Louis Theroux has given an update on his alopecia battle – having undergone microblading three months after shaving his eyebrows off.
The documentarian, 53, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a series of selfies alongside a lengthy caption revealing he had undergone the treatment, which involves having eyebrows semi-permanently tattooed.
In his caption, Louis detailed his choice to undergo the treatment, writing: ‘I realise there are much bigger things to worry about in the world but… a while ago I shared that my eyebrows had basically disappeared due to alopecia…
‘I received a lot of nice messages, some suggesting I try “microblading”, a form of temporary tattoo. So that’s what I did! It took two sessions of a couple of hours…
‘I’m happy to have my old face back. The new brows are neater and more shapely than my “real” ones were. But there are a couple of wisps of my remaining hair in there which help make them look more natural.’
Louis Theroux has given an update on his alopecia battle – having undergone microblading three months after shaving his eyebrows off
The documentarian, 53, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a series of selfies alongside a lengthy caption revealing he had undergone the treatment, which involves having eyebrows semi-permanently tattooed
He penned: ‘I realise there are much bigger things to worry about in the world but… a while ago I shared that my eyebrows had basically disappeared due to alopecia’
He then shed light on how his scalp is transforming and confessed some of the alopecia is ‘weird and depressing’, so he is yet to share images
What is microblading?
Microblading is a tattooing technique which uses a small handheld tool made of several tiny needles to add semi-permanent pigment to the skin.
Microblading differs from standard eyebrow tattooing, a form of permanent make-up, as each hair stroke is created by hand with a blade.
The blade creates fine slices in the skin, whereas eyebrow tattoos are done with a tattoo machine.
He then shed light on how his scalp is transforming and confessed some of the alopecia is ‘weird and depressing’, so he is yet to share images.
Louis continued: ‘Meanwhile more gaps – or “lesions” to use the technical term – have appeared on my scalp. I have photos of those which I may share at some point or I may not – they are a bit weird and depressing to look at tbh…
‘Life goes on. I am happy and healthy in every other way and I feel very grateful.’
In December, Louis revealed he has shaved off his eyebrows.
She took to his Instagram with a slew of selfies showing off his transformation including a video depicting the moment he opted to remove the facial hair, having previously been candid about his battle with the condition.
He had previously shared with fans he was considering having his expressive eyebrows tattooed to save his career – and even debated microblading – a semi-permanent form of cosmetic tattooing.
The acclaimed journalist took the first step as he completely shaved off his eyebrows, showing the changing look in different angles in the three selfies.
He added a caption reading: ‘Can you tell what’s different? I’ve shaved off my eyebrows! I’m also thinking about getting micro blading soon. In the meanwhile I figure no eyebrows is better than patchy eyebrows. Do you agree?’
In December, Louis revealed he has shaved off his eyebrows
The documentary maker took to his Instagram with a slew of selfies and a clip showing off his transformation
Louis added a clip capturing him as he finishes shaving, and showed off a grin at the end of the video.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair to fall out, often in clumps the size and shape of a 50p coin.
The amount of hair loss can vary, some lose it in a small areas while others have large patches of baldness. The hair can grow back but sometimes falls out again.
Earlier last month, Louis has turned to Instagram to advice after being diagnosed with the health condition.
Louis shared a snap of his eyebrows, along with the caption: ‘I’d like to know how I’m supposed to continue a career based largely on raising and lowering different eyebrows without any eyebrows!’
He added: ‘Alopecia. I’m seriously thinking of getting them tattooed back on but it feels like a big step! Thoughts?’
Fans were quick to offer kind words of advice for Louis, with many sharing their own alopecia struggles.
It comes after Louis shared on social media back in August that ‘new bald patches’ were appearing, and he was still struggling to regrow his beard.
The acclaimed journalist took the first step as he completely shaved off his eyebrows
He showed the change from different angles in the three selfie
He added a clip capturing him as he finishes shaving, and showed off a grin at the end of the video
He said: ‘Alopecia update (try to remain calm!): new bald patches are appearing in my ‘top hair’ (the hair on top of my head) BUT I can now grow a weird straggly and rather sparse white beard. So that’s something.
‘And there are some tiny patches of regrowth on my eyebrow. FWIW I’ve been taking vitamin D, iron, and something called biotin. Is it helping? Who knows?’
In July he first shared that he was starting to lose his eyebrows, writing: ‘Oh jeez it looks like the alopecia has migrated up to my eyebrow.
‘I realise you aren’t all awaiting every update on its progress but I want people to acclimatise to the new partially depilated me and not freak everyone out by suddenly appearing in public like a half-plucked elephant bird with no forewarning.
‘So this is where we’re at. I’d really like to keep my eyebrows, but it’s out of my hands at this point… tho I have started taking vitamin d and something called biotin.’
In June, Louis admitted that he had given up on any hopes of being able to grow a full beard again, telling his followers that that he would rather it ‘all fall out’ instead of being left with small patches.
Earlier last month, Louis has turned to Instagram to advice after being diagnosed with the health condition – and said he considered getting his eyebrows tattoed
He said: ‘Nature has played a cruel trick on me. Thanks to my alopecia barbae (‘of the beard’) I can now only grow a weird little Hitler moustache. This is what I look like after three days not shaving.
‘I have given up on my beard ever growing back to its luxuriant former glory but is too much to ask for it to ALL fall out instead of having a tiny remnant in a potentially offensive configuration?
‘And now a bald patch has appeared on the back of my head making me wonder if my proper hair-hair might be next to go. In two years or less I may be bald! (sigh).’
Louis first questioned whether he had developed alopecia after losing all of his facial hair in January.
Sharing snaps of his changing beard, he wrote: ‘So this is what my beard grows like now due to what I think is probably alopecia.’
‘Basically I get a little triangle of stubble around my mouth and some more at the sides.
It comes after Louis shared on social media back in August that ‘new bald patches’ were appearing, and he was still struggling to regrow his beard
WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
Alopecia, which causes baldness, is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. The immune system – the body’s defense system – turns on itself.
What are the symptoms?
‘Typically, one or more small bald patches, about the size of a 50p piece, appear on the scalp. The hair can start to regrow at one site, while another bald patch develops. Hair may also begin to thin all over the head,’ says Marilyn Sherlock, chairman of the Institute of Trichologists.
What causes it?
‘For some reason, the body’s immune system begins to attack its own hair follicles. Special white blood cells in the body, known as T-lymphocytes, cause the hair to stop growing,’ she adds.
Can worry make it worse?
Stress has been shown to prolong the problem.
Is it an inherited condition?
There is strong evidence to suggest that alopecia, like other auto-immune diseases, runs in families. About 25 per cent of patients have a family history of the disorder.
Who gets it?
Alopecia areata usually affects teenagers and young adults, but it can affect people of any age. It is just as common among men as women.
Is there a cure?
There is no known cure, although there are various treatments which may be effective for some people.
‘It’s not a big deal, but I don’t want people to think I’m doing something creative with my facial hair and doing it badly, when it’s just what I look like when I don’t shave.
‘This is also why I don’t wear a beard as much anymore. Maybe it’ll grow back. Who knows?
‘It mainly happened over the course of 2022. You get a sense of how it progressed from the other two photos taken six months before and a year before.’
In recent years, Louis has fronted a brand new series of celebrity interviews, with names including Joan Collins, Rita Ora and Anthony Joshua.
In August, he said that the TV industry’s fear of causing offence has led to an ‘atmosphere of anxiety’ and ‘less confident’ programming.
Giving a keynote speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival, the BBC documentary star also took aim at the corporation as he accused it of seeking to ‘play it safe’ and ‘avoid the difficult subjects’.
He wrote at the time that he was taking supplements in the hope that it would encourage his hair to grow back
In July he first shared that he was starting to lose his eyebrows, writing: ‘I’d really like to keep my eyebrows, but it’s out of my hands at this point’ adding: ‘I can now only grow a weird little Hitler moustache’
In June, Louis admitted that he had given up on any hopes of being able to grow a full beard again, telling his followers that he would rather it ‘all fall out’
While Theroux is best known for his 2000 special on paedophile celebrity Jimmy Savile, his other documentary subjects have included the Church of Scientology, neo-Nazis, crystal meth, plastic surgery and America’s notorious San Quentin prison.
Addressing an audience of broadcast professionals in his prestigious speech, he spoke about a new focus in television that was ‘more thoughtful about representation, about who gets to tell what story, about power and privilege, about the need not to want only give offence’.
But while saying he was personally ‘fully signed up to that agenda’, he added: ‘I wonder if there is something else going on as well.
‘That the very laudable aims of not giving offence have created an atmosphere of anxiety that sometimes leads to less confident, less morally complex filmmaking.’
He added that a potential knock-on effect was that ‘programmes about extremists and sex workers and paedophiles might be harder to get commissioned’.
Louis questioned whether he had alopecia after losing all of his facial hair in January (left), sharing a snap comparing his sparse beard with full growth earlier last year (right)