Greetings from Inquire a Skin Specialist, a feature from SELF where certified dermatologists respond to your urgent inquiries regarding skin, hair, and nail well-being. In this edition, we consulted Susan Massick, MD, FAAD, serving as an associate professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine with a focus on patient care, resident education, and community involvement. Her areas of expertise encompass acne, moles, skin cancer, and eczema.
Memories of my teenage years in the early 2000s are marked by a few remnants, including a nearly healed belly button piercing (a literal scar from the Britney Spears era) and my slightly sparse eyebrows. During middle school, my best friend’s older sister went to town on plucking them, and I maintained that look for over a decade—until I was advised by a renowned eyebrow specialist to ease up on the tweezers while working at my first magazine job.
Gradually, some of those fine hairs started to grow back, but my brows never quite returned to their full glory. Therefore, when I noticed several skincare influencers endorsing the use of Rogaine for eyebrows on TikTok, I became curious: Could this method be effective? To answer this question, I consulted Susan Massick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Her response was as follows: “In theory, yes, but just because a trend is popular on TikTok does not mean it is advisable,” states Dr. Massick. “Topical minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, lacks FDA approval and has not been extensively researched for eyebrow use or direct application on the face.”
Although minoxidil (originally a blood pressure medication in oral form) is FDA-approved as a treatment for hair loss on the scalp, this forms the basis for claims of eyebrow growth on social media, according to Dr. Massick. While the exact mechanism is not fully understood, “research suggests that it enhances blood flow to the hair follicles, potentially prolonging the active growth phase of hair and slowing the shedding process,” she explains. Hence, Rogaine may assist in preserving existing hair and potentially regrowing hair that has been lost in individuals with androgenic alopecia, an inherited condition commonly known as “male pattern baldness” or “female pattern hair loss.”
So why not give it a try on your over-plucked eyebrows from your millennial days? The lack of substantial evidence is why Dr. Massick cautions against this choice: “Previous clinical trials examining the off-label usage of topical minoxidil on the face involved a limited number of participants, conducted over short-duration trials lasting less than 16 weeks, and with lower concentrations of 1 to 3%, unlike the standard 2 to 5% found in Rogaine products,” Dr. Massick notes. “Moreover, skin irritation was a prevalent side effect.”
This notable fact is one of the key reasons why she discourages applying Rogaine to the sensitive skin in the eye area.
» …
rn