Eyebrows That Grow Downward – Causes, Treatment, and Care

Your eyebrows play an essential role in defining your facial features. Ideally, your brows have a slight arch and grow in an upward direction toward your forehead. However, some people have eyebrows that grow oppositely — pointing downward. There are a few reasons why you may have eyebrows that grow down.

While it’s not officially considered a medical condition, eyebrows that grow downward can negatively impact your appearance and even interfere with your vision. Luckily, fixing brows that grow down is not too difficult with professional treatments or home remedies!

Why Eyebrows That Grow Downward?

Eyebrows that grow downward are often caused by the following reasons:

Genetics

If your parents or close relatives have down-turning brows, you likely inherited the genetic trait. Genes determine the size, shape, thickness, and also growth direction of your eyebrow hairs. If this trait runs in your family, chances are you will have it as well.

Ageing

As you get older, the hair follicles on your face and body can change, weaken, or even shift position. It’s prevalent for eyebrow shape and thus direction to change with age. Subsequently, eyebrow hair will start growing longer, wispier, and downward.

Medical Conditions

In some cases, underlying health conditions are also associated with downward curving eyebrows:

• Hypothyroidism: When your thyroid is underactive
• Ectodermal Dysplasia: Rare disorder impairing hair, teeth, skin etc
• Avoidant Personality Disorder: Extreme social inhibition and sensitivity
• PCOS: Hormonal imbalance interfering with ovulation
• Lupus: Autoimmune disease-causing inflammation
• And more…

If you suddenly develop your eyebrows growing downward as an adult, moreover it’s wise to consult your doctor to check for associated conditions. Treating the root cause may help restore eyebrows too.

Signs You Have Eyebrows Growing Down

Here are the following key signs indicating you likely have eyebrows growing downward versus standard arched browse:

Eyebrow Hairs Grow Toward Your Eyelids

• The majority of eyebrow hairs grow in a downward direction pointing toward the eyelids
• Very few if any hairs grow upward in an arch

Inner or Middle Brow Hairs Point Down

While your eyebrow tails near the temples may lift normally, the hairs closest to your nose and in the mid-brow decidedly point down instead of arching up and outward.

Other possible indications:

• Brow hair lies flat against the skin, no lift
• Need to brush brows upward to reveal eyes better
• People suggest you look angry, sad, or tired

How Are Eyebrows That Grow Down Different Than Hooded Eyes?

Hooded Eyes

Hooded eyes occur when there is excess sagging eyelid skin that droops over the eyelid’s natural crease. The overhanging skin obscures the visible eyelid space and also sometimes obstructs peripheral vision.

Eyebrows That Grow Down

This refers specifically to eyebrow hairs growing in the wrong downward direction toward the eyelids. It does not involve excess drooping skin over the eyes as hooded eyes do.

In some cases, hooded eyes and downward-growing eyebrows happen simultaneously. But they are separate conditions.

Differences summarized:

Hooded Eyes	Eyebrows That Grow Down
Excess eyelid skin	No excess skin
Skin covers eyelids	Just eyebrow hair direction
Obscures eye shape	Brow hair covers the eyes

So in review — hooded eyes mean extra skin while downward eyebrows simply mean misdirected brow hair growth.

Can Eyebrows That Grow Down Be Corrected?

The good news is yes, eyebrow direction can be altered in the following different ways:

Professional Treatments

Today, cosmetic procedures thus can safely lift eyebrows to grow properly upward:

• Microblading: Semi-permanent inked strokes implanted to mimic natural hairs growing up
• Brow Tinting: Tint to add colour and also define the ideal arched shape
• Brow Tattoos: Pigment tattooed to create full, lifted brows long-term

Costs range from $250-$850 depending on the method, with touch-ups needed annually for best results.

At-Home Remedies

For those wanting a non-invasive approach, simple home treatments encourage eyebrow regrowth and retraining which are the following;

• Castor Oil: Nourish follicles and soften hair texture so it stays up
• Coconut Oil: Condition brow hairs to point up
• Brow Brushing: Train hairs to sweep up
• Latisse: Prescription serum that stimulates growth

When used daily for at least 12 weeks, natural oils and proper brushing can help eyebrows start growing back upward.

Additionally:

• Avoid trimming eyebrows so the weight stays upright
• Use a waterproof brow gel to hold hairs in place
• See a brow stylist to trim longer hairs dragging brows down

So with professional help or simple home methods — yes, it’s possible to get your eyebrows back on track!

When To See A Doctor About Eyebrows Growing Downward

Consult your doctor or dermatologist promptly if:

• Eyebrows growing down severely interfere with vision or eyelid closure
• Experience infection, ingrown hairs, also rash along brows
• This could indicate thyroid dysfunction or other medical conditions
• Professional brow interventions fail to correct downward growth
• Sudden unexplained change in eyebrow direction

Meanwhile, Getting a full checkup helps rule out associated health issues and guides the next treatment steps if conservative approaches don’t help. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice.

Warning signs:

• Eyes water excessively or feel irritated
• Squinting, headaches, or strained vision
• Can’t fully close eyes when sleeping
• The brow area is red, swollen, or painful

Getting evaluated promptly keeps your eyes healthy and comfortable.

How To Care For Eyebrows That Grow Down

Daily Care Tips

While working to re-train your eyebrow growth, implement these simple daily care tips:

• Use a gentle cleanser twice a day – avoid harsh makeup removers
• Apply natural conditioning oils like jojoba or almond
• Brush brows upward with a clean spooky
• See a brow specialist regularly to trim longer hairs dragging brows down
• When possible, allow brows to grow in fully before reshaping
• Consider taking biotin, collagen, or prenatal vitamins to nourish hair

Following these best practices keeps eyebrows healthy and strong while encouraging proper regrowth.

Understanding Your Eyebrow Type

There are six common eyebrow shapes and types to be aware of:

So if you’re dealing with eyebrows pointing downward, take note if it’s just in a smaller patch or your entire eyebrow shape that’s affected.

Moreover, Targeted solutions can help with just a portion growing downward versus needing to overhaul your entire eyebrow’s growth pattern.

I hope this thorough guide helps explain the reasons for eyebrows growing and the various effective treatment options available. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any other questions!

Resources

American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eyebrow Issues and Treatments. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/eyebrow-treatments

International Journal of Trichology. A new insight into the pathogenesis of eyebrows disorder. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740877/

Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hooded Eyes. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hooded-eyes