Eyebrows – function, structure & complaints

Eyebrows

Human eyebrows are not just a part of facial hair; Among other things, they fulfill essential protective functions and – as a so-called mimic link – ensure non-verbal communication. Eyebrows are considered the perfection of the ideal of beauty, nowadays they are not only styled, plucked or tinted, but can also – after hair loss – be reconstructed in aesthetic-surgical medicine.

Definition

The supercilium – better known as the eyebrow – is one of the appendages of the skin . These are filamentous tissue structures that originate from the epithelial cells of the epidermis and dermis. Eyebrows are mostly made of keratin. In the field of medicine, the eyebrows are divided into short and bristly hairs or terminal hairs. In technical terminology, one speaks of a curved skin bulge over the eye, which is covered with very short hair.

Anatomy

The core of the eyebrows consists of epithelial cells and hair marrow; they are surrounded by a hairy cortex, which consists of horny cells and several layers of hair sheaths. The hair itself is divided into three sections: Doctors speak of the cyclic hair shaft, the hair follicles and the hair root.

Four facial muscles are responsible for the function of the eyebrow in the further course. The frontalis muscle, the so-called eyebrow lifter, which is also known as the hood muscle or forehead muscle, enables the eyebrows to be raised in a vertical orientation.

The musculus corrugator supercili, the eyebrow frown, causes frowning in the area below. The musculus depressor supercili, the eyebrow reducer, enables the eyebrows to be lowered, whereby this function can only be exercised in conjunction with the musculus orbicularis, the eye ring muscle. The procerus muscle also lowers the eyebrows.

Due to the deformable fat pad, which is positioned between the periosteum and the orbicular muscle, people have the opportunity to move their eyebrows.

The reasons why the eyebrows have different colors (black, reddish or blond) are determined by melanin, a cell’s own hair pigment. This is formed in the hair roots and is passed on to melanosome production as an oxidative end product.

Function

Above all, the eyebrows serve as protection for the eye . The main purpose of the eyebrows is to protect the eyes from sweat , sunlight, moisture and mechanical stimuli (e.g. foreign bodies). Furthermore, the eyebrows provide thermal insulation; they regulate the heat dissipation and reduce friction as the process progresses.

The eyebrows are extremely mobile and are therefore considered an indispensable tool in communication. Simply raising or contracting the eyebrows expresses an enormous number of emotions: skepticism, anger, joy, astonishment – all of these emotions can be expressed with the eyebrows without any problems.

The extent to which eyebrow hair is pronounced is primarily determined by genetic factors. Furthermore, the eyebrows count as perfecting the ideal of beauty. Whether plucked, styled, made up or colored – even in ancient times the eyebrows were considered an indispensable instrument of beauty and were intensively cared for by both men and women.

Finally, the eyebrows give the face a distinctive and expressive frame; styled eyebrows can also conceal blemishes such as drooping eyelids, anomalies or slight wrinkles.

Diseases

If there are so-called eyebrow anomalies, which become noticeable with a loss of the eyebrows, it is usually a so-called cornification disorder. The reason is often a genetic disposition; if there is severe atrophy, the so-called eyebrow follicles shrink significantly.

In the case of a small hyperkeratosis, the lateral eyebrows are predominantly pronounced. Eyebrow loss occurs predominantly in early adulthood; sometimes children can also be affected by hair loss. Targeted hormone therapy is important so that eyebrow growth can be stimulated and eyebrow loss can be reduced at the same time.

Eyebrow loss in women, on the other hand, can have many causes. In female alopecia, estrogen levels drop and testosterone rises at the same time. Sometimes emotional or physical stress , the menopause or even surgical interventions, childbirth, a fungal infection or medication can cause a corresponding hair loss.

However, there are various methods in the field of aesthetic surgery that can be used to reconstruct eyebrows for both men and women. The “Direct Hair Implementation” is mainly used, the so-called direct hair implantation.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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