I Tried It: Eyebrow-Enhancing Serum for My Thin Brows

Intro

I suspect thin brows run in my family, not because our hair is delicate, but because we seem genetically inclined to overpluck. Nearly every woman in my family has, at some point, succumbed to precision tweezers and do-it-yourself hot-wax kits.

I can clearly picture my grandmother perched in front of her tri-fold vanity mirror, painstakingly drawing in her brows each morning. After years of tweezing them down to a few fragile strands and penciling in the rest, she eventually shaved them off and began using stencils to recreate shapes.

She owned an enormous assortment of stencil styles ordered from a mail catalog (this was before online shopping). You picked the look, pressed the stencil where your brows should sit, and filled them in. One day you were channeling Elizabeth Taylor; the next, Clara Bow.

I was about 13 when my mom decided it was time to begin taming the little caterpillars on my face. She took me to a salon for my first professional eyebrow wax. I walked out with neater arches and painful second-degree burns around them. You’d think that might have deterred me, but it didn’t. I continued tweezing and waxing for over ten years before deciding my stringy brows might benefit from a break.

So when Healthline asked for volunteers to try an eyebrow serum, I raised my hand immediately. I’d been working for years to undo the harm I’d inflicted on my brows.

I stopped waxing and now only pluck stray hairs occasionally. I’ve looked into and tried several at-home methods to encourage regrowth, like exfoliating around the brow bone and nightly conditioning with castor oil. I even spent many evenings deep in internet research watching videos about microblading, which still feels a bit too intense and intimidating for me.

Although my brows have thickened somewhat since I quit waxing and excessive plucking, they haven’t regained their former fullness — and they might never. Waxing removes hairs efficiently but can also damage follicles, slowing or stopping regrowth.

I can mostly fake a fuller look with various tinted eyebrow gels, but I was curious to try the brow serum to see if it would make a difference. Worst-case scenario: nothing happens.

Before beginning, I did some background reading on the product and skimmed through plenty of customer feedback.

RapidBrow at a glance

For this trial, I tested RapidBrow eyebrow-enhancing serum. It’s important to note that RapidBrow’s packaging and website don’t promise to regrow brows, only to enhance the appearance and condition of existing hairs.

Most customer testimonials were favorable. There were many before-and-after photos that suggested fuller, more substantial brows. Reviewers did mention that the improvements generally required ongoing use to remain. The negative comments I found were mostly from people who didn’t experience noticeable change.

You can purchase RapidBrow directly from the maker or find it at chain stores like Walgreens, CVS, and even Bed Bath & Beyond.

There have been reports of counterfeit products being sold as RapidBrow (yikes!), sometimes containing different ingredients, so check the brand site for authorized retailers to ensure you’re getting the genuine item.

What’s in it?

RapidBrow highlights its “Hexatein 2 Complex,” which, per the manufacturer, includes six components intended to nourish, control, and add volume to eyebrow hair:

• polypeptides, short chains of amino
  acids that help form proteins
• keratin, a structural
  protein that composes hair, nails, and skin
• biotin, a
  B vitamin that supports hair, skin, and nails
• apple fruit cell extract, which
• panthenol, also called
  vitamin B-5
• sweet almond
  extract, commonly used in hair care to strengthen strands

Of course, the serum contains many other components too: water, glycerin, dimethicone, and several other compounds I can’t pronounce or spell.

Before I began, I did a patch test to ensure the serum wouldn’t irritate my skin. The last thing I wanted was redness or a rash around my eyes. I didn’t have any reactions, though some reviewers reported developing rashes. Skin sensitivity varies, so it’s wise to test a small area first.

Application

Applying RapidBrow was straightforward. The wand resembles a mascara brush, and you sweep it across each brow like you would with a brow gel. The brush fibers are somewhat stiff, which I suspect helps lightly exfoliate and stimulate follicles. If your skin is sensitive, be gentle during application.

The directions advise one coat twice daily, so I integrated it into my usual morning and evening skincare. It dries in about a minute, so it only added a small amount of time to my makeup routine. Otherwise it was an easy addition to my regimen.

The serum dries clear. Occasionally it flaked a bit, but that rarely interfered with wearing my tinted brow gel over it.

Does it work?

I didn’t expect overnight miracles after two months with an over-the-counter serum — nobody’s eyebrows were going to instantly resemble Brooke Shields’. My hope was modest: reduce the appearance of sparse patches so I could perhaps rely less on makeup. If my brows thickened, great. If not, there’s always Boy Brow.

For the first two to three weeks I didn’t see much of a shift. My left brow has a noticeably thin spot, and I watched that area closely for signs of new growth, thinking it would be the easiest place to detect change.

By the end of week four, I swear that the thin patch looked somewhat denser — or at least less bare — than before. In the second month the changes became more apparent. My brows seemed fuller overall, and that sparse spot filled in. There were days I even forgot to use my tinted brow gel.

I definitely noticed new hair emerging, which made my brows a bit unruly at times… but noticeably fuller nonetheless.

The bottom line

After about 60 days of RapidBrow use, I saw definite improvement and was relieved to learn my years of waxing and plucking hadn’t ruined my brows irreparably. However, the benefits don’t appear to be permanent — continued use will likely be necessary to preserve the effect.

At roughly $50 per tube (which lasts around two months), this can become an expensive ongoing commitment, especially if the gains are modest. That price point, though, is comparable to other brow treatments available.

Overall, RapidBrow seems like a safe, simple option if you want to enhance the look of your brows and make them appear fuller.

That said, I’m not overly bothered by my 90s-era skinny brows. Sure, I could have skipped the hot-wax mishaps, but it was somewhat of a rite of passage.

I’m pleased with the subtle improvement I noticed using the serum, though this experiment reminded me that my eyebrows are perfectly fine as they are. Yours probably are, too!

Note: Results may vary.

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