Eyebrow Transplant: Everything You Need To Know

Actual Eyebrow Transplant patient of Jae Pak, M.D.

The past decade has been all about the brows in the beauty and cosmetics industries.

Celebrities show off bold and beautiful eyebrows that perfectly frame their faces and complement their features.

People of all ages recognize the power of the brows, leading them to new treatments and techniques that improve shape and structure.

But since most of these methods, such as microblading and threading, are short-lived, more individuals seek a permanent fix for their brows and regain full control. This is where eyebrow transplants can be a transformative and lasting solution.

If you don’t know the scoop on eyebrow transplants, we’re here to share everything you need to know. Keep reading to figure out if an eyebrow transplant is right for you and what to expect if you choose to follow through.

Eyebrow Transplant Basics

We’ll get into the details of the eyebrow transplant procedure soon. But for now, let’s review the primary goals and benefits of eyebrow transplant surgery, along with relevant risks, costs, and candidate factors.

Goal of Procedure

The exact goal of an eyebrow transplant will vary slightly depending on the individual and their desires. But generally, the procedure aims to replenish the density of hair on the brow, reinstating the brow’s natural shape and creating a more aesthetic overall appearance.

Eyebrows, like the hair of the scalp, tend to diminish throughout a lifetime, especially if someone is actively plucking, styling, and manipulating these hairs with different products and treatments for many years.

Eventually, eyebrows may start looking thinned out or lacking the desired shape that best compliments an individual’s facial features. Eyebrow transplants aim to fix this and give clients a new lease on full, natural brows they’ve been missing.

What Are the Benefits and Advantages of Eyebrow Transplants?

Since there are numerous other ways to enhance one’s eyebrows, clients should know about the unique benefits that a brow transplant brings to the table.

Customization, control, and permanence are the three main points to consider as advantages of an eyebrow transplant.

Compared to quick fixes like makeup and microblading, transplants give patients a greater degree of input and direction over the result of the procedure. They ultimately have more flexibility to do as they wish with their new brows.

And while other brow treatments from a salon may only last a few days or weeks, an eyebrow transplant is designed to stand the test of time – many years or even decades into the future.

With the right surgeon, eyebrow transplants can also look remarkably natural and even yield results better than a client’s original brows before thinning.

This procedure has a very high patient satisfaction rate, and skilled surgeons can create custom, artistic configurations that highlight features and create a fantastic overall result.

Understanding the Costs and Risk Factors

Eyebrow transplants can cost $4,000 to $10,000 depending on the surgery scope, how many grafts are required, and the expertise of the surgeon and support staff.

But aside from the price tag, there are minimal downsides to eyebrow transplant surgery in terms of real risks and side effects.

Occasionally, patients will report minor discomfort during the recovery phase post-surgery, but these issues are typical with most cosmetic procedures and are nothing to worry about.

Keep in mind that newly transplanted hair will grow as usual despite being moved to the brow region, meaning that it will require some additional maintenance and trimming to preserve an even and cohesive appearance.

Are You the Perfect Candidate for Eyebrow Transplant?

Since eyebrow transplants are so flexible and customized, nearly anyone who wants one is likely a good candidate for the procedure.

As long as you have a reasonable supply of donor’s hair to support the transplantation process and a willingness to work with a surgeon to craft an ideal look, there should be nothing holding you back from an eyebrow transplant and the results you want.

There may be limitations imposed by hormonal, health issues, or negative interactions from unrelated medications. Still, these are all points to discuss with a surgeon before committing to the procedure and getting started.

The Eyebrow Transplant Experience

Everyone has a slightly different reason for pursuing an eyebrow transplant, but the process follows the same steps in practice.

Here is what to expect at each stage of the eyebrow transplant journey.

Consultation: What To Expect

At Jae Pak MD, we believe that consultation is the crucial first step in a successful eyebrow transplant, as with all cosmetic procedures.

Clients will connect with the surgeon during this initial meeting and gather all the necessary information to proceed with care and confidence.

As clients describe their prior experience with their brows and articulate the desired look, surgeons will account for key factors like hair quality, shape, colors, facial proportions, and other artistic and technical variables that go into planning for surgery.

Doctors will also determine the exact number of hairs needed to meet the coverage requirements as dictated by the client.

After this meeting, the client and doctor will set dates for the surgery, discuss recovery protocols, review long-term expectations, and agree upon a price for the procedure and any extra costs associated with surgery.

Preparation and Surgery

Very little is required of a patient in terms of preparation for an eyebrow transplant.

The procedure itself only takes a few hours to complete and is virtually pain-free, performed under local anesthesia.

Patients will be made comfortable at the clinic and put in a reclined position for the duration of the surgery, during which they can enjoy movies, TV, music, or just relax in silence.

The surgeon and clinic staff begin by extracting the necessary number of hairs from the donor region of the scalp (the back of the head, typically), then process follicles for placement in the target region of the brows.

Brow transplants range between 100 and 400 hairs per session, and more than one session is rarely required to achieve desired results.

Since this is far less demanding in volume than a traditional hair transplant, surgeons will often use modern follicle unit excision (FUE) techniques to extract individual hair clusters and transplant them directly to the brow.

Skilled surgeons work fast under pressure to quickly select and implant follicles to the brow while technicians ensure that hairs are maintained and ready for transplantation.

The procedure concludes with doctors bandaging the affected area, following up with the patient, and mapping out the protocols for recovery for the days and weeks to come.

Recovery and Aftercare

Recovering from an eyebrow transplant is relatively quick and easy. For the first 48 hours, the patient will be advised to minimize movement and avoid unnecessary contact with the impacted area. The area will likely be irritable during this time as any initial redness and scabbing subside. Patients must keep the area dry and clean.

The brows might be slightly sensitive for another week, but patients can resume regular physical activity.

The next few months may be up-and-down for patients as they see newly transplanted eyebrow hair fall out and start growing once again. It’s crucial to stay “hands-off” during this phase, as the hairs are still taking root and forming a solid foundation.

After six months have passed, patients will follow up with doctors and have free reign over their newly formed eyebrows, styling and trimming however they please.