Unibrow
Encyclopedia
A unibrow is a "confluence of eyebrows"; that is, the presence of abundant hair
between the eyebrows, so that they seem to converge to form one long eyebrow. The condition of having a unibrow is synophrys.
, the unibrow is viewed as an attractive quality in men and women alike. In some places, it may be associated with purity and, in men, virility, while most Western societies seem to find it unappealing. Men in Western cultures may pluck, tweeze, or use other treatments for unwanted hair to rid themselves of this feature. In Western perception, the unibrow may make a person seem ugly, fierce, grumpy, or overly serious, so much so that the unibrow has become something of a cliché in fiction, especially with cartoon characters. In some non-Western cultures, however, this facial hair does not have a stigma, and may even be seen as a sign of feminine beauty, where connected eyebrows are a sign of virginity and of being unmarried.
and greater Iran
a unibrow is considered attractive in women. If there is no unibrow present, or if it is weak, it is drawn with kohl
liner or a modern kajal pen to simulate a unibrow. This is only done by women and girls.
Waxing and tweezing are the most efficient methods for removing eyebrow hairs. The eyebrows can shape the eyes and make a considerable difference to a persons appearance.
s, particularly Cornelia de Lange syndrome
, could be associated with synophrys. However, the vast majority of persons with a unibrow have no such condition, and the connection to developmental disabilities is wildly exaggerated in the popular imagination.
While the prefix of the scientific term "synophrys" links the latter to the preferred medical term, many discount the idea that it stems from developmental disorders. It is notable that most people with unibrows do not appear to suffer from any serious disorders of any kind.
s are more prone to developing a unibrow or not (or less likely to pluck them or not).
identified unibrows as a sign of criminality.
in the popular animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants
, sports a rich unibrow. He considers it a sign of beauty, as in one episode, Squidward asks him "How's the unibrow?" and he replies with "It's big and valuable" while waving it. As a further sign of narcissism
(and to further spite Squidward), Squilliam later has a 130-foot long sculpture of his unibrow constructed out of gilded doorknobs, taking residence on his gaudy rooftop garden.
The Sesame Street
character Bert sports a unibrow, which he often wrinkles up as a result of aggravation from his roommate Ernie
.
Groundskeeper Willie
on The Simpsons
is noted for his unibrow. When Willie accompanies Homer
, Mr. Burns and Professor Frink
to Scotland
, it is revealed that every person in Willie's family
has a unibrow. Maggie
's archnemesis Baby Gerald also sports a very prominent unibrow.
Ed
from Ed, Edd, n Eddy is notorious for his unibrow, often referred to by Eddy as a "monobrow" as do the other children of the cul-de-sac.
Multiple characters in Hey Arnold including Helga Pataki, Harold Berman, Big Bob Pataki, and Nick Vermicelli sport unibrows, often referred to as "caterpillar eyebrows".
A red, yellow-lined and grey-roofed diesel, Norman, from Thomas and Friends, has a prominent unibrow.
Frau Farbissina
of the Austin Power series has a female lover with a unibrow, aptly named Unibrau.
Tom from Eddsworld
has a unibrow during the early animations.
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
between the eyebrows, so that they seem to converge to form one long eyebrow. The condition of having a unibrow is synophrys.
Beauty culture
In times past and in some cultures, for example TajikistanTajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, the unibrow is viewed as an attractive quality in men and women alike. In some places, it may be associated with purity and, in men, virility, while most Western societies seem to find it unappealing. Men in Western cultures may pluck, tweeze, or use other treatments for unwanted hair to rid themselves of this feature. In Western perception, the unibrow may make a person seem ugly, fierce, grumpy, or overly serious, so much so that the unibrow has become something of a cliché in fiction, especially with cartoon characters. In some non-Western cultures, however, this facial hair does not have a stigma, and may even be seen as a sign of feminine beauty, where connected eyebrows are a sign of virginity and of being unmarried.
Make up (unibrow simulation)
In many countries of Central AsiaCentral Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and greater Iran
Greater Iran
Greater Iran refers to the regions that have significant Iranian cultural influence. It roughly corresponds to the territory on the Iranian plateau and its bordering plains, stretching from Iraq, the Caucasus, and Turkey in the west to the Indus River in the east...
a unibrow is considered attractive in women. If there is no unibrow present, or if it is weak, it is drawn with kohl
Kohl (cosmetics)
Kohl is an ancient eye cosmetic. It was made by grinding galena and other ingredients. It is widely used in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and parts of West Africa to darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes...
liner or a modern kajal pen to simulate a unibrow. This is only done by women and girls.
Removal
Among western women, the region between the brows is often plucked, waxed, shaved, or otherwise treated with electrolysis or other forms of depilation. Unibrow separation is often the only form of eyebrow grooming (a stereotypically feminine behavior) among men.Waxing and tweezing are the most efficient methods for removing eyebrow hairs. The eyebrows can shape the eyes and make a considerable difference to a persons appearance.
Science
Medically, some cephalic disorderCephalic disorder
Cephalic disorders are congenital conditions that stem from damage to, or abnormal development of, the budding nervous system...
s, particularly Cornelia de Lange syndrome
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome often termed as Bushy Syndrome is a genetic disorder that can lead to severe developmental anomalies. It affects the physical and intellectual development of a child. Exact incidence is unknown, but it is estimated at 1 in 10,000 to 30,000.! Appx...
, could be associated with synophrys. However, the vast majority of persons with a unibrow have no such condition, and the connection to developmental disabilities is wildly exaggerated in the popular imagination.
While the prefix of the scientific term "synophrys" links the latter to the preferred medical term, many discount the idea that it stems from developmental disorders. It is notable that most people with unibrows do not appear to suffer from any serious disorders of any kind.
Genetics and prevalence
There have apparently been no scientific studies of the unibrow in culture or whether certain ethnic groupEthnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s are more prone to developing a unibrow or not (or less likely to pluck them or not).
Superstition
Unibrows have been the subject of various misconceptions and superstitions. Victorian criminologist Cesare LombrosoCesare Lombroso
Cesare Lombroso, born Ezechia Marco Lombroso was an Italian criminologist and founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology. Lombroso rejected the established Classical School, which held that crime was a characteristic trait of human nature...
identified unibrows as a sign of criminality.
In popular culture
Squilliam Fancyson, the arch-rival of Squidward TentaclesSquidward Tentacles
Squidward Quincy Tentacles is a fictional character on the television cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Rodger Bumpass. The character is an octopus, as his name would not imply Squidward appears in 270 episodes of the series, second only to Spongebob's 305.-Personality:Unlike...
in the popular animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
, sports a rich unibrow. He considers it a sign of beauty, as in one episode, Squidward asks him "How's the unibrow?" and he replies with "It's big and valuable" while waving it. As a further sign of narcissism
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
(and to further spite Squidward), Squilliam later has a 130-foot long sculpture of his unibrow constructed out of gilded doorknobs, taking residence on his gaudy rooftop garden.
The Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
character Bert sports a unibrow, which he often wrinkles up as a result of aggravation from his roommate Ernie
Ernie
Ernie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
.
Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
is noted for his unibrow. When Willie accompanies Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, Mr. Burns and Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, it is revealed that every person in Willie's family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
has a unibrow. Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
's archnemesis Baby Gerald also sports a very prominent unibrow.
Ed
Ed
-ed:* Ed , an altar or related place in some English translations of the Bible* ed , a UNIX text editor* Edition* Editor* Education, as in "tech ed" or "phys ed"...
from Ed, Edd, n Eddy is notorious for his unibrow, often referred to by Eddy as a "monobrow" as do the other children of the cul-de-sac.
Multiple characters in Hey Arnold including Helga Pataki, Harold Berman, Big Bob Pataki, and Nick Vermicelli sport unibrows, often referred to as "caterpillar eyebrows".
A red, yellow-lined and grey-roofed diesel, Norman, from Thomas and Friends, has a prominent unibrow.
Frau Farbissina
Frau Farbissina
Frau Farbissina is a fictional character from the Austin Powers series of movies portrayed by Mindy Sterling. She is the attack and defence specialist of Dr. Evil and the founder of "the militant wing of the Salvation Army". Though in the present she identifies as a lesbian, Farbissina conceived...
of the Austin Power series has a female lover with a unibrow, aptly named Unibrau.
Tom from Eddsworld
Eddsworld
Eddsworld is an independent British comedic flash animation production company created by Edward Gould in 2004. Eddsworld was also part of CakeBomb , but has always stood out as its own franchise...
has a unibrow during the early animations.