Full, natural brows are widely coveted today, and there’s no shortage of products and procedures to achieve them. Between pencils, powders, and gels, to services like microblading, tinting, and brow lamination, the options to help you achieve your desired brow look can feel overwhelming and time consuming – especially if you feel like your brows may be thinning. Instead of looking to cover up the problem, sometimes it’s best to dig into why you’re experiencing it in the first place. Here are a few reasons why your brows may be thinning:

False eyelashes have been a beauty staple for decades. Sold as strip lashes, clusters, or singles, they can be made of synthetic materials (faux mink) or natural hair (such as mink) and are designed to be applied temporarily, usually for a single day or event.

If you lived through the years of overplucked brows (hello, ‘90s and early aughts) or you’ve just seen the photos, then you know why we’re obsessed with brow health today.

Once upon a time, it was on-trend to pluck or wax brows into the thinnest of lines…regardless of your eyebrows’ natural shape. Some people’s brows never recovered from the trauma of being ripped out from the root over and over — which is why the current resurgence of skinny ‘90s brows has proved to be a polarizing trend.

No matter where you stand on the desirability of ultra-thin brows, the truth is that overplucking can make brows difficult to regrow. Luckily, these days (unlike in times past) we know all the right ways to repair and restore brows.

Not long ago, it seemed like every makeup look in our feeds featured over the top faux lashes and blocky, heavily filled in brows. But these days, a more natural-looking aesthetic has replaced the full glam face, and no-makeup makeup is becoming this season’s go-to style. If you’re as ready as we are to let your natural beauty shine, try these tricks to create a minimalist beauty look that will put your best features front and center.