Do you find yourself scratching at your brows more often? Do you wake up with irritated and flaky brows? You could be part of the flaky brow epidemic that’s currently on the rise, according to skin specialists.
“Brows, like the scalp, have their own microbiota and many modern beauty and cosmetic practices aimed are creating sculpted and full brows as well external irritants are causing damage to this delicate bacterial balance resulting in dry, flaking and irritated brows,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Eva Melegh.
Dr Eva gives five reasons why our brows are getting itchier and flakier;
- Brow Acne
Plucking, waxing and threading all basically rip the brow hairs clean out of the hair follicle. Brow hairs are by nature quite course hairs so the trauma to the follicle is greater when they are removed. This trauma can lead to Folliculitis, which is a is a skin condition that causes the hair follicles to become inflamed. This condition usually stems from a bacterial infection in the hair follicle as bad bacteria gets into the open and empty follicle socket. This condition appears as small red bumps that can become pussy and look like acne.
Brow acne can also be caused by actual hormonal acne too, where the excess of sebum produced during hormonal flux pools in the hair follicle attracting bacteria to stick to it and leads to inflammation and infection.
Abundant use of brow ‘smoothing’ products or Vaseline to smooth down bushy brows can also add to the risk of the brow follicles getting clogged, which can lead to bacterial build up and cause inflammation and brows spots.
What to do about it
Exfoliate the brows daily to remove grease and dead skin cells that may have pooled in the brow follicles. Use a fine exfoliant without chemicals and preferably one that helps replenish good brow bacteria.
Try Clarol Silver & Birch Exfoliating Wash (clarol.co.uk) that includes a silver ingredient to re-balance brow microbiota and birch bark to dissolve grease and clean out clogged brow follicles.
- Brow Allergies
Both brow tinting with brow dyes and microblading can cause allergic reactions in the brows from chemicals in the brow dyes. This can result in the brows becoming inflamed (sometimes severely), itchy and red, often with a burning sensation that can occur almost immediately or up to 48 hours after a dying treatment.
What to do about it
Use a wash containing a solution of potassium permanganate, dip a cotton pad in the wash and apply to the brows. This can help fully oxidize the oxidative pigment used in brow dyes to make dark colours and what is often the cause of skin reactions. These pigments are more reactive when they’re only partially oxidised.
Then apply a mild antiseptic gel to help reduce irritation and reduce the risk of bacteria getting into the inflamed or blistered brows.
Take an oral antihistamine from the chemist to help reduce inflammation.
Avoid all brow cosmetics until the inflammation and itching have completely gone.
- Brow Eczema
The trauma from any brow sculpting, sun burn, stress, preservatives in brow cosmetics, dehydration, sweat and dirt from sunglasses or external pollution may trigger a flare of brow eczema or dermatitis if you’re prone to getting it elsewhere.
The brows are quite vulnerable to atopic flares as the skin is thin and very exposed in this area.
We also tend to touch our brows a lot so the combination of a trigger combined with rubbing external bacteria into our brows can cause atopic brow flares.
Brow eczema or dermatitis can make brows very flaky and itchy. The flakes are often small, white and dry.
What to do about it
Topical steroid ointments are usually the first port of call for atopic skin flares but its not recommended to use them around the eye area.
Instead opt for a brow product that will help repair skin barrier function, and intensely hydrate the brows.
Hydrosil HydroBrow (hydrosil.co.uk) is a clear brow serum that contains an extract from chicory root, a natural prebiotic to improve brow barrier function by replenishing beneficial brow microbiota plus an extract of passion fruit seed, with proven anti-inflammatory action to sooth itching and hydrate brows.
- Brow fungus
Like fungal dandruff in the hair, the brows can also suffer from ‘brow dandruff’. The brows can have a mild reaction to this fungal overgrowth and become flaky. Trauma to the brows from brow-shaping as well as excess sweat or the residue from oily face creams, sun creams or cosmetics that get left in the brows can all increase the risk of fungal overgrowth in the brows.
Fungal brow dandruff is usually not too itchy but produces greyish greasier flakes.
What to do about it
A mild anti-dandruff shampoo from the chemist can be used on fungal brows. Apply and then rinse off like normal shampoo.
- Menopause Brows
The steep drop in oestrogen production at the start of menopause can cause the skin to quickly become very dry and often highly reactive. While this can happen progressively to all the skin in the facial and neck area over the course of the menopause, often the first sign of it is around the eye area where the skin is particularly thin and fragile.
The skin on the eyelids can suddenly become dry and often quite red and furious. This dryness and irritation can also extend upwards into the brows.
What to do about it
This kind of reactive skin needs to be calmed as quickly as possible as its often quite sudden and very uncomfortable.
An effective alternative to steroids for use around the eye area are phytosterols (which are plant-derived steroid-like components) which are structurally similar to the basis of steroids but gentler which makes them suitable for use around the delicate eye area.
The physosterol cardiospermum halicacabum has been widely studied for its beneficial effect for use on reactive skin.
Dry Eye Gel with Cardiospermum (clarol.co.uk) is a light eye gel containing cardiospermum halicacabum which can be used on the eyelids and upwards into the brows to quickly relieve irritation and itching.