoms.
It is very important to determine the cause of eyebrow hair loss for the treatment of this problem.
Here, I will tell you about different symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and treatments of eyebrow hair loss.
Symptoms of Eyebrow Hair Loss:
The common symptoms are the following:
- Itchiness
- Dry skin
- Loss of hair
- Thinning of hair
Causes:
There are many causes of eyebrow hair loss. Some medical conditions, skin problems, autoimmune disorders, genetic conditions, and hormonal imbalance are common causes of eyebrow hair loss.
The causes are the following:
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormonal imbalance
- Autoimmune disease
- Skin conditions
- Telogen effluvium
- Ageing
- Plucking and use of makeup products
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Genetic conditions
- Medical conditions
Nutritional Deficiencies:
The human body requires a lot of nutrients and energy sources for the maintenance and proper functioning of the body.
All these nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins are important for the body. The deficiency of these nutrients and minerals causes hair loss and many other health issues.
The deficiency of vitamin A, zinc, and sulfur causes hair fall and hair loss. These nutrients and minerals are very important for the body.
The other nutrients that are important for hair growth are the following:
- Biotin
- Vitamin C
- Iron
- Vitamin B-12, E, and D
- Cysteine
- Omega-3 fatty acids
The deficiency of these nutrients causes hair loss.
Hormonal Imbalance:
Hormonal imbalance, especially thyroid disease, is a common cause of eyebrow hair loss.
The thyroid gland produces a hormone that helps to maintain the metabolism of the body. Changes in the production of these hormones cause many changes in the body.
It affects the body’s balance and disturbs normal body functions and hair growth.
Hyperthyroidism:
It is a condition in which too much thyroid hormone is produced. It causes fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, bulging eyes, and heart palpitations.
The other symptoms of thyroid disorders are the following:
- Goitre (swelling in the neck)
- The dry, itchy scalp
- Dry thick, brittle nails
- Dry, coarse, brittle hair
- The dry, pale, and velvety skin
This hair loss is usually temporary, and it returns to its normal condition when thyroid levels return to normal.
Autoimmune Disease:
Autoimmune diseases develop when the Immunity system attacks its own body cell mistakenly.
In this condition immunity system consider its own body cells a foreign particle and attack them. The immunity system attacks the healthy cells that help in hair growth.
This condition leads to the thinning of hair, patches of hair loss, and hair fall.
The common autoimmune diseases are the following:
- Alopecia areata
- Frontal fibrosing alopecia
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
Alopecia Areata:
It is a condition that causes hair loss patches on the head, scalp, and other body parts, including eyebrows.
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia:
It is a type of alopecia that commonly affects females after menopause. It causes thinning of hair and eyebrows hair loss.
Discoid Lupus Erythematosus:
It is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes many skin problems like skin sores, scarring, and hair loss on the face and eyebrows.
Skin Conditions:
Healthy skin is very important for the growth of healthy hair because follicles grow directly in the skin. An increase in hair follicles means an increase in hair growth.
Many skin conditions cause hair loss and hair fall. The skin becomes rough, dry, itchy, and inflammatory around the eyebrows that causing hair loss. The common skin conditions are the following:
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Contact dermatitis
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Tinea capitis
- Hansen’s disease
Eczema:
It is a condition that causes inflammation in the skin. Common symptoms are itchiness, redness, oozing, and irritation. It disturbs the growth of the normal hair follicles that affect the growth of hair.
Psoriasis:
It is an autoimmune disorder in which skin cells multiply so quickly. It forms red, thick, itchy, scaly, and painful patches on the skin that block the hair follicles and stop hair growth.
Contact Dermatitis:
It is caused due to allergens and contact with a toxic irritant that commonly cause itchy and burning sensations in the skin. It affects the area near the eyebrows and inhibits the growth of hair.
Seborrheic Dermatitis:
It is caused due to fungus and overproduction of oil in the skin. It causes dandruff and dry skin in the eyebrows and causes hair fall.
Tinea Capitis:
It is commonly known as ringworm and is also a type of fungus infection that causes red, itchy, raised ring-like patches on the skin. These patches appear on the eyebrows and cause hair loss.
Telogen Effluvium:
It is a condition of abnormal hair loss caused when the normal hair growth cycle is interrupted by hormonal changes and other changes in the body.
Stress and Anxiety:
Stress is the main cause of hair loss. During stress conditions, the oxygen is reduced in the body, and it causes a change in hormones. All these changes cause hair fall and hair loss in the body.
Aging:
Aging is the main factor of hair loss in both men and women. The estrogen and testosterone hormone levels decrease in the body that causes thinning of hair.
Plucking and Use of Makeup Products:
Harsh makeup products damage your skin and hair follicles that affect your hair growth and cause hair loss. Plucking of eyebrows creates minor trauma that stops the growth of hair in the eyebrows area.
Pregnancy and Childbirth:
Pregnancy and childbirth also cause hair loss. Many hormonal changes change the body’s biochemistry, disturb the normal hair growth cycle, and cause hair loss.
Genetic Conditions:
Certain genetic conditions cause hair loss. These conditions are the following:
- Ectodermal dysplasias
- Netherton syndrome
Ectodermal Dysplasia:
It is a group of conditions that affect nails, hair, skin, and teeth. It causes hair loss in eyebrows, eyelashes, and other body parts.
Netherton Syndrome:
In this condition, the hair can easily break and is known as “bamboo hair.” It affects the skin, hair, and immunity system.
Medical Conditions:
The effect of certain medicines causes hair loss. These are the following:
- Acitretin
- Chemotherapy
- Valproic acid
Acitretin:
It is a drug that is used to treat different skin problems like psoriasis.
Chemotherapy:
It is used for the treatment of Cancer.
Valproic acid:
It is an anticonvulsant drug that is used to treat seizures and bipolar disorder.