Why I get a long eyebrow?
One day, I looked in the mirror and noticed something unusual—a single eyebrow hair that had grown much longer than the rest.
It stood out like a tall tree in a field of grass, towering over its neighbors.
What does this mean? Is it a sign of illness? I had never noticed this before and couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
After doing some research, I found that this curious little phenomenon can be explained from three perspectives.
1. The “Longevity Eyebrow” in Folklore
In traditional sayings, a long eyebrow hair is often called a longevity eyebrow.
There’s an old story about a man who, at the age of ninety, suddenly grew a few long white eyebrow hairs that reached down to his cheeks. Neighbors said it was an auspicious sign of long life, and indeed, he went on to live another twenty years.
That gave rise to sayings like “Eyebrows longer than the eyes, life as long as the southern mountains.” In many regions, such eyebrows came to be called longevity brows or immortal brows.
In Buddhist texts, there is even the image of the white urna—a single radiant white hair between the Buddha’s eyebrows that symbolizes wisdom and compassion.
In the Qing dynasty, Emperor Qianlong lived to the age of 89 and was celebrated as the “Perfect Old Man.” It’s said that in his later years, he often had a few unusually long white eyebrow hairs, which imperial doctors considered a sign of longevity. Qianlong himself regarded them as a lucky omen.
Classical texts like Sou Shen Ji and Taiping Guang Ji also mention elders whose long brows reached their cheeks or even their chest, regarded as mystical features symbolizing long life and spiritual attainment.
2. The Scientific Explanation
Of course, from a modern medical perspective, it’s really just about hair follicles.
Eyebrows, like all hair, grow in cycles: growth, regression, and rest. Most eyebrow hairs only stay in the growth phase for a few months, which is why they remain short. But sometimes, due to genetics or hormone fluctuations, a follicle stays in the growth phase much longer—resulting in a much longer hair.
In many middle-aged men, androgen levels shift with age, affecting eyebrow growth much like they affect scalp and beard hair. Some follicles become less regulated, leading to the occasional “outlier” hair.
A single long brow hair is usually harmless and not a sign of disease. However, if you notice widespread thinning or loss of brows, it could point to thyroid or nutritional issues worth checking.
3. To Trim or Not to Trim?
This is where culture and superstition come in. Some people believe you shouldn’t cut a longevity eyebrow, as it represents good fortune. In Japan, there’s even a saying that a long eyebrow in old age is a lucky brow.
There’s a story of a ninety-year-old man whose family wanted to trim his strikingly long white eyebrow. He quickly stopped them, saying:
“Never cut it! This is a divine gift of long life—cutting it would shorten my days!”
From then on, his family carefully protected it, and the man lived a long and healthy life. Neighbors even came to see the famous “longevity eyebrow” as a village blessing.
Another tale says that in his later years, Emperor Qianlong once had a long eyebrow hair cut by a palace maid during grooming. The emperor was furious: “How dare you cut my longevity eyebrow!”
The story may be apocryphal, but it shows how much significance people attached to it.
So, should you cut it?
From a modern medical standpoint, it really doesn’t matter—it’s just a hair. If you find it unsightly, trim it. If you like the idea of keeping it as a symbol of luck or longevity, let it grow. Either way, that single standout hair has carried fascinating cultural meanings across centuries—and now, perhaps, into your own mirror.
Would you like me to make this version a bit lighter and more playful (like a lifestyle blog) or slightly more scholarly (with more cultural references and detail)?
Final Words + More Resources
My intention with this article was to help others share my knowledge and experience. If you want to contact me, you can contact by email: Email me
Here are also the most important links from this article along with some further resources that will help you in this scope:
- 👨💻 wiki of eyebrow
Oh, and if you found these resources useful, don’t forget to support me by starring the repo on GitHub!