Why Shaving Your Eyebrows Off May Not Be The Best Choice

There's no doubt that your eyebrows can help you to define your overall look. There are also plenty of ways to achieve the brow style you desire, from using a gel or soap to having them microblade. On the other hand, you might also want to fully shave your eyebrows right off. Offering the option of simply leaving the area bare so you can see it as a blank canvas will allow you to create any type of brow accent that you like. Granted, Fides Baldesberger, brow expert and CEO of Rubis Tweezers, told PopSugar, "It'll definitely change your entire look, so it's not something to take lightly."

On top of that, you may also want to consider factors that go beyond what you might look like after taking a razor to your brows and keep a certain practical matter in mind. As Baldesberger explained, "It is safe to shave your eyebrows as long as you do it with care and use the right tools and products and clean them properly."

Granted, even if you take the time and care needed to keep things safe while shaving, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a healthy choice or the right one for you. That's because you happen to have eyebrows for a very good reason, which is why it might not be a good idea to get rid of them.

Whether or not you tend to give your eyebrows much thought, you might have assumed that they don't do a heck of a lot. We're here to tell you that brows are actually pretty darn important for a number of reasons. First, they're meant to keep your precious peepers safe, with board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara telling Allure, "[They provide] protection from sweat, and some speculate that the direction of eyebrow hairs guides sweat and moisture away from the eyes. And they keep debris from falling in the eye socket."

On top of that, eyebrows are a key factor in how we convey emotions, according to Healthline. Just think about how they pop up when you're surprised or come down when you're frowning. That's not to mention how you might wiggle and waggle your eyebrows at someone you want to flirt with if you're feeling rather bold, which, of course, would be hard to do without eyebrows. You might also want to consider the fact that a 2016 study in Sage Journals once found that it was harder to recognize someone who didn't have eyebrows.

Finally, there's the fact that removing your brows may simply erase an aspect that enhances your look, specifically the area around your eyes. Brow artist Sania Vucetaj explained to Allure, "A face without brows takes away from the frame." Choosing to shave your brows might also leave you in a predicament if you want to grow them back.

The good news is that if you decide to shave off your eyebrows, you may be able grow them back. The bad news is that it might not be pleasant. Frankly, Ramy Gafni, an eyebrow specialist, celebrity makeup artist, and the owner of Ramy Cosmetics, told Byrdie, "[Shaving your eyebrows is something you'll] regret for the rest of your life." 

If you're still determined to do it, just be prepared for what you might face if you also decide to grow your brows back. First, they may come in feeling rough. Gafni explained, "[E]yebrows grow back as stubble because you are not removing the hair from the root like you do with tweezing or waxing."

You should also know that brows don't grow back quickly. While the exact amount of time will really depend on your own body, dermatologist Meena Singh, MD, told Cosmopolitan, "As long as you have stem cells in the hair follicle, the hair can start to regrow in two to three weeks, but it will take two to three months before they are fully regrown, if they do come back." While that sounds, well, iffy, Sania Vucetaj, brow expert and founder of Sania's Brow Bar in New York City, also told Glamour, "The brow regrowth journey can take up to a year, so be patient." If you're not a patient person, then maybe you shouldn't shave your brows off in the first place.