What kinds of messages do you send and receive through the windows of the soul and their frames? Let's start by discussing the eyebrows, an area of the face that's once again usually the exclusive concern of women, who spend time and money waxing, plucking, and shaping them in the quest for the perfect arch. Why are the eyebrows so important? Well, it helps to think of them as two horizontal exclamation points — they can emphasize (or completely contradict) the words coming out of your mouth.
Picture this: You're speaking to your coworker, asking what time you can expect him to have his part of your joint report completed. As he tells you it'll be ready for you when you get back from lunch, he raises both of his brows. Is he being true or false?
Well, you'll have to base your answer on more than his eyebrows, but here's what those strips of hair can tell you: He wants you to believe him. When both brows are raised, it's like someone is underlining his verbal message. If your coworker happens to be a generally trustworthy person, then he's most likely telling you the truth about the report. If he's a compulsive liar, the eyebrows shouldn't convince you of the veracity of his message.
Raising both eyebrows is usually a way of emphasizing what you're saying, but it can also indicate confusion of some sort.
Typically, the double eyebrow-raise indicates that someone wants you to see her as a sincere person. Raising both brows is a way of saying “I'm telling you the truth.” However, liars are just as likely to employ this move as truthful people are, so don't base your judgment of the message solely on the positioning of the brows.
Raised eyebrows can also indicate confusion, though furrowed eyebrows are more common in these instances. If someone raises his brows while questioning your take on a particular issue, you'll typically note other body language signs, like an open mouth and flared nostrils. Taken together, these gestures indicate that the other person doesn't exactly think you're a championship-level fibber, but he has some serious concerns about what you're saying.
While the double brow-raise can sometimes indicate confusion, there's no mistaking the single brow-raise. Let's say that you're the one who's being asked to produce a report by the end of the business day. You give your coworker an enthusiastic “Can do!” and notice that he's looking at you with one eyebrow raised. Should you interpret this as a sign that he has complete faith in you and your abilities?
Hardly. The single eyebrow-raise is a nonverbal way of saying “I don't believe you.” Note that this is a step beyond being confused by what you're saying; at best, this person believes that you're being deliberately deceitful. At worst, he thinks you're a simpleton who has no idea what you're talking about. So how can you convince him that you're competent? Redo that can-do … and this time, shoot him a double brow-raise!
Raising one eyebrow is usually a means of expressing doubt about someone else.
Perhaps the easiest brow signal to read is the frown, which is usually interpreted as a sign of anger, but there are other times when people wear a knitted brow, namely during times of sadness or confusion. Imagine a small child trying to put a wheel back into his rollerblade after it's flown out of its socket. He's having a difficult time of it — that wheel just wants to stay out. What do you notice about the kid's face? His eyebrows are pointing downward, probably in a fairly severe manner. Is he angry that he's having so much trouble or confused about how to get the wheel back into place? Maybe a little of both. It's hard to tell by the brows alone, so you'll have to take a look at the rest of his face. (Pursed lips, for example, are a sign of frustration and/or anger, while an open mouth is usually a sign of confusion.)
Frowning can indicate anger, confusion, or frustration.
Interestingly, many patients request Botox in the area between the eyebrows in order to eliminate a “permanent” frown. The lines that appear in this region can make people look angry all the time. Ridding yourself of this facial gesture allows others to view you in a completely different light.
Sadness can also be seen in a frown, especially the types of sadness that lead people to deep and serious thought — events such as a breakup, an illness, recovering from being fired — anything that might trigger a sense of regret and a feeling that different actions might have prevented the situation. In these cases, the frowner may actually be contemplating some big issues in her life. The downward eyebrows are an indication of frustration and confusion.
If someone you know frowns almost constantly and walks into the wall on a regular basis, there's a good chance that he's suffering from poor vision. No need to read into his eye movements — get him to the optometrist!
The mouth makes a face pleased or displeased and the eyes control the overall intensity of the expression. But this leaves an entire range of emotion, aggression, untouched. Although it would seem that eyebrows are directly linked to the eyes, they play a completely different role. The eyebrows regulate the amount of aggressiveness — or lack thereof — displayed on the face.
Interestingly, the closer the eyebrows are to the eyeballs, the more focused the overall emotion. When the eyebrows drift away from the eyes, the emotion loses focus and a neutral expression becomes quizzical or surprised.
Eyebrows that slant downward toward the middle specify aggression. A formerly happy face grins with evil once the eyebrows arch. Similarly, a frown becomes an expression of anger.
Eyebrows that curve upward toward the middle of the forehead indicate the opposite of aggression. This feature makes the expression passive. This is useful for expressing an apologetic or helpless expression. If you'll notice, cartoon eyebrows can curve upward in two ways — as U shapes and as curved arches. Both modify the entire expression toward the passive, but the U-shaped brows seem to be more apologetic.
Eyebrows that form a straight line across the forehead are neutral. Sometimes the expression is so bland that two eyebrows merge into one. Paired with other neutral features, this helps to create a look of boredom. Eyebrows, like the mouth, tend to disappear when they're expressing a neutral emotion.
While it's not the first thing people notice, the shape of your eyebrows can enhance your appearance by flattering your facial shape, balancing your features, and framing your eyes. If you have thick, full eyebrows, you might need to tweeze them; if you have thin, small eyebrows, you may need to fill them in with a pencil. Either way, here is how to find a shape that's flattering to any face.
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