Do eyebrow growth serums actually work? Experts aren’t convinced (2024)

No matter what your ideal brow shape is, getting the look you desire is easier when you have enough hair there to groom. And while a pencil can certainly be used to define brows, having to rely on makeup isn’t for everyone. That’s where an eyebrow growth serum comes in. A number of formulas on the market say they may help condition brows, prevent breakage, combat thinning and even lead to potential hair growth. All you have to do is incorporate the serum into your daily skin care routine for results.

I spoke to board-certified dermatologists about the efficacy of eyebrow growth serums, what to know when using one and how to determine which one is best for you. I also gathered some of their recommendations as well as highly rated options available on the market now.

SKIP AHEAD How I picked the best eyebrow growth serums | Best eyebrow growth serums | How to shop for eyebrow growth serums

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How I picked the best eyebrow growth serums

An eyebrow growth serum can help improve your brow hair health, growth, density, and more. When shopping for one, our experts recommend keeping the following factors in mind:

  • Ingredients: When you’re looking for an effective eyebrow growth serum, ingredients matter most. Our experts recommend ingredients that can stimulate hair growth, like peptides, and ingredients that will help condition the hair, including castor oil. More on the different types of stimulating and conditioning ingredients down below.
  • Price: Eyebrow growth serums can vary in price. My list has options as low as $15 and as high as $125.
The best brow growth serums

While some of the dermatologists I spoke to had reservations about fully endorsing the efficacy of brow growth serums for growth, they did recommend several options with ingredients that have conditioning aspects or that they have seen their patients achieve success with.

Best overall: Vegamour GRO Brow Serum

When it comes to eyebrow growth serums, this option from Vegamour is one of the most successful ones for her patients, according to Dr. Michele Green, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. The serum has a vegan formula with ingredients including acetyl tetrapeptide-3 and red clover extract, both of which have been shown to be helpful for hair growth, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King.

For the best results, apply the serum to your brows twice daily for the first two months. After using this as part of your skin care routine, you’ll see longer, denser, fuller and bolder brows, according to the brand.

Best conditioning: RevitaLash RevitaBrow Advanced

What we like

  • Prevents breakage
  • Improves flexibility of hairs
  • Safe for. color-treated brows

Something to note

  • Higher price point

Board-certified dermatologists Dr. Debra Jaliman and King both recommend this option from RevitaLash, which helps combat over-grooming and chemical and environmental stressors. The formula has the brand’s proprietary BioPetin complex, a blend of peptides, biotin and green tea to condition and strengthen brows while also giving it an overall healthier appearance. Reviewers say their brows look more defined and now have a bolder and fuller look after consistently using the serum.

Best for brow health: RapidLash RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum

What we like

  • Strengthens brow hair
  • Improves brow hair density
  • Conditions brows

Something to note

  • Nothing to note at this time

If you want to target all aspects of your brow, consider this serum, which comes recommended by Jaliman and King. It has peptides including octapeptide-2, copper tripeptide-1 and sh-polypeptide-1, all of which have been shown in studies to be potentially helpful for hair growth, says King. In addition to peptides, the serum has ingredients like keratin, biotin and panthenol to maintain the health and appearance of your brows and focuses on nourishing, conditioning, strengthening and softening brow hair, according to the brand.

Best budget pick: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

What we like

  • Lightweight
  • Non-greasy

Something to note

  • Small applicator
  • Can be irritating

The Ordinary’s water-based serum helps create and maintain thick and full eyebrows while also supporting overall health and appearance, according to the brand. Reviewers notice a slight growth, length and strength in their brows and lashes, but some say it can be irritating, so be cautious if you have reactive skin. This serum has a 4.0-star average rating from over 3,000 reviews at The Ordinary.

Most nourishing: Babe Original Brow Amplifying Serum

What we like

  • Fragrance-free
  • Strengthens brow hair

Something to note

  • Has isopropyl cloprostenate

King recommends this serum from Babe Original, which is formulated with nourishing emollients like castor oil and hyaluronic acid, which can help hydrate and thicken the appearance of brows.

You can use this brow growth serum on a nightly basis to see results, but if you have sensitive skin, use it every other night for the first two weeks so that your skin can acclimate to the product, according to the brand.

Easiest to apply: Maya Chia Power Fol Eye

What we like

  • Large size
  • Easy to brush through hairs
  • Doubles as a brow gel

Something to note

  • Higher price point

This option from Maya Chia, which comes recommended by King, has peptides in the formula to stimulate hair growth and panthenol to nourish the hair. It’s safe for both your eyelashes and eyebrows and has a dual-ended applicator, making it easy to switch between applying to both areas. One side of the applicator has a fine-tip brush so you can draw a thin line at the base of your eyelashes. The other side is a spoolie brush so it can evenly distribute the product throughout your eyebrow hairs. Reviewers say the treatment doesn’t cause any irritation or itchiness.

Best for sensitive eyes: Kosas GrowPotion Fluffy Brow + Lash Boosting Serum

What we like

  • Helps with length & thickness
  • Safe for contact lens wearers
  • Ophthalmologist-tested

Something to note

  • Nothing to note at this time

This hypoallergenic formula will help minimize hair breakage and loss while also giving you full and feathery brows, according to the brand. Reviewers say the doe foot applicator makes it really easy to apply to their brows, and after a month, they can see a noticeable change in brow growth and thickness. They also say that it might leave behind a residue if you apply too much, but it’s easy to remove, and the formula doesn’t irritate their eyes or skin.

Best splurge: Joey Healy Brow Renovation Serum

What we like

  • Supports overall brow health
  • One serum can last 2-3 months
  • Strengthens current brows

Something to note

  • Higher price point

This paraben-free serum from Joey Healey contains peptides to stimulate hair growth and hyaluronic acid to nourish and hydrate brow hairs, says King. It also contains hydrolyzed wheat protein to add volume to your hair, according to the brand.

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How to shop for an eyebrow growth serum

Again, experts I spoke to expressed some skepticism that brow growth serums can seriously boost hair growth. However, they agreed that if they have the right ingredients, they can help improve the condition of the hair that’s already there and even help to create an environment that encourages new growth.

Below are a few ingredients you’ll likely encounter in your search, along with notes on their efficacy and tips on what to avoid.

Ingredients for growth:
  • Peptides: Peptides and amino acids are stimulants that can promote hair growth, according to Jaliman and Green.
  • Biotin: Many brow growth serums contain biotin, a form of vitamin B commonly taken orally to help with hair and nail growth, rather than topically, like in a brow serum. While biotin is a safe ingredient and won’t cause any damage, using it topically may not always be the most effective solution, according to our experts.
Ingredients for follicle conditioning:
  • Hyaluronic acid: This popular skin-care ingredient is a humectant that can help hydrate and thicken the appearance of the hair and coats the follicles but won’t promote growth, says Green. It can also help condition the brows and prevent breakage, according to King.
  • Castor oil: Like hyaluronic acid, castor oil can provide some conditioning that improves the flexibility of the hair fiber, says King. However, no studies show castor oil directly causes hair growth, she says.
  • Argan oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E and D: The dermatologists we spoke to agree that these ingredients are safe and effective. They will help eyebrow health but not promote hair growth.
Ingredients to avoid:

You may want to be cautious using an eyebrow growth serum if it has prostaglandins because they often have side effects like irritation, according to our experts. Prostaglandins arehormone-like compounds produced by the body in response to various stimuli that affect bodily processes, says King. However, prostaglandins are associated with a risk of orbital fat loss — a side effect that can lead to the appearance of sunken or hollow-looking eyes, she says. While these are effective in causing growth for your lashes and brows, you may want to avoid that potential side effect and instead consider formulations that are peptide-based or contain botanical DHT blockers.

Some examples of prostaglandins include s — Isopropyl cloprostenate, Isopropanol Phenyl-hydroxyl-pentene, Dihydroxy-cyclopentyl-heptenate, Dechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide and Trifluoromethyl Dechloro Ethylprostenolamide.

Frequently asked questions

Wondering what causes sparse brows? Genetics plays a significant role. If you weren’t born with many hair follicles in the first place, no topical or oral solution will create follicles where they did not previously exist, says Jaliman.

Genetics aside, some people may have lost eyebrow hair because they have either over-plucked their hair, have an autoimmune disease, eat a poor diet, have experienced hormonal changes, or have inflammation of the skin, according to Jaliman. Fortunately, there are solutions like eyebrow growth serums for these environmental or situational changes to your eyebrow hair.

The active ingredient in most shampoos for thinning hair and products like Rogaine is minoxidil, which essentially widens the blood cells, allowing more oxygen, blood and nutrients to reach the follicles, says King.

Given that it’s the most proven treatment for hair loss in men and women, it would seem like a strong candidate for eyebrow growth, but the dermatologists we spoke to advised us to proceed with caution. “Side effects from applying Rogaine to the eyebrow area include burning, dryness, itchiness, redness and scaling,” she says. Plus, you could grow hair where you don’t want it, according to Green.

If you want to see results, consider using your eyebrow growth serum every night to see results, says Jaliman. As you’re getting ready for bed, apply the serum as the last step in your evening skincare routine and let it completely dry so you’re not wiping it away on your pillow when you lie down. “Once you have your desired brows, you can cut usage back to three times a week,” she says.

Just know that you have to be diligent about continuing to use the serum to maintain the results. If you stop using the serum once you are happy with the results, your brows will return to their previous state.

Typically, dermatologists, including Jaliman and Green, treat patients with Latisse, a prescription-only topical solution that’s marketed for eyelash growth but works on eyebrows as well. Latisse has been shown in clinical studies to make eyelashes grow longer, thicker and darker, says King.

Meet our experts

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Why trust NBC Select?

I am a former product reviewer and editor for NBC Select, where I covered beauty and wellness topics. For this article, I interviewed three board-certified dermatologists and gathered their expert recommendations.

Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

Christina Colizza

Christina Colizza is a former editor for Select on NBC News.

Bianca Alvarez

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Do eyebrow growth serums actually work? Experts aren’t convinced (2024)

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