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Fact: Millenials know all too well the struggle of trying to regrow eyebrows (the early aughts were a rough time). So if you’ve spent the last few hours Googling how long it takes for eyebrows to go back, while also panic-searching for the best eyebrow pencils and eyebrow tinting kits, then hi, I’ve been there. Because while leg and armpit hair seem to grow at an outrageously fast rate, eyebrow hair can feel like the slowest-growing hair of all time—and there are a ton of different factors that determine why.

That’s why I chatted with two dermatologists to break down everything you need to know about how to help your eyebrows grow back with both over-the-counter and prescription treatments, along with breaking down the DIYs that don’t work (see: castor oil and vitamin E oil), and, most importantly, how long it all takes. So let's get into it, shall we?

According to dermatologist Sophia Reid, MD, the most common cause of eyebrow hair loss is over-plucking. “When people tweeze, comb, or pluck their eyebrows too much, it causes trauma and inflammation to the hair follicle, which thins and slows the hair growth,” says Dr. Reid. And if you have a habit of pulling at your brows when you’re anxious or stressed (aka trichotillomania), you may also be contributing to the trauma and damage from over-manipulation.

Still, if you truly never touch your brows, let alone pluck them, and you’re still experiencing eyebrow loss, it may be the result of certain skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and alopecia, according to both Dr. Reid and dermatologist Meena Singh, MD. Even if your eyebrow area looks fine to you, remember that you’re not a doctor, and unknown thinning of your brow hair warrants a discussion with a dermatologist to narrow down the exact cause. The quicker you find out why, the quicker you can start a treatment plan, which brings us to:

While eyebrow hair grows slower than the hair on your head, at about 0.14 millimeters per day, according to Dr. Reid, the time it takes for your eyebrows to fully grow back depends on the cause of hair loss, the health of the hair follicle, and where the hairs are in their growth cycle. So before we get to the actual timeline, here’s a quick break down the life of a hair follicle:

A healthy, un-traumatized follicle that has been tweezed or waxed will take three to four weeks to grow back to the point where you can actually see the hair piercing through your skin, says Dr. Reid. Then add on another month (at least) before the hair is at its full length, and that brings you to a total of two to three months to see full regrowth of your eyebrow hair.

But if you do have damaged hair follicles, depending on how damaged they are (which, again, requires a conversation with a dermatologist or trichologist), Dr. Singh says it’s still possible to regrow them with the help of topical treatments that contain the active ingredient minoxidil (more on that below).

“As long as you have stem cells in the hair follicle, the hair can start to regrow in two to three weeks, but it will take two to three months before they are fully regrown, if they do come back,” Dr. Singh says. Without treatments, the hair will either grow much slower or not at all (if the follicle is damaged), and you might want to look into other options like eyebrow tinting or microshading.

If shaving is your go-to facial hair-removal method, here's some good news: Shaving doesn't damage the follicle the same way tweezing and facial waxing can, and it won't take as long to grow back. You can expect to see hair stubble in a few days, and full regrowth in six weeks. And despite the myth of shaving making your hair grow faster, it won’t: It will still grow at the same rate of .14 millimeters per day (and to give you some perspective, leg hair grows at a rate of .27 millimeters per day).

The only difference between shaving and tweezing (or waxing) is that the hair growth starts further along in the hair cycle. “When you shave the hair, the follicle is still underneath the skin,” says Dr. Reid. “So it takes less time for you to see it coming out than if you were to pull the entire follicle out.” And that also doesn’t take into account regular ol’ genetics and DNA, which means that some people’s hair just grows faster than others.

Dr. Reid says that at any one time, all of your eyebrow hairs will be at different points of the hair-growth cycle, and there’s also nothing you can do to prevent them from eventually shedding (circle of life, bb). But both derms agree that the best way to help grow fuller-looking brows is with OTC hair-growth treatments like Rogaine or Hers (both spiked with the active ingredient minoxidil), which you can get online or at the drugstore.

Minoxidil-based products don't actually increase the number of hair follicles in your skin (only a hair transplant can do that). Instead, Dr. Reid says, minoxidil lengthens the growth phase (aka the anagen phase) of the hair cycle, so that it takes longer for it to eventually fall out. It's important to note here that minoxidil treatments require time and consistency before you’ll see results: "You need to use Rogaine for about three months before you see a benefit from it," says Dr. Reid. "And then when you stop using it, you’ll lose the benefit."

But before you start rubbing hair-growth products all over your brows, remember that your eye area is far more sensitive than your scalp, so irritation is very possible. Dr. Reid says if you have sensitive skin or skin conditions like eczema, be super cautious, as you would be with any new product. “If your eczema is flaring up around your eyes, I wouldn’t recommend using Rogaine,” Dr. Reid says. In general, look for minoxidil products that are unscented or fragrance free, and make sure to patch test 24 hours ahead of time on your neck just below your ear.

Or, if you’re worried (hey, fair), you can always go for a prescription treatment that’s specifically formulated for your brow area, which brings us to…

Currently, there are no FDA-approved prescriptions to treat eyebrow loss. However, doctors commonly prescribe Latisse (the prescription-only lash-growth serum) to help boost brow growth—and there are even studies to support its efficacy. “Latisse is actually only FDA-approved for eyelashes, but we use it off-label for people to put it on their eyebrows to help with eyebrow growth,” says Dr. Reid.

While drugstore products may use minoxidil for hair growth, Latisse is formulated with an active ingredient called bimatoprost, which helps stimulate the growth of new hairs within four to six weeks. So while Latisse won’t speed up the growth rate itself (sorry, only your DNA and hormones can do that), it will help trigger the anagen phase of the cycle, which can result in fuller-looking brows.

Thankfully, you can only get this one through your derm—which, FYI, if you can’t make it to the office, you can always try a virtual dermatology appointment—so they’ll be able to answer all of your questions on side effects and directions.

If you’re here, you’ve probably already seen tons of brow-growth DIYs on the internet, like castor oil, vitamin E oil, aloe vera, and coconut oil. But, says Dr. Reid, these remedies don’t actually increase hair growth or speed it up, they just condition and strengthen the hairs themselves. “They might give you stronger, fuller-looking hairs, but they’re not making you grow hair any faster,” she says.

So sure, give your brows a lil castor oil at night to keep them shiny and healthy, but don't expect the hair to grow any faster. But if you really want to try an at-home remedy, Dr. Singh says that rosemary oil could help encourage hair growth, though, of course, won't be nearly as effective as prescription treatments.

It's no secret that any kind of hair loss or thinning, while totally normal, can be a highly frustrating experience. And if you're not ready to try treatments like minoxidil, there are other ways to get fuller-looking brows. Enter: eyebrow tinting, at-home eyebrow tinting kits, and microshading. And not to mention the many really good eyebrow pencils and eyebrow gels that, with a few swipes, can fill in any sparse patches.

So whether you just need to wait out your eyebrow hair growth, you want to start regular topical treatments like minoxidil or Latisse, or you just need some really good eyebrow tools at your side, you’ve got options for fuller-looking brows.