What should you know about eyebrow and eyelash hair loss?

Eyebrow and eyelash loss may appear as a small smooth patch, thinning along the whole brow, broken hairs, or loss from one side. Alopecia areata can present with sharply defined areas of hair loss, while traction alopecia can follow repeated pulling, tight styling or extensions. Telogen effluvium causes increased shedding after a body stressor and may affect scalp hair more broadly. Scalp ringworm can cause scaling or broken hairs and needs medical treatment. Male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss usually follow characteristic scalp patterns, so isolated brow or lash loss deserves a wider look. The pattern, skin changes and timing are more useful than the amount of hair seen on a single day.

Take clear photographs in consistent lighting and note recent illness, major stress, diet changes, new medicines, cosmetic products and hair practices. Stop plucking, rubbing and tight brow or lash treatments while the cause is being assessed. A clinician may inspect the scalp, brows, lashes and nails, and may request tests guided by your history. Treatment could involve addressing inflammation, infection, a pulling habit or an underlying condition. Do not use prescription hair medicines near the eyes without specific instructions; finasteride treatment, for example, needs a clinician's review of suitability and risks.

Arrange a prompt appointment if loss is sudden, patchy, progressing, associated with scalp scale, or accompanied by eyebrow skin redness or pain. Seek urgent eye care for eye pain, marked redness, light sensitivity, discharge or a change in vision. Earlier assessment matters when the eyelid margin is inflamed or hairs are being lost with scarring, because the eye surface may need protection.

Ask whether the pattern suggests alopecia areata, traction, infection or another cause; whether tests are needed; and how to protect the eye while lashes are sparse. Ask which cosmetic products and treatments are safe during recovery.