Snowed In? In Goblin Mode? There’s Never Been A Better Time To Grow Out Your Brows.

Nineties nostalgia loomed large in 2022, bringing with it the return of skinny brows– but much like the last time around, you might already be having regrets. Fortunately, all is not lost, as January and February’s short days and bitter weather take us into hibernation (or goblin) mode and offer the perfect opportunity to grow back those brows.

For advice on how to best start resurrecting over plucked eyebrows, we turned to Diana Augustoni, Onda’s resident Brow Architect (NB! Diana will be in Tribeca next weekend, so be sure to book an appointment with her so you can experience her brow artistry firsthand). First off, she says, understanding the three growth cycles of your brows is key. “Hair grows in cycles, so by training the hair to be in the same rhythm, this allows for the growth at the same time.”

The only way to achieve this, however, is to down tools for a good two to three months and fully allow the hair to work through its natural growth cycle. “I often recommend to clients to allow for some growth before seeing me and then once we start working together we can decide how long in between is best,” says Augustoni, who offers a full range of brow services at our Tribeca location. “As a general time length, six weeks growth is a good start to allow your brows to grow in between brow appointments. And NO touching in between. Not even a pesky brow hair hanging out in the middle of the brow!” 

So how exactly does the brow growth cycle work? “The first phase of a hair growth cycle is called the anagen phase and this determines the length of the hair,” says Augustoni. “This phase is the growth phase and can last from 30 to 45 days. During this phase we really don’t want to tweeze or trim any hairs. Often the growth isn’t perfect, so you might see growth very far down on the eyelid or in between the brows, but trust that those hairs will stimulate growth to other areas. I think the biggest brow myth is that brows don’t grow back. I hear this all the time. There will be people who truly won’t get new brow growth but that number is very small. The majority of people will get growth.”

The next phase is the catagen phase, in which the hair follicles start to move towards the skin.  This stage will last for two to three weeks. The final phase is the telogen phase; this is where hair falls out to allow new hair to come through the hair follicle. If you disrupt this phase, you prevent or shorten the time for new hair to grow. This phase can last from four to eight weeks.

While this may sound like an impossibly long time to those of us who love a bit of at–home brow maintenance, there are products that can make the process easier, from covering up stubbly, uneven regrowth to providing nutrients to the brow hair and skin for an added boost. By the time spring rolls around, you’ll be sporting a set of superlative brows. 

Here, Augustoni’s tips for your best brows ever: