Where Should Your Eyebrows Start? The Right Placement Guide

Published January 26, 2026

Eyebrows are arguably the most important feature on your face. They frame your eyes, convey emotion, and can even change how your facial shape is perceived. But if you’ve ever stood in front of a mirror with tweezers in hand, wondering exactly where to pluck and where to stop, you aren’t alone. One of the most common questions we hear is: where should your eyebrows start?

Getting this starting point right is the secret to balancing your features. Start them too far apart, and your eyes might look wider set than they are; too close together, and you might look perpetually angry or severe.

In this guide, we’ll break down the simple rules of brow mapping, explore how to find your perfect starting point, and share expert tips for keeping your brows looking natural and polished.

Why the Starting Point Matters

Your eyebrows do a lot of heavy lifting for your facial symmetry. The point where your eyebrows start acts as an anchor for the bridge of your nose and sets the spacing for your eyes.

When your brows start in the correct spot, they create a “containment” for your features, drawing attention inward toward your eyes. Correct placement can make a wide nose look slimmer or close-set eyes appear more balanced. It’s all about optical illusions and geometry.

The Golden Rule: How to Find Your Start Point

For decades, makeup artists and brow experts have used a technique called “brow mapping” to find the ideal shape for any face. While trends change (we’re looking at you, 90s thin brows), the anatomical rules of where your brows should start remain relatively constant.

Here is the classic method to find your perfect start point:

1. Grab a Tool: You’ll need a thin makeup brush, a pencil, or even a chopstick.
2. Align with the Nostril: Hold your tool vertically against the side of your nose.
3. Find the Intersection: The point where the tool hits your brow bone is generally where your eyebrow should start. This is usually directly above the middle of your nostril or the inner corner of your eye, depending on the width of your nose.

Pro Tip: If you have a wider nose and want it to appear slimmer, you might start your brows slightly closer together. Conversely, if you have close-set eyes, starting your brows slightly further apart can open up your face.

Adjusting for Your Face Shape

While the vertical line from the nostril is a great baseline, one size rarely fits all in beauty. You can tweak where your eyebrows should start based on your specific facial structure.

Round Faces

If you have a round face, you want to create the illusion of length. Ensure your brows start squarely in line with the inner corner of the eye. Avoid starting them too far apart, which can make a round face look wider.

Oval Faces

Oval faces are balanced naturally, so you can stick strictly to the classic rule: align the start of the brow with the inner corner of the eye or the bridge of the nose.

Heart-Shaped Faces

Heart shapes often have a wider forehead. You can soften this by ensuring your brows don’t start too harshly or squarely. A softer, slightly feathered start point works wonders here.

Square Faces

Similar to round faces, you don’t want to widen the face further. Keep the start points aligned vertically with the nostrils to draw the focus to the center of the face, softening a strong jawline.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to go overboard. Here are a few pitfalls to watch out for when determining your start point.

The “Tadpole” Brow

This happens when you overpluck the inner corners, leaving a thick bulb at the start that thins out drastically into a skinny tail. To avoid this, never pluck more than a few hairs at a time from the inner corner, and step back from the mirror frequently to check your progress.

The Unibrow Fear

Many people are so terrified of a unibrow that they pluck the space between their brows too aggressively. This creates a large gap that disrupts facial harmony. It’s better to leave a few stray hairs than to create a gap wider than your nose bridge.

Ignoring the “Sprout”

The hairs at the very start of your brow often grow upward (the “sprouts”). Don’t trim these too short! They provide the soft, fluffy look that is currently on-trend. If they are unruly, use a clear brow gel to brush them upward rather than cutting them off.