Unibrow

A unibrow (or monobrow; called synophrys in medicine) is a single eyebrow created when the two eyebrows meet in the middle above the bridge of the nose. The hair above the bridge of the nose is usually of the same color and thickness as the eyebrows giving the appear that they converge to form one uninterrupted line of hair.

History

The first known use of the word 'unibrow' was in 1988.

Culture and beauty

Negative association

In most Western cultures, unibrow is a pejorative term associated with a lack of sophistication and good grooming. It is often also used to caricature human inbreeding. Among most Western women, the region between the eyebrows is often plucked, waxed, shaved, or treated with electrology or laser hair removal.

Positive association

The unibrow has been prized by many ancient and Eastern cultures throughout history.

Ancient Greece and Rome

In both Ancient Greek and Roman cultures, unibrows were prized as beautiful, desirable features worn by the most intelligent and lusted-after women. In Ancient Greece, women used powdered minerals or soot to paint their brows black. The Greeks valued purity, so women often left their unibrows untouched or darkened slightly with black powder. Eyebrows were also part of the Romans' elaborate beauty rituals, and like the Greeks, they favored a unibrow. Both cultures' poets and writers described women donning false unibrows to enhance their looks. These were made of dyed goat's hair and attached with tree resin.