The male eyebrow: a topographic anatomic analysis.

PURPOSE: To study and quantify the topographic anatomy of the male eyebrow and its 3-dimensional relation, based on age and location, relative to the eye and the supraorbital rim.

METHODS: A prospective cohort of male patients seen for routine ophthalmic evaluation age 10 years and older had several eyebrow measurements incorporated in the examination. The presence or absence of brow ptosis was noted on the basis of observation. The location of the eyebrow relative to the center of the pupil, the lateral canthus, and the depth of the supraorbital rim was measured. The data were subjected to statistical analysis.

RESULTS: The study included 444 eyebrows of 222 patients ranging in age from 10 to 86 years, with a mean age of 46.75 years. The incidence of brow ptosis was 7.4%. The mean distance between the lateral canthus and inferior brow (LIBD) was 11.23 mm. The mean distance between the pupil and the inferior brow and the superior brow border was 11.15 mm (PIBD) and 19.8 mm (PSBD), respectively. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the mean brow position did not vary with age. However, there was a significant negative correlation between the position of the eyebrow and the depth of the superior sulcus below the supraorbital rim (correlation coefficient, 0.431 for PIBD and depth and 0.381 for LIBD and depth, respectively). Deeper-set eyes had lower brow position.

CONCLUSIONS: The male eyebrow sits along the supraorbital ridge and has a flat contour. In men without frank brow ptosis, the eyebrow position relative to the pupil and the lateral canthus does not significantly fall with age despite the periocular changes associated with aging. However, 3-dimensional analysis demonstrates that individuals with deep-set eyes have a lower positioned eyebrow then those with a more shallow depth below the supraorbital rim. These findings are helpful in surgical management of the eyelid-eyebrow continuum. The age-related changes in the eyebrow area should be thought of as a 3-dimensional construct with collapse of the structure and not simply descent of the eyebrow.