Eyebrows and Chemotherapy: A Printable Guide for Patients and Caregivers
A one-page guide for people starting chemotherapy, and for the friends and nurses helping them. It covers what usually happens to eyebrows during treatment, how to keep a record of your brows before they change, the options people use during treatment, and the questions worth asking your oncology team. Print it (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P), share it, or save it to your phone.
What usually happens to eyebrows during chemo
Not every chemotherapy drug causes hair loss, and not everyone who loses scalp hair loses their brows. When brows are affected, they often thin later than scalp hair, sometimes near the end of treatment or shortly after it, because brow hairs spend longer in their resting phase. Some people lose only the outer third, others lose them completely.
Regrowth is usually gradual. Many people see fine new hairs within a few weeks to a few months of finishing treatment, and brows can take several months to look full again. New hair sometimes grows back a slightly different color or texture at first. Your oncology team can tell you how likely brow loss is with your specific treatment.
Before treatment starts: make a brow record
This takes ten minutes and is the single most useful thing you can do. Once brows are gone, it is hard to remember exactly where they sat.
- Take photos. Front-facing, no makeup, eyebrows relaxed, in daylight. Add one with a gentle smile and one in profile.
- Mark three points. Where each brow starts (in line with the side of your nose), where the arch peaks, and where the tail ends. Our brow mapping guide shows how to find them using your bone structure.
- Note your color. Write down the shade of your natural brows, or keep a pencil that matches.
- Trace a template. Some people press clear tape over each brow and stick it to a card. It sounds odd, but it works.
Options while you are in treatment
| Option | How it works | Things to know during chemo |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing at all | Go bare, perhaps with glasses to frame the face | Completely valid. No skin contact, no effort. |
| Brow pencil or powder | Draw or shade brows each morning | Gentle and familiar. Harder to make look natural when no hairs are left to build on. |
| Brow stencil or stamp | Press a brow-shaped pigment onto the skin | Faster and more even than freehand. Can smudge with sweat. |
| Temporary eyebrow transfers | Printed hair strokes pressed onto clean skin, worn for a few days | Nothing goes under the skin. Patch test first, as skin is often more sensitive during treatment, and remove with oil rather than pulling. |
| Microblading or cosmetic tattooing | Pigment placed into the skin with fine needles or blades | Usually advised against during chemo because of infection and bleeding risk while blood counts are low. Read why microblading has to wait. |
Caring for the skin around your brows
- Wash with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser and pat dry. Skin can become drier and more reactive during treatment.
- Patch test any new product on your inner arm for 24 hours before using it on your face.
- Remove makeup or transfers with a gentle oil, never by scrubbing or peeling dry. See how to remove temporary brows gently.
- Skip products on broken, red or irritated skin and mention it to your nurse.
- For more on reactive skin, see our guide to brow options for sensitive skin.
Questions to ask your oncology team
Tick these off at your next appointment.
- ☐ Is my treatment likely to affect my eyebrows and eyelashes?
- ☐ Roughly when might that happen, and when could they start to grow back?
- ☐ Is it safe for me to use brow makeup or temporary brow transfers on my skin?
- ☐ Are there ingredients I should avoid while I am on this treatment?
- ☐ When would it be safe to consider microblading or cosmetic tattooing, if I want it later?
- ☐ Does this center run an appearance or Look Good Feel Better session I can join?
- ☐ Who should I contact if the skin around my brows becomes red, sore or broken?
A rough regrowth timeline
Everyone is different, so treat this as a general picture rather than a promise.
- During treatment: brows may thin gradually or stay mostly intact.
- Near the end of treatment or just after: the most common time for brow loss to become noticeable.
- A few weeks to a few months after treatment: fine, soft regrowth often appears.
- Several months after treatment: brows usually thicken, though color and texture can differ for a while.
If brows have not started to return several months after treatment ends, mention it to your doctor, as other causes such as thyroid changes are worth checking.
For nurses, social workers and support groups
You are welcome to print this page for patients or link to it from your hair loss resources. It is written to be informational and is not a substitute for advice from a patient’s own care team. For a fuller explanation of why brows and lashes fall out, see how cancer treatment causes eyebrow and eyelash loss.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Always follow the guidance of your oncology team. BrowAgain makes temporary eyebrow transfers; we have kept this page product-neutral so it can be shared freely.
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