What Happened When I Tried Wearing Eyebrow Wigs
Are they just a silly beauty fad, or a smart solution for thinning brows?
hedgehog94 | Shutterstock By Celia Shatzman
Pencils. Powders. Gels. Tattoos. When it comes to eyebrows, is there anything women won’t try? Personally, I usually stick with makeup.
My eyebrows aren't terrible, but they’re certainly in the “needs improvement” category. I’ve never had naturally-defined arches. Instead, I have lots and lots of fine fuzz that always needs major help getting cleaned up. And like many other women, my brows haven’t recovered—and probably never will—from the era of over-plucking. Since bold brows have made a comeback, I’ve been relying on pencils and gels (hello, Glossier’s Brow Boy!) to fake a fuller look.
While I'm hardly the only woman who stocks up on brow makeup, many others have opted for micro blading, which essentially involves getting semi-permanent eyebrow tattoos. The super-fine strokes meant to emulate individual hairs are highly convincing, but I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to needles of any sort. So when I heard about eyebrow wigs, I thought I might have stumbled upon a painless alternative.
Eyebrow wigs are exactly what they sound like: They're little eyebrows with faux or real hairs that you affix to your face, typically with special wig glue. Though eyebrow wigs have gotten more attention lately in the midst of the brow craze (thanks, Cara Delevingne!), they’ve been a go-to for cancer survivors and those with alopecia for years.
In fact, when I first heard the phrase "eyebrow wig,” I immediately envisioned that scene in Arrested Development when a character who suffers from alopecia loses his eyebrow in a bowl of candy. Would I face a similarly awkward fate? I was willing to find out.
It turns out that eyebrow wig prices (and perhaps quality) are all over the place; I made my best guess and settled on a mid-range pair for around $20.
The experiment
When the box arrived, I was immediately impressed with how natural the wigs looked — at least, I was until I held one up to my face. I have a decently-sized noggin, so I wondered who actually needed an eyebrow wig that big. But I followed the instructions and trimmed down both ends significantly.
Next, it was time to apply the glue. I carefully heeded the instructions to apply the glue to the back of each wig. (If you put the glue directly on your existing eyebrows, you'll end up with glue spots the wig doesn't cover.) The first time putting them on was the hardest since you have to find juuuust the right positioning and the right amount of glue: too little and they won't stick; too much, and you have excess on your face.
Once my faux brows were on, that’s when I realized my biggest mistake. My hair is very dark brown, and my natural brows are basically black, so I ordered black eyebrow wigs. However, the black looked a little too stark. Going with dark brown would have been more flattering and natural-looking, but shipping had taken forever (it wasn't a Prime purchase, unfortunately), and I wasn't willing to restart the process.
I decided to forge ahead with my test drive, but it felt like walking around with a bad haircut. Strangers might not notice, but people who knew me well would. Case in point: The first time my sister saw them, she responded, "What the heck happened to your eyebrows?" That was not what I was going for. No one else commented, but it's hard to say if they were just being polite or simply didn't notice.
From far away or at quick glance, I'm pretty sure that my brows looked OK. But up close, while it didn't look like I had slapped two mustaches from a disguise kit to my forehead (i.e., what I was afraid of), there was something a little off about them that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
As I walked around, I also kept worrying that my brows might start drooping weirdly or fall off completely at any point. I'm sure I was just being neurotic since the glue seemed perfectly strong, and the faux brows were impressively light. But I couldn't help but feel like I had a giant wig across my face, one that, much like a bad toupee, could take flight at any time.
Back to the makeup drawer
After two days, I abandoned my experiment. I just couldn't get over the mental hurdle of wearing the wigs. And although I only had to trim them once, putting them on each morning (and getting it right) took at least a minute or two. My usual routine of penciling in the gaps in my brows and then blending with a spoolie is a lot quicker and more foolproof. And it looks better, too.
For women with incredibly sparse brows, or those who don’t have brows because of a medical condition, eyebrow wigs are a great solution. They definitely offer some perks that makeup can't compete with: They're full and lush and three-dimensional, and they look pretty realistic (especially if you do a better job than I did of picking a shade).
But for those in my category, who just need a brow boost, eyebrow wigs may not be the best way to go. I'm glad I gave them a shot, but I've decided to keep browsing for another solution—one that doesn’t risk the chance of landing in my lunch.
Celia Shatzman is a writer and editor focusing on beauty, fashion, travel, entertainment, health, celebrities, finance, and more.
YourTango may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through links featured in this article.