Home Remedies To Darken Gray Eyebrows

Gray eyebrows can indicate an underlying nutritional deficiency if they appear prematurely or they can be just a sign of aging. Irrespective of the reason, you may desire to darken gray eyebrows for cosmetic purposes. But how do you go about doing it? It’s not like gray hair, which you can dye a different color. Or can you dye your eyebrows? Continue reading to know more about graying brows and how you can deal with them.

What Causes Gray/White Eyebrows?

There are multiple reasons that may lead to premature eyebrow hair graying. The leading causes of premature graying of eyebrows are:

• Pigment Imbalance – Hair and eyebrows get their color from a pigment called melanin (1). An imbalance in the composition of melanin may cause eyebrows to gray.

• Hormonal Imbalances – These may result from an unhealthy lifestyle or use of certain medications (2).

• Smoking – The pre-oxidant effect of smoking may damage the melanocytes, the melanin-producing cells (3). Hence, smoking may cause premature graying of hair.

• Unhealthy Lifestyle – Following an unhealthy lifestyle with a poor diet containing refined and processed foods may lead to premature hair graying. Deficiencies of essential nutrients (vitamin B12, iron, etc.) may cause premature hair graying (4).

• Genetics/Heredity – Anecdotal evidence suggests that people with a family history of premature graying of hair may also have gray eyebrows.

• Stress – High levels of stress can induce oxidative stress within your body. This, in turn, may contribute to premature graying of your hair and eyebrows (2).

Did You Know?

One way to reduce oxidative stress and even stimulate hair growth is to use topical melatonin (2).

Home Remedies And Tips For Gray Eyebrows

1. Coffee

Coffee is believed to have hair colorizing properties. It is often used with powdered henna to color graying hair (5). It may help in coloring gray eyebrows.

You Will Need

• 1 cup of water
• Coffee powder

What You Have To Do

1. Dissolve two teaspoons of coffee powder in two tablespoons of cold water.
2. Add the coffee solution to boiling water. Mix well and let it cool.
3. Use the mixture to rinse your eyebrows.
4. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse it off with plain water.

Note: You can add a little henna powder to the mixture to enhance the color of the eyebrows.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day or every alternate day.

2. Amla (Indian Gooseberry)

Amla is used to stop premature graying of hair (6). Hence, using amla may help in tinting the eyebrows naturally.

You Will Need

• 5-6 amla
• A glass of water

What You Have To Do

1. Cut the amlas into small pieces.
2. Boil them with a glass of water.
3. Cool the mixture down and store it.
4. Use the solution as a final rinse after washing your hair.
5. You can also drink amla juice for additional benefits.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this 1-2 times a week.

Quick Tip

Add indigo or henna to this mix to make your eyebrows darker. You can also cut the amla into tiny pieces, mash it, and add two tablespoons of coconut oil. Apply this mix to your eyebrows and let it sit for an hour. Wash it off with cold water.

3. Vitamins

Deficiencies of vitamins B12, H, and D3 are commonly associated with graying hair (7). Restoring the levels of these vitamins may help reverse graying.

You Will Need

Foods rich in vitamins (Chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, and almonds).

What You Have To Do

Consume the foods on a regular basis. Regular intake may restore the deficiencies. You can also take additional supplements of these vitamins after consulting a doctor.

4. Natural Dyes

Natural dyes may help in covering gray eyebrows. However, there is no scientific research to back this claim.

You Will Need

• Foods with natural color (Beetroot, sage, and saffron)

What You Have To Do

1. Extract the juices from the foods.
2. Rinse your eyebrows with the juices.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

5. Castor Oil

Castor oil has moisturizing properties and may promote hair growth (8). Anecdotal evidence suggests that castor oil also slows down the process of premature graying with consistent use. The theory is that it moisturizes and nourishes the hair follicles so they retain their natural color. However, more research is required on the subject.

You Will Need

• A few drops of castor oil
• A cotton swab or a clean mascara wand

What You Have To Do

1. Apply a few drops of castor oil using a clean mascara wand or a cotton swab before bedtime.
2. Gently massage it into your eyebrows and leave it overnight.

How Often You Should Do This

You can do this every night before bedtime.

Try any of these remedies to darken gray eyebrows. If the graying of the eyebrows is due to aging, covering up is a good option. Listed below are some quick and effective ways.

Best Ways To Cover Gray Eyebrows

• Plucking – Plucking may be a good option if only a couple of eyebrow hairs have turned gray. However, do not follow this method if most of the hair is gray.

• Eyebrow Pencil Or Palette – Various shades of eyebrow pencils or enhancers and palettes are available that may help with tonal enhancement, give a nice shadowing effect, and cover gray eyebrows.

• Temporary Dyes – Various temporary dyes are available on the market. These may be used to mask graying eyebrows and make them look fuller. Just make sure there is no color variation between the two eyebrows.

• Mascara – In the absence of an eyebrow pencil or palette, you can use mascara for covering grays, shading, and grooming your eyebrows without smudging.

Kerry Lou, a makeup artist and a food, travel, fashion and fitness vlogger, shared her experience with darkening her eyebrows in a Youtube video. She says, “I’m darkening this area of my right brow, but I’m not going higher than the brow as I did on my left brow (i).” She uses a brow pencil to carefully shape and define her brows, emphasizing that slight corrections are essential. She also highlighted the significance of using a clean mascara wand to help brush the brows into shape.

Infographic: Best Home Remedies For Dark Eyebrows

Like gray hair, gray eyebrows can also be a matter of aesthetic concern. They might develop with age, hormonal imbalances, smoking, lifestyle issues, ancestral history, nutritional deficiencies, or stress. But before you resort to dyeing the eyebrows, you can check out some effective home remedies to darken them. Keep reading to find the best home remedies to darken eyebrows using common kitchen ingredients.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make gray eyebrows look good?

You can use eyebrow pencils and other brow products to fill in gray eyebrows and make them look good.

Should you pluck gray eyebrows?

You should not pluck gray eyebrow hair. The more frequently you do it, the more it damages the hair follicles. This reduces hair regrowth at the eyebrows.

Can gray eyebrows be tinted?

Yes, you can tint gray eyebrows with coffee, beetroot juice, or colored oils. You can also use brow coloring products to give your brows a nice tint.

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Dr. Jyoti GuptaMD

   

Dr. Jyoti Gupta is a board-certified (IADVL) dermatologist specializing in cosmetic, laser, and hair transplant surgery. She has 10 years of experience, and has done over 1000 hair transplant surgeries and 3000 aesthetic procedures. She is renowned for using minimal combination procedures for her patients, providing long-term natural results. She has written extensively about chemical peels, anti-aging procedures, body hair...more

Sucharita MishraHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Sucharita Mishra has a Master’s degree in Biotechnology and two years of experience in writing on topics related to Health and Wellness. She has worked on determining various heavy metals present in green tea for her Master’s dissertation at CSIR- CFTRI, Mysuru. After completing her degree, Sucharita decided to pursue her passion for writing. She is addicted to all things...more

Ramona SinhaEditor

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal. She also did a certificate course in dermatology offered by the Novosibirsk State University...more

Swathi ESenior Beauty & Lifestyle Writer

Swathi has a postgraduate degree in English literature from The English And Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and over two years of experience in writing on health and lifestyle. She also has a diploma in English journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Kottayam, and is a certified skincare coach. She writes on skin care and aims to present well-researched...more