How to Reshape Eyebrows — Expert Tips

“You don’t want to remove too much hair from the inner corners,” says Madron. “It’s very hard to get the hair to grow back in those spots, so I always err on the side of caution.”

Fill in eyebrow gaps like an expert.

Even though you can’t pick up your tweezers, you can still pick up your makeup. There’s no avoiding it: Your brows will go through an awkward phase during the grow-out process, and makeup is going to come in really handy. 

“This is where brow fillers, pencils, waxes, and putties come in very handy,” says Madron. “If your brows are a good shape but you’re filling in holes, pencils and powders are best.” Madron recommends Maybelline New York Brow Define + Fill Duo, which is a dual-ended stick with a pencil on one end and a powder on the other.

If you’re growing out more than just a few sparse patches, pencil won’t cut it. “What you want to do is paint on the brow shape you’re desiring,” Madron explains, “covering up all the patchy, new growth inside the lines with a wax/powder combination or a putty-like product, both of which are more forgiving, allow for less precision, and tame stubborn hairs.” We’re fans of Giorgio Armani Eye & Brow Maestro and Nyx Tame & Frame Tinted Brow Pomade. 

As far as color is concerned, go one to two shades lighter than your hair if you’re a brunette, or try taupe if you’re blonde. Gafni’s advice? Use short, angled strokes in the direction of hair growth to beef up bald spots, but stay within your natural brow line. “Never create an arch with makeup,” says Gafni. “Even the right shade can look obvious. Your bone structure should create the arch for you.”

Facilitate eyebrow growth by conditioning at night and taking hair growth supplements.

A brow conditioner will help speed the growth process along. Madron’s favorite is RevitaBrow, a peptide- and vitamin-rich serum that she recommends to many of her clients to help encourage hair strength and prevent breakage and loss. But one conditioner doesn’t necessarily fit all. “You may need to try different products with different active ingredients,” says Madron. Talika Eyebrow Lipocils Expert is quite good — it promises to stimulate growth and even intensify color — but you may also want to try talking to your dermatologist about prescription-strength options. 

How to Define Fuller Eyebrows

If you prefer thinner, more arched brows, you can make that happen. “Strong brows need to have shape and separation,” says eyebrow groomer Kristie Streicher. “Otherwise, they’ll overwhelm your face.”

Divide and conquer.

Unibrows can looks fabulous, but if it’s not your personal style, you’ll need to grab the tweezers to create separation. (We love the classic Tweezerman Slant Tweezers.) Hold a pencil vertically from the outer edge of your nostril to your eyebrows to determine where each brow should start.

Make the cut.

Removing bulk from your brows doesn’t always mean pruning them. Nine times out of 10, a trim is all you need. Comb your brows straight up with a spoolie eyebrow brush like Tarte’s Fill Service Brow Brush and Spoolie, then use eyebrow scissors — we love the Arches & Halos Surgical Stainless Steel Brow Scissors — to trim only the longest hairs, staggering the length as you go. “Cut one hair a little longer and one a little shorter, so your eyebrows don’t get a crew cut,” says Streicher. Follow up with a brow gel like the MakeupJet Best of Beauty Award-winning Benefit Gimme Brow + Volumizing Eyebrow Gel to keep hairs in place.

Shape up.

Define the arch (the brow’s highest point, just beyond the iris as you look ahead) by yanking a few hairs beneath it. “The most common mistake I see is people taking too much off the ends,” says Streicher. Eyebrows that fall short look tadpole-y, and they age our faces, since the ends thin as we get older, she says.

End well.

“It’s a sin to shorten beautiful, long eyebrows,” says New York City brow groomer Joey Healy. Unless the tails of your eyebrows dip too far below where the heads begin (which can result in a dragging effect), leave the length alone. Make sure to taper the ends to a clean point for a sharp finish.

How to Reshape Eyebrows that Look Like Commas

What’s a comma brow? It’s basically a brow that has been plucked within an inch of its life, but only under the arches and at the ends, creating a comma-like effect. But you can achieve balance by filling in the eyebrow tail.