My mom's makeup motto: if you only have time to do one thing before you walk out the door, it should be your brows. Brows have been taking the spotlight for the last few months with eyebrow extensions and #eyebrowsonfleek [1] taking over the Internet. But what about women who have no arches to begin with, whether due to alopecia or chemotherapy? "Cancer affects all hair; you have to think about lashes, body hair, nose hair, and eyebrows," explained Andrew DiSimone, owner of HairPlace NYC [2]. His salon has specialized in hair replacement systems for the last 15 years, and last year he started offering eyebrow wigs. "It's just a miniature version of what we were doing with wigs."
While they are most helpful for women with very sparse brows, we took these innovative arches for a test run. For three days I wore the wigs. I worried that people would start to stare, or I'd lose a brow on the subway — but neither occurred. Surprisingly, the faux arches were unrecognizable to most. Even my best friends didn't realize they were fakes! They just looked like I had filled in my brows with dark pencil. In the end, the eyebrow wigs became a time-saving and cost-effective solution. One set of arches costs $95 and lasts up to six months, a price equivalent to the spoolie brush, creams, gels, and powders I already have in my arch arsenal [3]. Keep reading to find out more about my three-day wig-wearing experience.
The Wigs
DiSimone provides three different arches in four hair color shades each (for a total of 12 possible wigs). I selected the thickest arch in the darkest shade. Each individual human hair is injected into a clear, skin-like polymer base. The base is a mix of polyurethane and silicone (and feels a lot like a thin layer of rubber).
While some of the clear base is visible through the hair, you can easily cover up the polymer using a brow pencil. I often found myself rubbing on the brows because they felt realistic to the touch, yet it does feel like you have stickers above your eyes. I often had the urge to either yank them away or hold them in place.
The Application Process
While I had my eyebrow wigs professionally placed, you can easily apply at home with the adhesive and a chisel-tip sponge. First, you want to exfoliate the skin to remove any dead skin and oils from the surface. Similar to applying false lashes, you want to swipe the glue directly to the back of the wig. Allow some time for it to dry.
While the adhesive sets, use an eyeliner pencil to mark where you want the brows to begin. Hold the pencil in a straight line along the side of the nose. To get the most natural-looking placement, align the pencil with the bridge rather than the nostrils.
Once the glue has dried clear, place the wig over your natural hair. Apply pressure to secure the wig and remove any bubbles. The entire process takes about 15 minutes.
The Results
"Will my eyebrows fall off?" That isn't a question you typically ask yourself, but for the few days I wore eyebrow wigs, it was a real worry. For the record, they never slipped. I washed my face every day with my usual cream cleanser, although DiSimone recommends that you avoid acid peels and oil-based products, which can weaken the glue.
The downfall came after a long workout. During my dance routine, I noticed that the area underneath the wigs was extrahot. The constant rubbing on my face caused the ends to come undone, and eventually I had to remove them completely.
I simply used a Q-tip dipped in an oil-based makeup remover to slowly peel the wigs away from the innermost corner to the fine-point ends. Make sure to remove the wigs in the same direction as the hair growth, otherwise you will wax off your natural arches. Once the faux arches are removed, you can easily wipe away the excess glue, shampoo the hair with your fingertips, and reapply. The same pair can be used for up to six months.
The verdict: Although my brow wigs were a good experience, I will probably resort to filling in my arches with makeup in the future. However, for women who don't have brows to begin with, I think this is an amazing alternative. The wigs appear natural and require very little maintenance. #Eyebrowsonfleek have never been easier to achieve.