In Response to an Eyebrow Question

I had this comment posted on the Decades of Eyebrows post, and thought it deserved its own mini-post.

Anonymous says:
Is it wrong for a male to have pencilled eyebrows like Jean Harlow? My girlfriend wants to shave all her eyebrows off and I don't have a problem with that, but she would like the two of us to go to a party dressed the same way.

Dear Anonymous:

It's not wrong to have anything, but this look may be permanent! Jean Harlow's eyebrows were shaved off and pencilled in very high above her natural browline because her deep-set eyes were difficult to film with the black and white cameras of the day. Many of her contemporaries had the pencilled look; it was popular in the 1930's.
Lucille Ball and Lana Turner are but two poor souls who once shaved off their eyebrows for a role, only to discover that they never grew back. I myself pencilled in my eyebrows for 2 years because of a chemical burn from black dye. I was very lucky, because they partially grew back. Nine out of ten would not have been!
My advice: DO NOT shave off your eyebrows, especially for a one-time costume. Instead, cover them up with stage makeup and draw over them - The effect will be the same. I can't advise your girlfriend, since she will do what she wants (I'm the same way), but I urge you not to do it. You will most likely regret it.