A woman has shared the real reason why we have eyebrows, and funnily enough, it’s not just so we can pluck and wax them to perfection and make them look seriously good
People are only just realising that eyebrows have an actual purpose – and it isn’t just to get them shaped to perfection.
Maya Le Espiritu, who is known on TikTok for sharing “interesting” tidbits of information, shared that if you didn’t have eyebrows, then you’d “be emotionless”.
“Or at least it wouldn’t show on your face,” she shared, demonstrating the different facial expressions that can be exhibited through just eyebrows alone.
“Eyebrows are an important part of human communication and expression, and they allow us to express our emotions. Try looking surprised with no eyebrows,” Maya joked – and it’s impossible to do.
She also shared that “eyebrows are important for facial recognition”. But they have other uses, too.
Maya said: “Physically, eyebrows help keep sweat and rain away from our eyes. If you look really closely, you’ll actually see that your eyebrow hairs grow outwards towards the side of your face. This helps direct moisture away from your eyes and towards the side of your head”.
But it doesn’t stop there – because the amazing reasons for eyebrows continue. “Eyebrows also reduce the amount of dirt and light that get into your eyes,” Maya shared.
And when it comes to the “shape of your eyebrows,” that’s mainly “down to genetics”. She also warned that if you wax and pluck your brows too much, it can permanently alter the shape and thickness of them.
So is there any science behind Maya’s claims? The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) said: “A study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that eyebrows may be a more recognisable indicator of identity than even the eyes themselves.”
From an evolutionary standpoint, eyebrows most likely developed as a combination of these protective and social functions. As humans evolved to lose much of their body hair, eyebrows were retained because they provided an adaptive advantage in survival (protecting the eyes) as well as in social interaction and group cohesion.
In short, eyebrows are multifunctional. They protect, communicate, and help define our unique identities, so we’re glad to have them around!
