Do people with long eyebrows live longer? Longer eyebrows after 50, is it a good thing or a bad thing?
As the saying goes: a long eyebrow, a long centenarian. Long eyebrows have been regarded as a symbol of longevity since ancient times. For example, the image of long-lived stars in movies and TV shows, with soft eyebrows that hang down on the cheeks, looks kind and immortal. In real life, some middle-aged and older men suddenly find that their eyebrows are longer than before.
According to folklore, eyebrows are called Baoshou Palace. The sudden lengthening of the eyebrows is often considered to be longevity eyebrows. When people reach middle and old age, the eyebrows suddenly grow longer, which means that people will live longer, which is a good sign. So, what does long eyebrows mean? Is this really a harbinger of longevity?
- Is "longevity eyebrow" really "longevity"?
Longevity eyebrows refer to the phenomenon that the eyebrows at the corners of the eyebrows and the eyebrows suddenly become longer. It usually occurs with age, and it usually occurs in middle-aged and elderly men. In fact, as one of the components of human facial features, eyebrows do play an important function, but it does not mean "longevity".
First of all, the basic function of eyebrows is to act as an "umbrella" for the eyes, allowing fluids to run down the sides rather than seeping directly into our eyes. At the same time, eyebrows can also help us transmit emotional signals during interpersonal communication, such as expressing "surprise" by "raising the eyebrows" and expressing "dissatisfaction" by "frowning".
In addition, eyebrows, like hair, are closely related to the qi and blood in the human body, and can reflect the health of the human body.
Peng Yuqing, director of the Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also mentioned that eyebrows can indirectly reflect the life expectancy of the elderly. Chinese medicine believes that eyebrows belong to the kidney essence. The thicker the eyebrows, the richer the kidney qi, and vice versa.
But experts also stress that the situation only applies to the elderly. For young people, this is not the case. Some young people are born with sparse eyebrows, while others are born with thick eyebrows, which cannot be simply speculated. Seeing this, some friends may be confused. Since long eyebrows are not a sign of longevity, why?
- Why do some people have longer eyebrows after the age of 50?
In fact, there are many opinions in the academic world as to why the eyebrows grow longer. One view holds that "longevity eyebrows" are no different from "white hair" and "senile diseases", and are caused by aging. Some people also claim that "longevity eyebrows" not only have nothing to do with longevity, but may also be a sign of disease. Generally speaking, it can be divided into the following four reasons:
1. Slow metabolism
According to research, the cycle of human tissue cell renewal is about 120 to 200 days, and it can be completely renewed into new cells in about 6 to 7 years, and the renewal time of hair is 3 to 6 years.
However, the update frequency of the eyebrows is relatively fast. Under normal circumstances, it will be updated every 3 to 4 months , so the length of the eyebrows is generally only maintained at about 0.4 cm to 1 cm.
The metabolism of young people is usually fast, while the metabolism level of middle-aged and elderly people will slow down with age. As you age, your metabolism becomes slower and slower. As a result, the eyebrows are no longer frequently renewed, the growth cycle of the hair follicles becomes longer and longer, the old and the new stop, and eventually the eyebrows grow longer.
Growth of eyebrows due to metabolism is the most common condition. Middle-aged and elderly friends don't have to worry, this is a normal growth pattern. But it should be noted that we should exercise more and drink more water. Otherwise, toxins accumulate more and more due to low metabolic levels. In the long run, it is easy to suffer from symptoms such as senile metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
2. Nutritional intake
In order to maintain the normal operation of body organs and the growth of hair on the body surface, the human body needs to consume a large amount of nutrients. Because the growth and development of hair follicles requires protein and vitamins, these two nutrients are the most common and important nutrients, more intake, strong hair, less intake, hair thinning.
So when we see someone else's hair dark and thick, we subconsciously feel that the other person is nutritious. Conversely, if we see someone else's hair yellow, we habitually assume that person is malnourished. The same goes for eyebrows. In addition to the above metabolic levels, hair and eyebrows in middle-aged and elderly people may also be due to adequate nutrition.
This also coincides with the above-mentioned eyebrows belonging to the kidney essence. Sufficient nutrition will make kidney essence sufficient; kidney essence will be sufficient and health status will be kept in good condition; good health status can be regarded as a side reflection of longevity. Therefore, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly friends eat eggs, beans and other foods appropriately in their daily life to maintain nutritional intake.
3. Hormone levels
Human hair growth is not only affected by nutrients, but also closely related to male hormones. The more male hormones are secreted, the thicker the hair on the body surface . For example, we often describe a man with "thick eyebrows and big eyes", because men's body hair will appear thicker than women's.
The sudden lengthening of the eyebrows may be due to a sudden increase in the level of male hormones in the body. Especially for middle-aged and elderly people, the organ activity of the body has already begun to decrease, and the male hormones accumulated in the body cannot be consumed by other organs, and will act on the eyebrows, causing the eyebrows to suddenly grow.
In addition, androgen abnormalities are also related to diet . If you take too much animal offal, dog meat, mutton and other foods , the hormone level in the body will increase, resulting in the breakdown of the endocrine balance, resulting in longer hair, and even leading to various complications. Therefore, when the eyebrows become longer, we should also pay attention to a balanced diet.
4. Genetic factors
Genetic factors have a particularly powerful force, from head to toe, from the inside out, and can easily affect people's mind and body, and even throughout their lives. Some scholars believe that long eyebrows are largely related to genetic factors. Because the thickness, and even the shape, of the eyebrows are inherited from the genes of the parents.
Assuming that the father or mother has few eyebrows, the child's eyebrows may be light from an early age unless improved by eyebrow implants. But this situation is not absolute, but there are some individual differences. For example, even though some children have the same eyebrows as their mothers, they look shorter and less. After a few years, they become long and thick.
Some middle-aged and elderly friends have not very long eyebrows. When they were about 50 years old, their eyebrows suddenly and inexplicably grew longer. This may be because genetic factors come into play. Some family genes that are silenced in vivo are gradually revealed in the middle and late stages.