Eyebrow bleaching among females: a cross-sectional study

Background Eyebrow bleaching is a common practice among women with dark hair that allows for alterations in the eyebrows' shape without the use of hair removal. A literature search on this topic failed to reveal any extant studies. Objective To explore the prevalence, associated motives, and side effects of eyebrow bleaching among women. Methods A questionnaire about eyebrow bleaching was distributed randomly to female patients attending the outpatient clinics at a university hospital between June and August 2008. Results The response rate was 87.2%; with 567 of the 650 distributed questionnaires returned. The mean age was 32.01 +/- 10.17 years. 48.4% (253/522) of the participants reported having bleached their eyebrows. Of these individuals, 55.8% (101/181) experienced side effects related to eyebrow bleaching. These side effects included increased or decreased density of the eyebrow hair, and redness, itching, and scaling of the eyebrow skin. The motives behind eyebrow bleaching varied widely, but were primarily esthetic in nature. Younger women, students, and participants with higher monthly incomes reported bleaching their eyebrows a greater number of times than others (P < 0.001, 0.04 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusion In this sample of female patients, eyebrow bleaching was reported to be a common practice. Bleaching was associated with local side effects in over 50% of those who use the technique. Thus, there is a need to educate the public about these side effects.