The ultra-thin eyebrows of the 1990s were a symbol of transformation, rebellion, and reinvention within pop culture and the fashion scene. They made a statement; one people proudly wore on their faces.
Growing up in the ’90s, I trying to make a bold fashion statement; I was just following trends. But what the trendsetters didn’t tell me was: once plucked, my brows were gone forever. I still remember the exact moment I plucked my eyebrows too thin, because that same week, I had to pose with my parents and siblings for our first-ever family portrait.
Fast forward to the early 2000s, and microblading became the hot beauty trend, the “go-to” fix for all of us ‘90s brow victims. Unfortunately for me, it made me look even more dated. When microblading isn’t done properly, it can leave a kind of tattoo-like effect on your brows. And years later, it faded and looked anything but natural. So now, I had a skinny ’90s brow underneath the mess of a 2000s microblading tattoo.
You’d think I’d had enough after that. But no, apparently, I have a pretty high beauty pain tolerance. Years after the microblading disaster, I came across a beauty tech technique called an eyebrow transplant. I read about it and looked into it for a few years until I decided to try this one last eyebrow hail mary.
What is an eyebrow hair transplant
You may be asking, “what is an eyebrow hair transplant?”Think of it as eyebrow restoration. It’s a cosmetic procedure where hair is grafted from the back of the scalp or neck and then moved and transplanted into the eyebrows.
A new hair restoration facility opened in downtown Toronto called Padra Clinic. Mainly known for full or partial head hair transplants for men, the clinic also offers an array of laser and other medspa treatments. but eyebrow hair transplants were at the top of the list. It was time for me to try it out.
The Consultation
I walked into Padra for my first consultation with a few burning questions about my 90s/- 2000s brows. Could they be saved? Was I just going to make them look worse? Would I be a good candidate? The team at Padra took the time to answer all of my questions and confirmed that I was a good candidate for the procedure. The doctor on site checkedthe back of my head to see if I had enough donor hair to transplant to my eyebrows. I booked my appointment for the procedure, which was four months away thanks to the Padra teams packes schedule. Directly after the appointment, an email is sent to you that describes step by step what to prepare for diet-wise, what you can and can not eat before the transplant, and aftercare.
Full disclosure, I advised tell Padra that sending pre- and post-care guidelines four months before a treatment is WAY too early. I forgot they even sent them to me, but I was reassured when the Marketing Director heard my concern and created a YouTube post and pre-care video for patients to view a month or two weeks before they go into the clinic. The problem was solved, and I was delighted to hear the team consider my Comms’ suggestion.
My brow transplant experience
I arrived at my appointment four months later bright and early at 8 a.m., I was prepared for a long day that could consist of looking at the floor for four hours, the length of the procedure. The two practitioners laid out how the day would go, along with designing and consulting with me on my new eyebrow shape. Ultimately, we decided to follow the guidelines of my old microblading tattoo as it was the best outcome to help cover the past eyebrow artwork.
Before heading, literally head first,” into the procedure, the donor area is then shaved and prepared for the transplant. It truly felt awkward to have a section of your head shaved off if you’ve never done it before. But apparently, I’ll do anything to update the brows.
Now the hard part starts. I was asked to lie headfirst down into a massage table with my head facing the ground through the tiny hole that massage tables offer. It’s awkward, yes. Very. For someone who is claustrophobic, it brought on some anxiety. But the practitioners are excellent. When you need a break, just tell them, and they will have you get up and stretch. That means you’re not head down the entire time. The two practitioners have conversations with you, and you can listen to music while they work. There’s even a break for lunch, which was delicious I might add.
To make sure I felt NO pain, I was injected with a local anaesthetic. During the procedure the practitioners took their time to remove individual hairs from the donor area that they felt would be best to transplant into my eyebrows. Around 500 hairs are taken, safely cleaned, and prepared for transplant. Once the best of the best hairs are removed, I was asked to flip over, and the eyebrow transplant began. This part takes a total of four hours from start to finish. A local anesthetic was applied to each brow, and the real craftsmanship begins.
Trust the process
Eight hours later, my eyebrow transplant was completed. I was handed a mirror to take a look at the final result. I slowly moved the mirror into view and took a first look. They looked huge! With that first thought rushing in, I quickly asked, “Are they supposed to be this big?!” The practitioner calmly reassured me that this was normal and that the size and darkness of the brows would shift and fade.
After my eight-hour day, I quickly left Padra to head home and start what some call “the ugly duckling phase.” Please, trust the process. I know I had too! A week into my healing process, I had to take the time to really care for my brows. From taking zinc to other vitamins and supplements kindly provided by Padra, it was now my turn to make sure I followed the post-care instructions perfectly. That meant washing and cleaning the donor area on my head every day.
After a week of healing, I returned to Padra’s clinic for my first official eyebrow wash and unveiling. The wash was quick, but also a little sore on my tender, healing brows. But the results were in, and I was pleased. My brows were still a little large and inflamed, but I knew they would calm down as the weeks went on.
The final steps
After about three weeks, the transplanted eyebrow hairs are meant to fall out, but thankfully, they start growing back again within three to six months. (This is where I took a little break from writing this review—I wanted to see what actually happened six months later.)
Back from a six-month brow review hiatus, and to be perfectly honest, I was nervous about how it might go. For the first few months, I saw very little growth and reached out to Padra Clinic to see if what was happening was normal. They reassured me that it was.
As my healing journey went on over six months (and will take a full year to truly see the final results), the one challenge, outside of slow hair growth, was a small indent above my top right eyebrow. I was worried it might turn into a scar, but it turned out to be just a tiny area that took longer to heal and did so without any scarring. I was so relieved! The last thing you want from any beauty or facial procedure is scarring.
Padra Clinic also mentioned during the procedure that, after removing my natural hair, they noticed my brows were fairly light, so they might not be as dark as I had hoped. They reminded me that I can dye them darker, but only after a year post-procedure. That means no dyeing or lamination for now, so for the next six months, so again I wait.
The verdict
Overall, I’m happy with the final result. When deciding who to pick as a practitioner for your eyebrow transplant, you want someone who’s done hundreds of transplants before. Padra and my practitioner had over 20 years of experience and knew the craft like the back of their hand. Confident but also kind, their craftsmanship and ability to design stellar brows were put to the test. And they passed with flying colours.
Check out some videos on my Instagram of before, during and after the procedure.
While the healing process was long, overall, I’m really happy with how my brows turned out and would do it all over again. It all started with the scary 90s–2000s brows, and now I’m strutting down the street rocking a fresh 2025 brow look.