Honestly, if you were on Instagram in August 2022, you probably remember where you were when Doja Cat decided to just... shave her eyebrows off. Live. In front of thousands of people. It wasn't just a quick trim or a bleach job. She took a pink heart-shaped mirror, grabbed a razor, and went to town.
People lost their minds.
The comments section was a total war zone. You had fans cheering her on for being "authentic," while others were literally calling for a wellness check, comparing her to 2007-era Britney Spears. But here’s the thing: Doja wasn't having a breakdown. She was just tired of her hair. Like, really tired.
What Really Happened with the Doja Cat No Eyebrows Look
For most of us, our eyebrows are like the curtains of our face. You don't just rip them down on a Tuesday night because you're bored. But for Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (that's Doja's real name), those "curtains" were more like a nuisance.
During that infamous Instagram Live, she explained that she’s never liked having hair. Like, ever. She called it a "f—king nightmare."
Think about her life for a second. She’s a massive pop star. She’s constantly in wigs. She’s performing under hot lights. She told fans that her wigs would "start sliding and peeling off" her head during workouts because of the moisture and sweat. It sounds exhausting. Imagine trying to hit a squat or do a high-intensity dance routine while your expensive lace-front is slowly migrating toward your ears.
She basically said, "What is the use of having hair if you're not going to wear it out?" So, she buzzed her head. And then, because she’s Doja, she realized the eyebrows had to go too.
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It wasn't a "stunt" for attention
A lot of critics tried to claim she was doing this for clout or that she was going through something dark. Doja didn't take that lying down. She fired back on Twitter (now X), reminding everyone that she’s a Grammy winner who has traveled the globe and has multiple platinum hits.
Her point was simple: "I make hit after hit after hit and you all want me to look f—kable for you."
It was a pretty sharp critique of how we view female celebrities. We expect them to maintain a very specific type of "pretty" to be considered "okay." By removing her eyebrows, she essentially removed the frame that made her face fit into a traditional beauty box.
The "Subversive Brow" and Creative Freedom
Once the hair was gone, the real fun started. If you followed her posts in the weeks after the big shave, you saw some of the wildest makeup looks in recent pop culture history.
Since she had a literal blank canvas, she started "doodling" on her face. We aren't talking about just drawing on natural-looking brows. We're talking:
- Tiny hearts where her arches used to be.
- Detailed flowers with green stems growing up her forehead.
- Smiley faces and intricate geometric lines.
- Apples drawn right above her pupils.
It turned her face into a piece of rotating performance art. Fashion experts and makeup artists began calling this the "subversive brow" trend. It wasn't about looking better; it was about looking cool.
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Why the beauty industry actually loved it
While the general public was confused, the high-fashion world was obsessed. Shortly after the shave, Doja showed up to Paris Fashion Week looking like a literal alien—in the best way possible.
She proved that you don't need eyebrows to be a style icon. In fact, by removing them, she made her eyes pop even more. Makeup artists like Sam Visser have noted that this "no brow" look allows for much more vertical space to play with eyeshadow and liner. It’s a total liberation from the "Instagram Face" aesthetic that dominated the 2010s.
Is the Shaved Brow Trend Safe to Try?
If you're sitting there with a razor in your hand thinking about pulling a Doja, there are a few things you should know.
First off, eyebrows do grow back. Don't worry. But they don't grow back overnight. According to brow experts, it can take anywhere from six weeks to several months for them to fully return to their former glory. And the "in-between" stage? It’s itchy. It’s prickly. It looks like you have tiny black dots on your forehead for a while.
Also, eyebrows actually have a job. They keep sweat and dust out of your eyes. Without them, you might find yourself blinking a lot more during a workout or on a windy day.
How to do it right (if you must)
If you’re committed to the bit:
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- Use a facial razor, not the one you use for your legs. A single-blade dermaplaning tool is much safer for that delicate skin.
- Hold the skin taut. The skin on your brow bone is thin. If it bunches up, you're going to nick yourself, and facial cuts bleed... a lot.
- Keep it clean. Use a gentle antiseptic afterward to avoid those tiny white bumps (folliculitis).
The Actionable Takeaway
Doja Cat's no-eyebrows era wasn't a cry for help; it was a masterclass in reclaiming her own image. She took the power away from the "male gaze" and handed it back to herself.
If you're feeling stuck in a beauty rut, you don't necessarily have to shave your face. But you can take a page from her book. Try a "fake" no-brow look first by using a heavy-duty concealer and some setting powder to "block" your brows. See how it changes your face shape.
The biggest lesson here? Your "look" is for you. If a global superstar can walk around with tiny apples drawn on her forehead and still be the coolest person in the room, you can probably afford to take a few more risks with your own style.
If you're going to experiment, start by using a white eyeliner pencil to map out different shapes over your natural brows. It gives you the "artistic" vibe without the six-month commitment of waiting for hair to grow back.
Most people get it wrong because they think beauty has to be "natural." Doja proved it just has to be yours.
Next Steps for Your Look:
Check out dermaplaning tools if you want to experiment with shaping, but stick to full-coverage concealer (like Kryolan TV Paint Stick) if you want to try the "no brow" look for a night out without the permanent commitment.