Why bleach your brows when you can shave them off entirely? Unpacking Gen Z’s favourite beauty trend
You may be thinking, “Shaving my brows off entirely? That’s a tad extreme.” But most of us thought the same in 2021, back when the bleached brows trend emerged. So maybe this is just the natural next step in the evolution of stylised eyebrows? It’s undeniable that brows hold immense significance in the beauty landscape for women and femme-presenting people. However, this new aesthetic goes against all perceived ideals of femininity, which is perhaps what makes it so intriguing…
Traditionally, brows are meant to enhance your beauty, but plenty of women have bleached brows, almost as to remove them from the facial equation. Yet, they are still considered feminine even if they’ve adopted alternative beauty styles—shoutout to the likes of Julia Fox, FKA Twigs, Mikai McDermott, Ildjima Toide and Leeana Mosely Williams.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
And some bold beauty pioneers like Mikai McDermott and Ildjima Toide have recently moved to shave their brows off completely. And though unconventional, in my humble opinion, it looks fantastic. But I also can’t ignore the fact that all the women mentioned typically push the boundaries when it comes to limiting beauty standards. As someone who used to wear thick winged eyeliner to school religiously, I am obsessed with it, but what do beauty insiders think? I contacted them to find out.
I spoke to fashion student Paula Sanchez (@playb0ypaula), who describes her style as “weird and off-putting.” She currently rocks one bleached brow and the other is a natural brown one. Sanchez’ contrasting brows not only stand out from the norm but also challenge conventional beauty standards. When I asked her if she’d shave her brows off, she said that she doesn’t have the guts yet, but she’s curious to know how she’ll look.
@mikaimcdermott brow shave :) #makeup #ukgirlmakeup
♬ original sound - mikai
If you already have bleached brows, you might have an easier time adjusting to your face without any brow hairs—especially if you have a more prominent brow bone. But for those with hooded eyes, a lighter-coloured brow, or no brow, tends to open up your eyes and brighten the centre of your face.
Regardless, I always encourage self-expression through beauty. Shaving your brows off completely allows you to experiment with different brow styles and shapes. One day, you may want to draw on a flapper brow from the 20s. On another day, a thin and defined 90s supermodel brow. It’s all about the progression of personal beauty styles.
I will add a disclaimer that I do not encourage you to follow these trends unless they resonate with you and/or you can make them your own.
How to safely shave your brows at home
According to New York-based makeup artist and model Rai (@raisaflowers), all you need to shave off your brows are two simple things: a dermaplaning tool and castor oil. Seems easy enough, right?
View this post on Instagram
What are the alternatives to shaving your brows off entirely?
Similar to how you can get bleached brows with concealer and avoid chemicals altogether, the shaved brow look can also be faked.
You could do the glue-down method. This is a popular makeup technique mostly used by Special Effects (SFX) artists for movie or TV show sets. This doesn’t require much and can give you a shaved brow effect. But of course, it won’t be as smooth as if you were to shave them all off.
@nikohaagenson this is such a good thing to know how to do, it lets you create any look #makeup #abstractmakeup #mua #nyc #makeupartist #creativemakeup #dragqueenmakeup #dragqueen #makeuptips #makeuphacks
♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono - moshimo sound design
Are shaved brows easier to maintain than bleached brows?
When the bleached brows trend came about in 2021, few asked themselves how long bleached brows last. For many, it was a do first, ask questions later.
But let me tell you, bleached brows grow back quickly. Belgian model Ildjima Toide posted on Instagram that before shaving her brows off, she used to bleach them every week.
View this post on Instagram
So unless you already had sparse brows to begin with, your brows definitely grow back after completely shaving them off, at least according to this study. On average, your eyebrow hairs grow about 0.16mm per day, but other factors like genetics, diet and your environment also play a role in this.
If you bleached brows and have dark hair, then you know that this is a high-maintenance beauty choice, as your regrowth is more obvious. So, both beauty routines are not low maintenance at all, but shaving your brows is certainly easier than potentially causing a chemical burn on yourself.
The chemical burn is something that happened to FKA Twigs in 2014 for the Mercury Prize event. She told British Vogue that this happened while bleaching her brows and that she did not regret it even if it cost her the skin on her forehead. Now, that’s dedication.
View this post on Instagram
This also tells you something about beauty fads, because if you look back at the 2010s, the Instagram brow was the trend. Having bleached, shaved and even a thin natural brow was still seen as subversive. But FKA Twigs was one of the few brave enough to stick to her bleached brow look, regardless of what was trending at the time. Today, bleached brows aren’t as much of an eyebrow-raiser (pun intended), so maybe we can soon expect the same with shaved brows?
The brow possibilities are essentially endless.
