Your eyebrows frame your eyes! Discover some useful tips how to do your eyebrows during chemotherapy.
Your eyebrows frame your eyes, which is why drawing them on or filling them in during cancer treatments is essential as it structures your face, softens your features and emphasizes your eyes.
How does chemo affect my eyebrows?
One of the most common effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is partial or complete hair loss, often closely followed by your eyebrows and eyelashes. The loss of eyebrows can be even more difficult to accept as it disrupts the balance and harmony of your facial features. But there is no need to fret, there are a large choice of temporary or semi-permanent solutions that exist. Start practicing before your treatments so that you are well prepared! Before losing your brows, remember to take a photo to help you redraw them.Â
Pencil or powder? Which one should I use to draw on my eyebrows during chemotherapy?
Whether your eyebrows are very thin or non-existent, you should choose an eyebrow pencil that closely matches your hair colour. Never draw your eyebrows in one straight line, use small light tilted lines that are thin and criss-crossed, working from the inside to the outside of your brow. If your eyebrows have been partially preserved, delicately brush them to blend the natural hair with the coloured lines.
If the eyebrow pencil seems too difficult for you, then opt for an eyebrow powder instead. Use a small angled brush with naturally rigid bristles. Apply the powder in small strokes, starting from the inner corner of the eyebrow and working to the outer corner for more natural results.
The eyebrows should be thicker in the centre and thin out at the ends. Even if you have only partially lost your eyebrows, continue tweezing any hairs that grow outside of your beauty line.
Avoid using an eyeliner to draw on your eyebrows as its texture is too thick and may result in the colour running or rubbing off too quickly.
3-dot solution to help redraw your eyebrows during chemotherapy:
When drawing your eyebrow line, which is sometimes completely nonexistent, it is best to start with 3 dots along the brow line before connecting them. Hold your pencil in front of your face, it will help you place the dots:
Dot 1: Place your pencil vertically along your nose, parallel to the inner corner of your eye. Mark the first dot on your brow bone, right where your eyebrow will start.
Dot 2: Move the top part of your pencil so that it is in line with the outer edge of your pupil. This is where you will place the second dot. This part of the eyebrow should be a little bit higher and will become thinner towards the end.
Dot 3: Tilt your pencil so that it is in line with the outer corner of your eye, leave the bottom part resting on the side of your nose. Place the third dot here to mark the end of your eyebrow, make sure it is at the same level as the first dot to avoid looking surprised or sad.
To finish, join the dots with the pencil or powder, using small criss-crossed lines. For a more natural effect, use the pencil for the small lines AND then the powder to unify everything!
Stencils for those who cannot use the eyebrow pencil
During cancer treatments, if you feel that using an eyebrow pencil or powder is impossible or too tiring, eyebrow makeup kits can help you easily obtain symmetrical, well-drawn eyebrows. In these kits, you will find eyebrow stencils, that are essential and extremely practical for a more natural effect, as well as eyebrow powder. You can choose the shape of your eyebrows: natural, thick or very thin. In a few seconds, get a straight, natural line that lasts all day.
What about Micro-pigmentation for eyebrows?
Semi-permanent makeup options exist for eyebrows that should be done before hair loss or several weeks after chemotherapy.
Medical Micro-pigmentation solutions resemble semi-permanent makeup solutions. It consists of placing in the dermis (2mm under the skin) small coloured particles, known as pigments.
This technique is a made-to-measure service. After defining the eyebrow line and colour, the practitioner reconstructs the eyebrow with the help of a mechanical pen (filling in or hair by hair for a natural effect). The pigments are not injected deeply into the skin layer, just into the dermis, so there is no risk of scarring or distorted colour.
The colour is slightly darker at the beginning and will lighten over time (-30%). Normally, the first touch-up should be done 3 weeks after the first appointment and then regularly every 6 to 18 months, depending on the colour (light or dark). Keep in mind that certain chemotherapies may cause the colour of your eyebrows to fade.
The pigments last up to 2 to 3 years, you will need to redo your eyebrow line if you wish to keep the colour.
Watch our full tutorial with english subtitles on our Youtube Channel!
