know your body: what eyebrows do for you

the evolution of eyebrow trends is littered with dos and absolutely do-nots . the silent film era had the ‘thin and rounded’ look, while the glamorous 70s saw brows that were waxed and arched . they got thicker in the 80s before giving way to the ‘barely there,’ and then, of course, there was the pencil-thin trend of the early aughts. in the last decade, eyebrows have been bold and bushy, brushed up, bejeweled , bleached, boxed, feathered and shaved into odd shapes .

instagram has helped to change eyebrows forever, with a new popular look popping up every couple months. apparently, the “cindy crawford brushed-up and bushy, but natural” look is in right now.

an evolutionary leftover
over thousands of years, humans have lost most of the thick hair that once covered our bodies. it remains on the tops of our heads and a few other areas, including above our eyes.

the human connection
perhaps the most important function of the eyebrow is something we don’t really notice — at least consciously. the eyebrow is vital in social signalling and communicating with our fellow homo sapiens.

early humans had a distinct brow ridge and skull shape that made us look more intimidating, but it is believed that ridge played a key role aiding in communication with others. modern humans lost the ridge and now have a flat, vertical forehead, but the eyebrows that remain now do the job of sending signals about our emotions, according to a 2018 study .

we raise our eyebrows subconsciously to express sympathy or that we aren’t a threat, we lower them to express anger, and we move them in tandem with our eyes to display a vast array of other emotions and social cues.

are there health issues associated with brows?
eyebrow lice is a thing. while most people are familiar with head lice, pubic lice or ‘crabs’ are similar little bugs that use body hair as a nesting ground.

and while it may make logical sense that lice found in the eyebrows comes from head lice, eyebrow lice is actually pubic lice that is usually spread when the eyebrow is touched after contact with the pubic region. treatment usually includes a combination of medication and combing the nit out of the hair.

yes, you can lose eyebrow hair
eyebrow hair loss is not uncommon, and according to healthline can be caused by several health conditions , including alopecia areata, psoriasis, nutrient deficiencies or thyroid disease .

madarosis is another condition that causes hair loss in the eyebrows and eyelids. madarosis often occurs in the presence of a variety of other underlying health conditions. infections, some medications, genetic conditions and even leprosy can result in madarosis.

eyebrows can also offer clues to health issues. for example, waardenburg syndrome is a rare disease that can cause eyebrows to grow together, as can patau syndrome , and smith–lemli–opitz syndrome . one sign of cornelia de lange syndrome is long eyebrows, while in cases of trichotillomania , people tend to repeatedly pull their brow hair out.

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know your body: what eyebrows do for you

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