The shape of the eyebrows, particularly in women, has been an important part of facial aesthetics for thousands of years. The shape of the eyebrow arc and how it has been deemed attractive has changed over the years. Eyebrows have been thick or thin and have had either a flat or more high arched shape. Eyebrow shape styles do change over time. But a recent study suggests that there is more to beautiful eyebrows than just their shape…their projection from the underlying brow bone also appears to be important. In a paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the projection of the eyebrow and its effect on aesthetics was studied. Measurements were taken of the projection of the soft tissue from the top of the eyelid to the eyebrow which was called the oblique frame. People that had higher oblique frames, particularly after fat grafting, were rated as more attractive. This study indicates that good positioning of the eyebrows with adequate projection can positively influence facial aesthetics. In today’s era of burgeoning aesthetic indications for fat grafting, it appears that the eyebrow has not been forgotten.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana