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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Nadeem Badshah

Louis Theroux shares no-eyebrows look on Instagram as alopecia spreads

Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux, pictured without brows, has been documenting the stages of his hair loss on Instagram. Photograph: Instagram

Louis Theroux has announced that he has shaved off his eyebrows due to facial hair loss.

The documentary-maker, who has alopecia, said on social media he was considering microblading – a semi-permanent form of cosmetic tattooing – in an attempt to create the illusion of having full eyebrows.

He shared a picture of his new look on Instagram, asking his 1m followers: “Can you tell what’s different?” with the hashtags alopecia, no brows, and no brows no problems.

“I’ve shaved off my eyebrows,” the 53-year-old said. “I’m also thinking about getting microblading soon.

“In the meanwhile I figure no eyebrows is better than patchy eyebrows. Do you agree?”

The broadcaster and podcaster has documented the stages of his facial hair loss on Instagram since January.

He said it started with gaps in his beard before it “migrated up to my eyebrow” in July.

His last post in November showed a large portion of hair from his eyebrows had disappeared.

Theroux wrote: “I’d like to know how I’m supposed to continue a career based largely on raising and lowering different eyebrows WITHOUT ANY EYEBROWS!!

“#alopecia I’m seriously thinking of getting them tattooed back on but it feels like a big step! Thoughts?”

In an interview with the Guardian published in November, Theroux spoke about documenting his condition on social media.

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss and can come in different forms, including thinning of the hair or total loss of hair, according to the NHS website.

A second series of Louis Theroux Interviews is airing on the BBC, in which the broadcaster speaks to a number of famous people, including the actor Dame Joan Collins, the Libertines’ frontman, Pete Doherty, and most recently the Top Boy actor Ashley Walters.

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