You may not give them much thought, but they’re an integral part of your appearance. Here are a few fun facts about eyebrows:

• The most flattering eyebrows are between one-half and three-quarters inches away from the lashes. The distance makes the eyes appear bright and alert.
• Women of nobility in 16th century Japan regularly shaved their eyebrows, replacing them with false ones in an attempt to conceal emotional expressions.
• Scalp hair regenerates more quickly for males than females, but hairs of the underarm and thigh regenerate more quickly in females than males.
• After being plucked, it takes 64 days for a brow hair to fully regrow.
• The trademark of Frida Kahlo, Ava Gardner, and Jackie Kennedy? Bold, groomed brows.

The eyebrows frame the face, and the overall look of the eye is defined by the arch, length, and thickness of the eyebrow. Which hairs you tweeze or wax and which ones you don’t is the difference between attractively shaped brows and those that aren’t. Discovering the best shape for your eyebrows without sacrificing their natural appearance is critical. Pencil thin or overly bushy eyebrows are dated and can be distracting rather than enhancing your beauty. The goal is to have them look well groomed and natural.

The beginning of the brow should align with the center of the nostril. The arch of the brow should follow the length of the eye, but it shouldn’t extend into the temple of the eye. The front part of the brow never should drop below the back part of the brow. Avoid over waxing above the brow. A few stray hairs are fine to remove, but too much can create an unnatural look—and the illusion of the eye drooping instead of lifting.

Minimal brow alteration is best, as it doesn’t take away from the natural look. Too thin brows will make the eyes look dated or give the face a surprised look, and it’s not easy to correct once the damage is done over a prolonged period.

Tweezed eyebrow hairs can grow back, but it won’t happen overnight. It takes about two months for eyebrow hair to grow in after it’s been removed. If you’ve been removing hair in the same area for a long time, it may be too late. Eyebrow hair is very sensitive to injury. Repeated removal can permanently damage the hair root, which will prevent the hair from growing back.

To help determine the best shape and method of shaping your eyebrows, seek the advice of a stylist. If considering waxing, you shouldn’t be on any acne medication, and you shouldn’t have had any botox treatment or dermabrasion for at least 60 days. You also shouldn’t have used glycolic acid treatments for the past 30 days.

As a side note, men also should have well groomed and trimmed brows. If your significant other protests, tell him men should have two brows—not a unibrow. TPW