Style and beauty novice desperately seeking eyebrow advice...

[YesIDidMeanToBeSoRudeActually]

Please help!

I do not belong in this section on MN. I am neither beautiful nor particulary stylish and I don't even wear make up. However needs must and I am throwing myself on your mercy.

I am losing my hair due to illness (not chemo. Have had some excellent advice from MNers on wigs, styles etc but at present all I have done is cut my head hair to my shoulders wih the kitchen scissors in a tantrum, and stick it in a high ponytail - see, I don't belong here!)

Today I woke up and two thirds of my eyebrows seem to have crawled away in the night. It's not a good look and immediately obvious as I am dark haired, some random hairs remain but not many. Have never done anything with my brows before and I don't generally wear make up, but I feel the need to tidy this up a bit. I'm guessing I need an eyebrow pencil and have ordered a "hazel" one to arrive tomorrow. What do I do? Do I literally just draw eyebrow hairs on my skin, where they used to be? It's not sore or anything, just hairless.

I sound pathetic but I'm just so low maintenance normally so don't have a clue. I don't want those horrible black thick lines you see on some people. I'm pretty fed up. Any advice will be gratefully received.

I think you'd be best going to a salon. A friend of mine lost most of her eyebrow hair due to chemotherapy and they worked wonders with a tint and what was left.

Youtube some eyebrow tutorials. Watch lots and lots of them. Its hard to explain where your brows should start,arch and end without actually showing you.
If you lived in co. Durham I would show you. I luffs eyebrows.
Mine are drawn on as I have none.

Get thee to a MAC counter, you need eyebrow powder and good brush! I'm naturally dark and use a near black powder, your hazel pencil scares me

I use ybf eyebrow pencil .
It matches really well with my brows, mine are really sparse though they have improved over time and when I use Revitabrow they get thicker (though of course, hair has a cycle so it needs to be an ongoing thing. I haven't used it for ages, it's ££)

I need to add a 'tail' to mine.

Mark with a dot of pencil the three points:
hold a pencil from the side of your nose and the inner corner of your eye. that's the inner start point.
The side of your nose through the outer corner of your eye- that's the outer edge.
The midpoint where your pupil is when you look forward. That's the highest arch point.

Small feathery strokes, build up slowly. It will need a few practice runs.
I have Benefit Gimme Brow (like a tiny mascara) but it needs me to really take my time for a good result.

Thanks all, this is helpful, lots of ideas here (although I love that the very first piece of advice was not to attempt this myself )

I might post a before and after pic...watch this space!

What about a semi permenant eyebrow tattooing?

Eyebrow tattooing defibitely. I am on chemo and some of my chemo friends have had it done and it looks great. I think yhis is the company some of them have used www.permanentlyperfect.co.uk

Get them tattooed, honestly. If you don't enjoy applying and wearing make-up generally, having to draw them on every day is going to be bloody ball ache. It's expensive but if it removes one element of stress from your life then it's worth it.

Hmmm. Not attempted the pencilling yet.

Can anyone advise how much the tattooing generally costs, a rough guide?

I've just posted on a long hair for boys thread about DC being confident enough not to worry about confirming to society norms, which I am a big believer in. I don't know how to feel about this now!

Interestingly enough I posted at the beginning of the week, on a make up thread, going on about how women shouldn't feel the need for artificial "enhancements" etc - then my eyebrows disappeared! so I feel a bit conflicted now.

Maybe I should wait or start a hair loss thread in general. Thanks for all and any advice though, it is helpful and appreciated.

You should do exactly what you want with your brows!
I think the tattooing costs £200 plus. Tattoo is forever. Pencils aren't!

Hmm, the tattoo isn't forever, not really. Because the ink doesn't penetrate as deep as a normal tattoo they fade over time. I would imagine that if left alone they would disappear completely three or four years after you had it done. This may be attractive to you if your hair loss is likely to be temporary.

I don't wear make-up and do my eyebrows to conform to society's norms, I do it because I love make-up. I don't think you're conforming by wanting to have eyebrows. It's your face and it's completely normal in times of stress or illness to want to maintain as many of your familiar features as possible.

Have you had it done craic? I would love to have it done but I'm scared that they wont look right then ill be left with them forever. I can live with 4 years though!.

I had my eyebrows tattooed. Just at the ends as I'd over plucked them as a teenager. I love them. No one has ever been able to tell, they look so natural. I got it done 15 years ago and it has faded a bit but not much.

My DAuntie has no body hair at all. For years she's had her eyebrows tattoo'd on. It's not permanent and it's come on in leaps and bounds. Find a salon that will tattoo individual 'hairs' rather than a block of colour. Ask to see a portfolio first. Good salons will also help with make up afterwards.

Below is not a recommendation - just to show you what I mean.

www.lorenaoberg.co.uk/permanent-make-up/eyebrow-tattooing/