I was today years old when I learned about a nifty little thing called eyebrow transplant surgery. Over the weekend, Chrissy Teigen shared on her Instagram Story that she underwent the procedure [1] herself, along with some behind the scenes photos from her experience. That got a lot of people — myself included — wondering: what is an eyebrow transplant surgery anyway?
It's no secret that the eyebrow treatments [2] available on the market are vast. If you have sparse eyebrows — maybe because you overplucked them at one point or another — and want to achieve a fuller, thicker shape, your options span from microblading and nanoblading [3] to cosmetic tattooing, but brow transplants are another viable option. Here's everything you need to know.
What Is Eyebrow Transplant Surgery?
Just like it sounds, it's similar to hair transplant surgery. "Eyebrow transplant is a procedure that takes hair from another part of your scalp and uses it to replace absent or deficient eyebrows," double board certified plastic surgeon Charles Pierce [4], MD, told POPSUGAR. "This can be done with local anesthesia and/or a mild sedative."
According to Dr. Pierce, anyone with naturally thin brows, due to over-plucking or genetics, is a good candidate for a brow transplants. The procedure itself takes a couple of hours to perform as the plastic surgeon takes the follicles from the back of your head and insets them to your forehead. The price for a treatment like this varies depending on where you live, but you can expect to spend any where from a few thousand dollars to $8,000.
How Long Do You Take to Recover From Eyebrow Transplant Surgery?
Recovery time isn't as long as you might think — the initial healing phase only lasts about a week or two, though "some redness may remain for several weeks before finally fading," said Dr. Pierce. Think of it like a tattoo.
The area where the hairs have been transplanted will start to scab. Then, the scabs — and the hairs themselves — all fall off. This may seem alarming but it's all part of the process. It takes about three months for your eyebrows to grow in on their own from the transplant site and when they do, you'll have naturally thick, shapely brows.
The Risks Associated With Eyebrow Transplant Surgery
As with any type of procedure, there are a few risks that come with eyebrow transplant surgery. "Sometimes not all the transplanted grafts survive, requiring more than one procedure, said Dr. Pierce. "Infection, bleeding, bruising, [and] scarring are all risks."
Before scheduling, his biggest tip: "Always do your homework and seek out a board certified plastic surgeon or other surgeon who is certified by a board recognised the American Board of Medical Specialties."