My Eyebrows Doubled in Size After Making These 6 Sneaky Changes

My eyebrows and I been through a journey together. Though I'm naturally blessed—or rather, was naturally blessed at the time of my birth—with superbly bushy brows (thanks, Dad!), I surrendered to the tweezing craze all through high school and college. For years, not only was I convinced my super-skinny arches looked better than my natural fuller shape, (spoiler—they most certainly did not), but I also struggled with anxiety that led to me plucking and shaping my already stingy brows into further oblivion. Eek. Other faux pas? 10 coats of mascara and even more coats of bronzer...viewer discretion advised on the cringe-y photos further down!

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My Bows Currently
(Image credit: @ERIN_JAHNS)

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(Image credit: @ERIN_JAHNS)

To be honest, it wasn't until I landed my dream gig as a beauty editor in Los Angeles almost two years ago that I became fully committed to rehabilitating the size and shape of my brows. All of a sudden, I had access to some of the best brow artists, dermatologists, nutritionists and hairstylists in the industry, and with their combined tips and product recommendations, my brows have totally transformed. They've definitely done a 180 since my admittedly scary days of college and high school, and they've even doubled in shape within the mere few years I've been showing them more TLC here in L.A.

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My Brows Circa 2008
(Image credit: @ERIN_JAHNS)

Related: Rosie HW Is Genuinely Scared This Brow Trend Will Make a Comeback

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My Brows Circa 2015
(Image credit: @ERIN_JAHNS)

That said, since our brows naturally grow thinner as we age, and since I inflicted an annoying amount of damage to my hair follicles due to my years (and years) of tweezing and waxing, the road back wasn't as fast or necessarily seamless as I hoped it would be. It's taken some expert guidance, lifestyle changes and lots and lots of patience, but ultimately, my brows and I have come a long way.

So if you've ever wondered how to grow thicker eyebrows, I'm using my own personal experience to help guide you, and am sharing six of the best tips and practices I've learned from the best experts in the industry regarding brow and hair growth. Keep scrolling! 

1. Tweezing > Waxing

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(Image credit: @NATURALLYBY)

Since making the switch from waxing to tweezing, my eyebrow growth has increased significantly and came as a direct recommendation from the most sought-after brow artists in the industry like Stevi Christine and Kristie Streicher. "I prefer the gentle and precise results that only tweezing can give," Streicher shares. "I like to work with the natural shape of one's eyebrow, and if someone has been overshaped in the past or is tweezing too much on their own, my technique helps to grow out the natural shape of the brow. I only tweeze the few hairs needed to shape and create a more symmetrical look. Too often, clients do not realise how much hair is being taken from their brow with waxing or other forms of depilation, and that can adversely affect the shape of the brow as well as traumatise the follicle."

2. Using Brow Products to My Advantage

Related: I Tried Over 35 Eyebrow Products—These Are the Ones I'd Recommend

3. Prioritising Quality Supplements

4. Treating My Brows to Weekly TLC Treatments

5. Apply Brow Serum Twice a Day, Every Day

Related: I'm a Beauty Editor, and These Are the Only 10 Amazon Products I'd Actually Buy

6. Cleaning Up My Diet

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(Image credit: @SAKARALIFE)

It might sound crazy, and I'm never one to preach any type of diet to others, but whenever I'm prioritising a healthy lifestyle, my hair seems to take major growth and shine cues. When I went 100% plant-based with Sakara for a two-week challenge last year (which I then extended for a few more months), my hair had honestly never looked better, and my friends and family couldn't believe how long my hair got. And my brows, which had hit a little bit of growth plateau, also seemed to benefit.

As holistic nutritionist and friend Meryl Pritchard has shared with me, consuming a combination of vitamins (especially B!), healthy fats and protein—either animal or plant-based—is essential for encouraging healthy hair growth. Due to my busy lifestyle, I've found plant-based and organic meal-delivery systems incredibly helpful for keeping me accountable and ensuring I'm getting a regular feed of hair-enhancing, nutrient-dense meals.

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(Image credit: @THISTLECO)

Next up, the one product skincare experts wish you'd stop using.

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.