ADVERTISEMENT

Here are 5 weird facts you didn't know about eyebrows

Eyebrows are only seen as a feature that beautifies our faces but they have other roles.

ADVERTISEMENT

People spend a lot of time and money maintaining their eyebrows which include waxing to plucking to threading to filling them in. Most people, however, don’t know just why we have these arched patches of hair on our foreheads in the first place or what purpose they serve.

Here are 5 weird facts you didn't know about your eyebrows.

1. Eyebrows actually help you see

ADVERTISEMENT

The real function of eyebrows is to keep moisture out of our eyes when it’s raining or when we sweat. That arched shape helps divert liquid to the side of our faces, keeping the eyes clear.

2. There is a lot of hair

The average person has about 250 hairs per eyebrow. However, some reports show that never-plucked brows can have as many as 1100 total hairs.

3. Brows have a lifespan

ADVERTISEMENT

The average lifespan of an eyebrow is four months, meaning the time it takes for each hair to fall out and new growth to fill in.

4. They are important for facial recognition

A study found that people had more trouble correctly identifying the faces of people they knew when they were presented with images of them missing their eyebrows. Researchers concluded that brows may be more important for facial recognition than eyes themselves.

5. Beautifying eyebrows has a long history

When you pluck and define our brows, you are actually taking part in a long history of facial grooming. Every culture and time period has had a different way of shaping their brows. For example, in Florence during the Renaissance, people shaved their eyebrows off completely, while the colonial elite in 18th-century America preferred to beef their brows up using grey mouse skin.

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Recommended articles

A look into the diverse tax reforms being implemented across Africa

A look into the diverse tax reforms being implemented across Africa

Dubai firm to lend South Sudan $12.9 billion in exchange for 20 years oil repayment

Dubai firm to lend South Sudan $12.9 billion in exchange for 20 years oil repayment

China dethrones USA as the most influential global power in Africa: Report

China dethrones USA as the most influential global power in Africa: Report

Major African economies expecting inflation ease into next year, except Nigeria

Major African economies expecting inflation ease into next year, except Nigeria

10 African countries with the lowest price changes in household commodities

10 African countries with the lowest price changes in household commodities

Dangote refinery outranks Europe's 10 largest refining facilities

Dangote refinery outranks Europe's 10 largest refining facilities

Africa may just have the lowest level of cyber threats compared to other regions

Africa may just have the lowest level of cyber threats compared to other regions

A look into Kenya’s Shs1.1 billion climate funding from the UK

A look into Kenya’s Shs1.1 billion climate funding from the UK

FCMB: A corporate journey of resilience, evolution, and growth

FCMB: A corporate journey of resilience, evolution, and growth

ADVERTISEMENT