Corpus: Eyebrow

The eyebrows are hair-covered, strip-shaped areas of skin in the area of the lower third of the forehead, just above the orbit. The eyebrow hairs are terminal hairs and are called superciliae.

Between the eyebrows there is normally a hairless area of skin, the frontal bald patch (glabella). The mimic movement of the eyebrows is essentially controlled by 4 facial muscles:

• Musculus occipitofrontalis
• Musculus depressor supercilii
• Musculus corrugator supercilii
• procerus muscle

The eyebrows drain sweat from the forehead area, which would otherwise run into the eye. In addition to this protective function, they are an important signal for facial expressions. Raising the eyebrows expresses astonishment, contracting the eyebrows is interpreted as scepticism or rejection.

Laterally thinned eyebrows are considered an indication of atopy and are called Hertoghe's sign. The loss of eyebrows is known as madarosis. If the eyebrows have grown together above the root of the nose, this is referred to as synophrys.