Eyebrows are the windows to the soul, the frame of the face. There are thin brows, bushy brows, unibrows and defined brows. Some groom them, some do not.

The three most common methods of grooming eyebrows are threading, waxing and plucking. These three are the most popular methods, and less painful alternatives to laser hair removal, which is another option. Threading originated in India, and it’s a precise form of removing facial hair one hair at a time with a thread. Waxing is when a professional (or oneself) takes hot goo and smears it on one’s unwanted hair, then takes a piece of cloth and rips the goo off. Then there’s plucking: where one takes a tweezer and individually plucks facial hair.

There are a number of different reasons why people get their eyebrows groomed. For some, it’s a matter of feeling clean and pampered; having defined, clean brows can transform a whole face. For others, shaping their eyebrows makes them feel more beautiful and confident.

Haris Hosseini (9) prefers getting his eyebrows threaded and enjoys feeling neat and clean afterwards.

“People comment on my Instagram photos and in person all the time saying I have great eyebrows” Haris said. “I used to shape them from time to time by getting them threaded, but I haven’t gotten them done in a couple months because I’m growing them out. I’m more into the messy, natural brow look now.”

Haris also commented on males getting their eyebrows groomed.

“It’s not weird if guys [get their eyebrows done]. Society makes it seem like guys can’t, because it’s “weird” or “not normal.” I think whatever makes you feel clean and happy is worth doing.”

We hear the term “on fleek” all the time in pop culture and social media. We see it in the comments section and the caption and used to hear it around campus. Obviously, “on fleek” is a saying used for when one’s eyebrows are “on point” or “lookin’ good.” When did this casual yet familiar term become so prominent in pop culture, and are eyebrows really that significant in society?

It’s unknown how “on fleek” came about in the media. It’s most common occurrence is through Vine, but maybe it was first used to describe a celebrity’s eyebrows in an Instagram caption or it spread from a small community’s inside joke to the country’s new colloquial term. Like most things on social media, its popularity grew due to people tweeting and posting it, so it starts to stick in society; it’s also an undeniably catchy saying.

Vanessa Tyagi (10), another student who can catch one’s attention with her brows, shares her thoughts on the term “on fleek.”

“[‘On Fleek’] isn’t really relevant anymore.” Vanessa said. “Whenever someone says it now, people just roll their eyes in annoyance. For me, when people say my brows are ‘on fleek,’ I say thank you and walk away feeling ashamed in my generation.”