Q:

I recently had an eyebrow transplant. My eyebrows were quite thin before so all I wanted was the doctor to increase the density where my eyebrows were already positioned. But instead he increased the thickness of the eyebrows above and below where they normally are. Is it permissible for me to pluck those eyebrow hairs out. And am I allowed to trim my new eyebrow hairs if I do not trim them they grow as how hair at the back of our head grows which will cause problems In the future. Thank you.

A:

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

All praise is due to Allah alone; peace and blessings be upon Our Prophet Muhammad.

Eyebrow transplant is a kind of cosmetic surgery that is only permissible to treat a deformity, not to look more beautiful. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have cursed an-namisah, a woman who plucks other’s eyebrows, and al-mutanammisah, a woman who has her eyebrows plucked. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

According to the majority of scholars, it is not permissible to remove the hair of eyebrows whether by plucking or shaving.

According to the Hanbalites, however, it is plucking only that is impermissible, whereas shaving is not impermissible. This means that plucking is unanimously prohibited. Some scholars even included it among enormous sins.

However, shaping eyebrows by shaving or any other means is a controversial issue as mentioned above. Accordingly, if the eyebrow has a normal shape that does not make one look ugly or feel embarrassed, then one has to avoid reshaping it. If the thickness of the eyebrow is so abnormal that it makes one look ugly or feel embarrassed, one may remove the unwanted hair, according to the Hanbalite point of view.

Regarding your case, if your eyebrow hair grows so long that it causes problem for you, you may trim it, to remove such harm.

Allah knows best.