This scientific reason explains why thick eyebrows are so trendy

There’s a reason why (at least a subconscious one) thick, Cara Delevingne–esque brows are trendy as ever: According to a new study, the contrast of dramatic eyebrows against your skin actually make you appear more youthful.

When researchers analyzed photos of 763 makeup-free women, they found the facial features like eyes, lips, and brows stood out more on younger ladies. After viewing two similar versions of each face—one with features more defined (high-contrast) and the other with less definition (low-contrast), study participants said the high-contrast photos appeared more youthful for nearly 80 percent of cases.

“People of different cultures use facial contrast as a cue for perceiving age from the face, even though they are not consciously aware of it.” — Aurélie Porcheron, researcher

“People of different cultures use facial contrast as a cue for perceiving age from the face, even though they are not consciously aware of it,” said researcher Aurélie Porcheron in a press release. “The results also suggest that people could actively modify how old they look, by altering how much their facial features stand out, for example by darkening or coloring their features.” That’s especially true with the eyebrows, which tend to get lighter and thinner with age.

So, by all means, become a pro at keeping your eyebrow game on fleek, but keep in mind that focusing on being healthy is smarter than worrying about anti-aging (because that term has totally outlived its shelf life anyway).

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