I Over-Plucked My Brows for 20 Years. Two Months of This Serum Brought Them Back
If you were a girl growing up in the 90s, chances are you reached for your tweezers one too many times. I was especially guilty of this. As a model (briefly) in my late teens and early 20s, I was usually told what to show up with: long hair, clear nails, that kind of thing. But every so often a makeup or hair artist would make an on-the-spot call about what worked best for the look. One time that meant dyeing my hair. Another time it meant tweezing off my eyebrows from the middle to the end to get a “perfect” arch. Ack. I agreed, of course, because a) I was probably too young to know better and b) I hated my bushy brows. Ah, to be 18 again!
If you buy through our links, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Our policy
They grew back all sorts of crazy after that, which kicked off years of overtweezing and plucking. Fast forward to my 40s, and my brows were getting thinner by the minute. They were a big part of why I felt like I had to wear makeup at all. I was always filling them in with a pencil (I’m forever loyal to Anastasia Brow Wiz FWIW), and by the time you do that you might as well add concealer, then powder, and of course blush. Walking out of the house barefaced was not my fave.
A few months ago I decided to order a brow serum that I had seen on Instagram from Nulastin. I started mid-March, and I noticed results fairly quickly, probably around the two-week mark, when little hairs started filling in the bald patches. Two months in, and I’m shocked (shocked!) that my brows are back with a vengeance. I haven’t had them professionally shaped yet (I’m waiting until I think they’re fully baked, lol), but it’s close. The funny part is that I think I need to get them tinted now, because I’ve had to tweeze out several gray hairs that came in with the rest. I’m starting to look like Groucho Marx, but I’ll take it!
Would I buy it again?
Yes, hands down.
NULASTIN Shape Altering Eyebrow Serum
The one I used. Nulastin’s brow serum pairs an elastin-and-keratin complex with a small amount of isopropyl cloprostenate, the prostaglandin analog that does the actual regrowing. Two months of nightly use brought my over-plucked 90s brows back to nearly their old fullness (gray hairs and all). It’s a tiny 0.1 oz tube, it isn’t cheap, the payoff takes two to three months, and the regrowth fades if you stop. Apply to the brow only, never the lash line or the eye.
The Fine Print on Prostaglandin Brow Serums
The active ingredient. Nulastin’s regrowth comes from isopropyl cloprostenate, a synthetic prostaglandin analog in the same class as bimatoprost, the prescription active in Latisse. The elastin and keratin proteins condition the existing hair, but the prostaglandin analog is what drives new growth, by extending the follicle’s active growth phase.
Reported side effects. The effects most commonly associated with topical prostaglandin analogs are darkening of the eyelid skin, fat loss around the eye that can produce a hollowed or sunken appearance, and local redness or irritation. Published case reports describe these as largely reversible once the product is discontinued.
Iris color change. Prostaglandin analogs can permanently increase brown pigment in the iris. This risk is well established for products applied directly to the eye, such as glaucoma drops, and is low when use is confined to the brow. It is highest in people with hazel, green, or mixed-color eyes and lowest in those with solid blue eyes.
Regulatory status and the brand’s data. Isopropyl cloprostenate is not FDA-approved, while Latisse’s bimatoprost is an approved prescription drug; Canada has banned isopropyl cloprostenate in cosmetics over safety concerns, though it remains available in the U.S. Nulastin reports a 12-week study with no product-related adverse effects, though the study is brand-sponsored, 12 weeks is short relative to how gradually iris pigmentation develops, and the product is a cosmetic that has not been reviewed by the FDA. To limit risk, it should be applied to the brow only, kept away from the lower lash line and the eye.
A cruelty-free mark means the brand is certified by PETA, Leaping Bunny, or both at the time of writing. A missing mark doesn’t mean a brand tests on animals; it just means the brand isn’t certified by these programs.
What Our BEEs Are Buzzing About
Here’s what the beauty community is saying about brow serums:
Want to become a Beauty Empties Expert?
BEEs get free products to test, exclusive discount codes from our brand partners, and live access to The Hive sessions with dermatologists and beauty editors. Spots are limited and hand-picked.
