Just Brow-sing

When you’re surprised, your eyebrows go up.  When you’re angry, they furrow.  Eyebrows are a nonverbal way that help other people know the emotions we’re feeling.  But what happens if you don’t have any eyebrows?  Losing the hair on your head is typically associated with undergoing chemotherapy, but many people don’t know that you often also lose your eyebrows.  Mine are almost gone.  My eyelashes, too.

I probably would not have chosen to be bald.  However, I actually don’t mind it.  I figured out I’m saving at least $600 in salon expenses!  In addition, the time I spend getting ready to go out has been cut in half, and I rather like the exotic look of scarves and turbans.  Losing eyebrows and eyelashes, on the other hand, causes a bit more of a problem because of their usefulness.

While eyebrows assist in us conveying our feelings, eyelashes frame “the windows to the soul.”  They serve a major purpose – they protect the eye from debris getting in it and act as a sensor when something gets too close to the eye, not to mention they enable you to give butterfly kisses and make wishes when one falls on your cheek.  Of course, the multibillion dollar cosmetic industry will tell you that those eyelashes are meant for flirting (and, well, that’s true, too!).  The allure of making up the eye goes back to ancient Egypt and has become only more popular through the ages.  In fact, sales continue to rise in an ever-increasingly competitive marketplace.  Mascara is one of the top sellers in the cosmetic industry.  A woman will spend an average of nearly $4,000 on mascara in her lifetime and nearly $3,000 on eye shadow (actually, these figures seem a bit low to me).

So, what’s a girl to do when she’s missing these important facial features?   There are makeup tricks for chemo patients, like eyebrow stencils, but I don’t dare try them for fear of ending up looking like Joan Crawford.  Eyeliner is suggested as the solution for missing eyelashes, creating an illusion that lashes are still framing your eye.  Well, just try to apply that without having eyelashes as a guide.  I have enough trouble putting it on when I have eyelashes; without them, my eyeliner looks more like a road map than an outline of an eye.

My solution is to simply ride it out, because it actually is no big deal in the major scheme of things.  However, it would helpful if you remember a few things.  Next time you see me with tears in my eyes, there’s a good chance I’m not crying.  My tear ducts are taking over the job of my missing eyelashes and trying to keep foreign matter out of my eyes by watering them.  If I’m flapping my eyelids together, I may also be trying to do get something out of my eye, not flirting (then, again, perhaps I am . . .).  And if I have deep wrinkles in my forehead, I’m probably not angry; I’m more likely puzzled about something.  Of course, the one facial expression that clearly relays its true meaning and is not affected by chemo is a smile. You can’t go wrong with that one, and I intend on keeping mine!

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