Through the ages, trends in women’s hairstyles and grooming have changed drastically. Often these changes are associated with other seasonal fluctuations. A study published in 2003 by Izzat Jarudi and Javid Sadrs in Perception, a scientific journal specializing in the psychology of vision and perception, suggests that eyebrows play an important role in facial recognition. While this study may provide more insight into the development of artificial facial recognition systems, it may also provide a better understanding of why eyebrows have become so important in women’s beauty standards.
The study consisted of a test in which a group of people were shown 25 snapshots of celebrities without eyebrows, and then another 25 images of celebrities without eyes. Study participants correctly identified 56% of celebrities without eyes, but only 46% of those without eyebrows. The study concludes that eyebrows play a more important role in face recognition than eye recognition.
Brow Trends Through the Years
As we take a look at different brow trends over the decades, some patterns will emerge that the Perception study could shed some light on. Beginning in the 1920s, women wore dramatically shaped, very thin brows, either with long, curved tails or exaggerated arches. The 1930s retained the slimness of the previous decade, but added rounded upward curves, as well as straight lines that only tapered down at the edge. In the 1940s, bows were generally of a less severe, lean shape. In the 1950s, women wore slightly thicker brows than in the previous decade, with a more pronounced arch and a shorter tail. Elizabeth Taylor, an icon in the movie industry, applied matte pigment to further darken her bushy brows. In the 1960s, Audrey Hepburn popularized the practice of filling in the brow for a fuller look. Also around this time, English model and actress Twiggy sported her thin, arched brows, recalling the trend of the 1920s. In the 1970s, the brows thinned again and were formed into arcs and curves. However, the thick brow trend made a comeback in the 1980s thanks in part to celebrities like Brooke Shields and Madonna. The ’90s resurrected pencil-thin brows, which grew slowly in the early 2000s.
In the last ten years, thick brows have become popular once again, popularized by celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Kylie Jenner, and Emma Watson. The thick brow trend has had several iterations in the last century. And each comeback has been associated with an iconic figure of the time, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Brooke Shields. This suggests a relationship between eyebrow thickness and face recall.
The empowerment of thick eyebrows
According to one of the study’s co-authors, Jarudi, thicker brows stand out because they resemble a more masculine shape. The result of thicker brows on women is a distinctive, attention-grabbing effect. Stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn are remembered for the intensity of their expression, further accentuated by their bushy eyebrows. Similarly, Cara Delevingne frequently makes headlines for her bold brows.
The prominent quality of thick eyebrows on women can be useful in situations that require women to make a good impression, such as meeting someone for the first time, being considered for a job promotion, modeling during a photo shoot, etc. Co-author Sadr goes so far as to compare today’s thick brow movement to the popularization of shoulder pads on women’s suits in the 1980s; both trends were statements of female empowerment through the use of masculinizing characteristics.
take back your power
Many women who want to feel empowered in the image they present to the world have bolder, squarer brows. However, not all women are capable of growing enough hair to do so naturally. And that’s why they resort to other methods, such as makeup, tattoos and microblading. These techniques can result in an artificial or overly rough appearance, which defeats the strengthening aspect of the appearance. An eyebrow transplant can provide women with their own hair to grow on their eyebrows to get the look they want, freeing them from the clutches of the cosmetics and makeup industry.