All humans have eyebrows that come in a range of shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and colors!Our eyebrows aid in communication with one another. Even without saying anything, the way we move our brows can help people in reading our expression and what we are feeling.Apart from fulfilling the purpose of expressing emotions, the eyebrows we have can influence the way we look to a great extent too! Various scientists have stated that you might notice when comparing the modern man’s skull structure to that of his ancestors, the early man had bony and thick brow ridges below the forehead and around the eyes. They questioned why these bony facial features around the eyes are no longer found in the face of the modern man and are replaced with tufts of hair. The simple answer they arrived at was emotion!As we evolved through the years, the function of expressing our emotions became the reason why the brow ridges slowly converted to an upright, straight frontal bone with hairs that may be sparse or thick, and unique to each individual. When you take a look at the appearance of the early man, you would notice that he was also covered with hair in many places. However, as humans evolved, this hair also began to shed and today, we are still covered in hair but the hair is thick in some places while it is lesser in other areas. Eyebrow hair is usually denser but some people can again have thicker eyebrows than others.If you stand in front of the mirror and observe the direction in which the hairs in your eyebrow grow, you will notice that it is towards the sides of your face. This is because when you are sweating on a hot day, your eyebrow shape and the hairs direct the sweat away from your face. This is because science has also mentioned various other functions and features of a person’s eyebrows. According to a number of scientists, the function of both eyebrows is to protect your eyes. It is there above our eyes as a barrier so that they can protect the eyes from things like rain, sweat, and dust particles, and other related stuff, preventing them from getting into the eye.All in all, they keep our eyes clear and clean, further sustaining our vision too! If you pay attention to just the eyebrows of a person, they can help you to identify and know whether that person is a man or a woman. Some people are known to have just one eyebrow and this is called a unibrow! A unibrow happens when both the brows are joined in the middle but it doesn’t occur in many individuals. Eyebrows and eyelashes, apart from being able to protect the eye from dust, sweat, and other harmful particles, can also be a style statement!Many make a slit in the hairs of the eyebrow as they believe it makes them look more stylish or better in appearance. Some believe that thick eyebrows are a huge fashion trend and so grow out the hairs in their eyebrows to enhance other features of their face. Some feel that shaping their eyebrows to a particular shape gives the face and the forehead more definition. Therefore, you could say that the eyebrows are an important feature or trait that helps you in expressing your personal style. Every human being has eyebrows. As mentioned earlier, some may have thin or sparse brows. Many scientists believe that men tend to have thicker eyebrows than women.Some women use special treatments and oils to enhance both their eyelashes and eyebrows to make them thicker. Nonetheless, it is also possible that the hairs in your eyebrow can fall off due to an underlying medical condition called ‘Alopecia Areata’. This is an autoimmune disease that sees your body as an enemy, attacking it. It is a medical condition that targets the hairs on your body and causes you to lose them either fully or partially. What’s important to know is that this disease can be active or inactive so if diagnosed with this condition, you could experience periods of hair loss. Doctors still do not know what factors exactly trigger these episodes but many studies in science are being conducted to learn more about this disease.If you enjoyed reading this article that answers why do we have eyebrows, check out our other articles that answer the questions why do we have fingerprints and why do we have toenails here at Kidadl that you are sure to enjoy!What is the purpose of eyebrows?Our eyebrows come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and thicknesses and they have many functions. We are able to make an expression with respect to how we are feeling as well as the emotional expressions of others.The shape and way in which our eyebrows are placed express to others whether we are angry, sad, worried, confused, or happy. An eyebrow that is raised can express the emotion of interest. When both the eyebrows are raised, it can express surprise to the other person. Hence, they play an important role to help us in nonverbal facial communication. When we know a person well, even by just looking at their eyebrows, we can identify who they are. Science also says that our eyebrows can make us stand out and look unique.Our eyebrows on our forehead help direct sweat, dust, and any other kind of moisture such as rain so that it stays away from our eyes. Apart from sweat, dust, and rain, your eyebrows also protect your eyes from harmful UV light rays. Just like our eyelashes, our eyebrows can block out excessive light entering the eyes. They reduce the strain we place on our eye muscles and they relax our eyes to a great extent. This allows you to enjoy a healthy and clear vision. Eyebrows have been related to beauty since ancient times. Both men and women have styled their eyebrows making them look sharper, darker, and defined. They also style them along with their eyelashes in ways that bring out their eyes and make them pop!Why do we have two eyebrows?The reason why there are only two eyebrows in humans is simple. It is because they have two eyes and each eye requires equal attention as well as protection.Since our heads are covered with hair, it is possible that substances and particles like dust or dandruff can come onto the face and fall into our eyes. The eyebrows above each eye prevent this from happening. You could see it as the first layer to protect the eye after which the eyelashes come. Things that pass through the eyebrows are further caught by the eyelashes.If we had just one eyebrow above one eye, the other would be left with nothing to protect it from things that could be harmful to our eyes. Both our eyebrows further help in ensuring that any sort of excessive moisture like sweat or drops of rain does not enter our eyes. Just like our eyelashes, our eyebrows can also make sure that dangerous light does not enter our eyes.Why do we have eyebrows and apes don’t?This question is a topic that scientists are still trying to find the answer to.Considering the evolutionary fact that humans have evolved from apes, it is not surprising that this question arises. Many have claimed that the ridges present in apes are covered by muscle material which shows that they have increased control over their brows. Another theory put forth by scientists is that apes are covered all with hair whereas in humans, the hair is dense in some places but sparse in the rest. Hence, this can explain why apes don’t have eyebrows but humans do because it makes more sense for us to have them than apes who are already covered in hair.Do eyebrows grow back?Yes, eyebrows grow back. However, the speed and thickness at which they can grow are determined by many factors such as one’s age and health. A reason as to why your eyebrows are taking a long time to grow back is because of excessive grooming.It is always best to let your eyebrows grow out now and then instead of excessive hair plucking or removal. At times, certain medical conditions like alopecia and eczema can cause the hairs to fall out and so they take a slow time in growing back. In such cases, always consult your doctor. Ensuring that you maintain a diet with lots of vitamins and nutrients can speed up the growing back of your eyebrows. Treating your eyebrows by applying special balms and oils can also further make sure that your eyebrows are growing out in a healthy manner.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why do we have eyebrows then why not take a look at why do dogs have tails or can guinea pigs eat bread.
All humans have eyebrows that come in a range of shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and colors!
