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Eyebrow Dandruff: Yes, It's A Thing + Natural Remedies
A few winters ago, I was in a bathroom with particularly strong lighting—like, could-count-every-single-one-of-my-pores lighting—when I saw a few flakes. Not on my scalp. Not on a dry patch of skin. On my brows. I was horrified, and that night I scrubbed away at my poor little brows to get off those white flecks.
Wrong choice! Over time, this irritation only made the situation worse. See, as I would later learn, I made the all-too-often mistake of trying to solve the symptom, not the cause. So what was the cause of these little flakes? It pains me to say this, but dandruff. Yes, the same dandruff that plagues the scalp.
"This falls under the umbrella that is seborrheic dermatitis (this is a form of eczema). Regarding the cause of seborrheic dermatitis, the exact cause is unknown but associated with an irregular immune response and presence of yeast1. It's found in sebum-rich areas of the skin, including the trunk, scalp and face. Flakes can occur anywhere you have hair-bearing follicles," says board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D. "It's really not that uncommon to get it in your eyebrows."
The triggers are all the same as other forms of eczema: cold weather, dry environments, irritating personal care products, or an allergy, but dandruff has a few other more specific triggers, like oil buildup (the yeast feeds on oil) or microbiome-disrupting washes.
So how can you treat it?
Much like the dandruff on your scalp, it's tricky. And in order to really do something about it, you need to address the root cause—or, the yeast. Like me, so many women will try and scrub or oil themselves to flake-free skin, but that's only a Band-Aid and will likely make it worse over time. Here are Barr's preventive tips—doing this regularly will help curve the flakes.
- If it's a real issue, you can use dandruff shampoos on your eyebrows (be careful not to get it in your eyes, obviously). Look for actives like2 zinc pyrithione, antifungals, or antimicrobials, like tea tree3.
- Make sure your gut health is in check. "Looking at the issue holistically, we know that gut imbalances can trigger inflammatory skin conditions," she says. Eat gut-healthy foods and try probiotics.
- Only use gentle cleansers on your face. "Don't mess up the balance of organisms on your skin," she says. "If you do, you make it more likely that this yeast has the opportunity to grow." You'll want something that's pH-balanced and microbiome friendly.
- If you want a quick fix, calm the skin with anti-inflammatory moisturizers. "These will make it go away temporarily, but you're not dealing with the cause, so this is not a solve over time," she says. She recommends sea buckthorn oil, but don't use too much as to cause oil buildup.
And in the end, even if you do everything right, you might see flakes here and there. Seborrheic dermatitis is a recurring condition for most people who have it—but just know that it's very common and likely not noticeable.
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