The world’s new number one style-setter, the Duchess of Cambridge, has sparked yet another trend – the big brow boom.
British cosmetic surgeons are reporting a spike in the number of women seeking eyebrow transplants, using hair from behind the patient’s ears, to emulate HRH Kate’s lush, healthy set, paying in excess of $5000 for the privilege.
“We have witnessed interest in the eyebrow transplant procedure grow back since around the time of the Royal Wedding [in April 2011] and it has steadily risen,” says Dr Raghu Reddy of The Private Clinic on London’s Harley Street, one of the UK’s leading hair restoration experts.
“While I do have patients who come to me who have over-plucked their brows, I also have women who come in with perfectly normal eyebrows, who are looking for a thicker, fuller brow to rival the likes of Kate Middleton.”
The trend back to 80s-style (think Brooke Shields) fuller, shapelier eyebrows has emerged over the last couple of years as women have become more informed about how much an impact the shape and grooming of their brows can impact on the overall face.
Sometimes, a fuller brow is more youthful looking, but an out-of-control one will age you. Pencil thin brows look polished, yet if they are too thin they can look harsh and cold.
Then there is the question of shape – arched or nearly straight? Your face and eye shape can help determine what contour you should aim. Advice from an eyebrow professional, or investing in an expert guide (such as Raising Eyebrows – Your Personal Guide To Fabulous Brows by Cameron Tuttle, RRP $25 (produced by the BeneFit makeup folk) will put you on the right track.
But if ageing, over-plucking or the caprices of nature have given you thinning or straggly brows, and shaping and makeup may not be achieving the desired results. If filling in the gaps with cosmetic tattooing doesn’t appeal, an eyebrow transplant or regular use of a lash growth booster are options.
Dr Russell Knudsen, one of Australia’s leading hair restoration surgeons, says he performs about one eyebrow transplant a week at his Sydney practice, mostly for women who’ve over-plucked and been dismayed to find the hair has not grown back. “The procedure is not terribly popular here yet,” he says. “It involves single scalp hairs being transplanted onto the eyebrows. These begin behaving like scalp hairs, growing 1cm per month, and have to be trimmed but eventually slow down to a slower growth rate. And they last for life.”
In the UK, Dr Raghu Reddy uses what he describes as ‘third generation follicular unit extraction’ (3G FUE). The treatment lasts around 4 to 5 hours and involves using a special punch, less than 1mm in diameter, to remove hair follicles from behind the patient’s ear. These are then transplanted into the brow area with growth in around 3 to 4 months.
Dr Reddy says there is minimal discomfort and the treatment requires no scalpels, stitches or linear scarring. Afterwards, patients can get immediately resume their day to day routine.
Tried and tested lash boosting products
If surgery seems a little extreme, there is a myriad of lash boosting products on the Australian market. Some of the ones that have caught my eye (if you’ll pardon the pun) include Lashes by Eternal Beauty Products, Marini Lash Eyelash Conditioner by Jan Marini and LashesMD, distributed in Australia by Advanced Skin Technology.
Lash growth serums are typically applied like eyeliner across the lids next to the lash line overnight. For the look of thicker brows, I also apply a smidgen across my eyebrows, which has really worked! Lashes gradually appear thicker and longer because the life span of those in situ is prolonged and the new ones growing through provide the illusion of extra thickness.
For a really quick eyelash boost, try the new Magnifibres Brush-on False Lashes (distributed in Australia by Advanced Cosmeceuticals), which gives you dramatically longer, thicker lashes instantly.
While we all can’t be blessed to have naturally full and defined brows (and long and lush eyelashes), there are certainly “cheat” products and procedures to emulate Duchess Kate’s strong look.
