Whoa! Ladies in Tajikistan actually covet unibrows

Fashion
A woman with a unibrow in Tajikistan, where they are considered a symbol of beauty. Photo via Global Post.
A woman with a unibrow in Tajikistan, where they are considered a symbol of beauty. Photo via Global Post.

Here in the United States, women will go to great lengths to remove their dreaded unibrows by tweezing, waxing, threading and even getting unwanted eyebrow hairs permanently removed with lazers. We start plucking away at an early age, and the compulsion drives many ladies to over-pluck throughout much of their lifetimes in search of the perfect arch. But beauty standards differ from place to place and in some countries a unibrow is considered desirable. Unbelievable, we know, but it's true.

The Global Post reports that in Tajikistan, a small central Asian country, woman young and old rock unibrows with pride. In fact, they are considered a sign of great beauty, and those who do not have naturally bushy and connected brows use an herbal remedy to achieve a unibrow. Usma, a leafy green herb, is sold in Tajik markets and is used to darken and accentuate the brows. Apparently women dry them out in the sun, and grind up the leaves until a dark green goo comes out. They then apply it for 15 minutes in several intervals until a dark, full unibrow appears and lasts for at least two days.

A green herb called usma sells for $.06 a bunch at markets and can be used to create the illusion of a unibrow for those who are not genetically blessed with bushy brows. Photo via Global Post.
A green herb called usma sells for $.06 a bunch at markets and can be used to create the illusion of a unibrow for those who are not genetically blessed with bushy brows. Photo via Global Post.

When the reporter from Global Post interviewed Tajik women to explain their obsession with unibrows, the overwhelming response was "I just think it's beautiful." So while we may not understand it, they may not relate to our compulsion to paint our nails, or get highlights in the summertime. But as women across the world there is one thing that translates: the desire to beautify oneself, and have fun with the process. [Global Post]

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