Feb 27
Half of an eyebrow
I have invented a stress gauge …
Well, sort of, it only works on me.
My friends and family are able to gauge how stressed I am by how many hairs are left in my eyebrows. The more that are missing, the more stressed I am. By the end of a stressful week, I am lucky to escape with the total of one eyebrow (two halves).
I do not exactly pull these eyebrow hairs out. It is more of a process of rubbing. I have never been able to sit still for very long and am always fidgeting with something … even if it happens to be on my own face. So, here I am constantly rubbing at my eyebrow hairs until the follicles give way and fall to the floor.
If the week is only mildly stressful, I usually spare a few hairs and am able to grow them back fairly quickly. However, on one of those rough weeks, I may create bald spots in my eyebrow that actually cause me to rub at it more to fix the irritation caused by the hairs that are rubbed away.
I am completely willing to accept that this is weird.
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I’m sorry you’re stressed! That sucks…..on the other hand, if that’s “weird” then I’m on the same boat with you.
I did tell you of my habit of twisting my eyelashes when I’m stressed out, right?
In jr. high, I had the longest, prettiest eyelashes…..let’s just say that I had a hard time in 8th grade, and by my freshman year, I had these little VERY thin eyelashes! I would twist them and play with them until they all fell out 
Your eyelashes are still pretty!
I have a tendacy to pluck mine when I get bored which can be quite dangerous.
I’m sorry your stressed your vacation should definately help.
i rub my eyebrows all the time, a lot of the time i dont even notice, and i too have rubbed bald spots, youre not alone, ive always felt really weird for doing it too
Oh my god. I have done this my whole life, literally since I was a baby. I’m famous for being “the eyebrow rubber” among my relatives. When I was little I usually just did it when I was sleepy, but it became a habit and I kinda just do it whenever without noticing now. Though, I have noticed it increase during stressful periods, like now during exams - and I have a bald spot on my left brow at the moment.
In the most inexplicable way, it feels so good to rub them. I actually have different ways of rubbing them, using different areas of my fingers/hand. I AM SO WEIRD.
I do it too…I hate it. I went to a hypnotist to try to quit, and no luck.
I looked in the mirror the other day and a fourth of my eyebrow is gone again. I am glad to hear that I am not alone. Do any of you take any medications? I keep wondering if the meds I take may factor into this unusual habit.
You are not alone, aside from apparently being a pretty good looking guy I’ve spent the better part of my youth and young adulthood with bald spots on my eyebrows. It just feels good to do so, is my only explaination.
oh my god i do that too! thought that no-one else did. its becoming a real problem im getting bald patches and it just looks horrible. does anyone have any way to stop doing it?!? most of the time im doing it without even realising.
Wow i thought I was the only one in the world that did that (how egocentric lol) I dont really do it when i am stressed, it’s just something i have done since i was tiny and haven’t really been able to stop. A lot of the time i do it without realising I am doing it. I rub them but never pluck. The left side of my right eyebrow has started to wear away so really trying hard to stop!
I have a question … do any of you take any medications for ADD or do you consume large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis? Someone suggested to me that this could be a possible side effect of caffeine and medications. Just curious if this theory holds any truth …
im taking fluoxetine at the moment but the eyebrow thing started before then so its not that. dont drink excessive amounts of caffeine either :-S
Yes, drink lots of coffee and have been diagnosed with ADD..
I hate this habit. When I look in the mirror and see the bald spots and the thinning eyebrows I wonder what everyone else thinks. There must be a way to stop this dreadful habit. Damn, I just rubbed my eyebrows reading over this response. I’m not kidding. This really sucks. And yes, I might as well invest money in Duncan Donuts and Starbucks.
It’s called trichotillomania. Kind of like an anxiety OCD. Google it if you haven’t. But I think you’ve got the right lead to know what may cause it.
I’ve got it too ever since I was little, with eyelashes. I remember being about seven and the doctor subtly threatening me that if I didn’t stop they’d have to put mittens on me. I felt so hurt. But even now, I was just sitting down watching tv a while ago and I just started pulling at my eyebrows, so it’s not gone away. I stopped though, but I just looked in the mirror and its kinda bad, I’m gonna have to lightly pencil some of it in (OH NO not the chola look! >_<). But yeah, right there with ya. I think maybe distracting your hands away by doing something else like drawing or playing an instrument my help.
I do it too, and I’m extremely surprised/relieved that I’m not alone; I rub only my left eyebrow specifically. It’s been going on for almost two years now, I have what seems to be a permanent bald spot that I constantly need to pencil in, and I really can’t stop. Barely an hour goes by without me doing it, and it’s definitely exacerbated by stress.
It’s interesting, because it isn’t exactly trichtotillomania (there’s no pulling; the constant rubbing just ends up causing the hair to fall out), but I’ve never been able to find any information about it. However it’s obviously a very real ’something’ if all of us have it. It’s become somewhat of a joke with my friends; they’re constantly telling me to ‘quit touching my eyebrow!’. But, to me, it is very, very real and something that is a huge burden in my life.
I just wish there was help ;(
I do it too! Everyone in my family/friends thought I was sooo weird and never understood why I did it. But basically when I’m nervous and it feels good calms me down. It is strange but I don’t even realize I do it sometimes.
It can be very soothing right?
I too have rubbed my eyebrows since I was very young and I am now in my late 50’s. In recent years I have stopped for extended periods, but i am doing it again. I never remember quite how I stop when I do. Caffeine probably does not help.
Wow I’m so glad to find out I’m not alone with this eyebrow rubbing thing! I started doing it a couple years ago, and I don’t even notice that I’m doing it until someone points it out to me. I’m thinking it’s due to stress, but also for some reason I love the way it feels to run my fingers back and forth and feel the courseness of the hair (I have thick dark hair). But just earlier tonight I noticed for the first time that I’ve worn out near-bald spots on both eyebrows.
It actually looks like I shaved them down or something, rather than being gone from the root. Now I’m realizing this needs to stop because I’m terrified I won’t have any left very soon, but the habit is so hard to break! In just the past hour I’ve had to stop myself at least 10 times. I really hope I can stop.
Stress is definitely the instigator in this habit for me. However, I do find that new hair growth on my eyebrow can cause me to rub at it more. Sometimes I have to go pluck an irritating hair just to keep me from rubbing off all the others surrounding it. My mom and friends are always slapping my hands when they catch me rubbing at my eyebrows, but I found if I am not rubbing them I start torturing another place on my face. It may be healthier to let me keep the bald eyebrows
I do this to! I’ve done it for longer then I can remember. I’ve tried to stop, but the need to do it is to strong. I’m wondering if its a compulsive disorder. I to rub bold patches in the center of my brow. I’m not sure if this occurs during more stressful times in my life or when I’m really tired and not noticing that I’ve been rubbing on them to much. I did have a stressful childhood so I’m wondering if this was a way I comforted myself, and it become a compulsive habit??
I do it too! Got baldy patches in middle of both brows. Done it since i was at school so prob for about 8 years. Not really when im stressed, more when im bored, watchin tv or just generally doin nothin else! I didnt know there wer so many people who did this.. next time my mates take the piss ill say theres shitloads of people like meeeee haha
Wow, I honestly didn’t think anyone else out there did this too…I am sooo relieved! =) i’m 16 years old..and it’s pretty much been this way with the eyebrow rubbing habit since i was a baby…But i tend to rub more depending on my stress level also reflects on how much of my eyebrow hairs are missing..
However, recently i’ve been able to stop gradually. The cure: is to find something else to do with your hands, think of something else, and try not to think about it so much. Basically, pretend it’s never been a habit. If you think too much, you’ll wind up exactly where you started all over again. I’ll have to admitt, it’s not easy. But it tends to be way easier to break when you’re in a very good state of mind, and your mood is out of this world. If you continue this way each night, eventually, it’s as if that habit evaporated into thin air. POOF!
It is extrememly hard to break though, my parents would nag me and remind me all the time whenever i do it, and it doesn’t help it just frustrates me more and stresses me which puts me right into the habit’s trap once again.
Just if you catch yourself rubbing your eyebrow, stop and quickly find something else to do to get your mind off of it.
and if you still can’t totally break the habit, try rubbing in the middle or more likely in the places where you DON’T want your eyebrow hairs to grow! (basically find a mirror and pin point the spots and stick to them; TRUST ME ) it helps A TON!
Well, that’s pretty much all i have for now,
so good luck to you all!
Reading this forum has prompted me to turn my mind back to when I first started rubbing my eyebrows. I am both amazed and disgusted to discover that I have been doing it for the better part of a quarter of a century.
I’m old enough to detect the trends, I too rub more when I am deep in thought or under stress and I often catch myself doing it without realizing.
I read with comfort that you each get a certain level of satisfaction out of doing it. For me it is like it stimulates my thought processes. It is harmless enough, were it not for the fact that it makes you look “odd”.
But I bet, like the rest of you, the fact that you re destroying them is not enough to deter you. I also question how many of you are highly strung, A type personalities who know that if they weren’t rubbing, they would be doing something else compulsively, like cracking their knuckles.
Having read all your comments, I am motivated to really try and kick this ridiculous habit once and for all. Any tips that have helped you beat the problem would be more than welcomed.
Confessionsofaninsomniac, your honesty and courage to talk openly about the little idiosyncrasies that make you who you are is completely admirable - don’t stop what you are doing!
oh, man. I have rubbed by eyebrows off!! I have “half-brows” now!! I can’t stop and the spikes feel so good when I rub them. This is sick and I wish I could stop.
Someone told me that you can get eyebrow transplants. haha. its funny, but I cant lie, i thought about it for a minute. mainly bc maybe i could break the habit while they were healing. but it was just a thought and i still rub them or what is left of them.
it feels so good and I cannot stop. someone should start a website for this. we dont have Trichotillomania bc we dont pull…just rub!
Reading all of these posts makes me feel so much better. I am an eyebrow rubber. I am not even sure how it started. Over the last year or so I have been really stressed. My left brow is almost completely gone and the hairs that remain are very spiky. Sometimes I feel like I am nuts because I can’t stop rubbing the damn thing. My husband makes fun of me when he catches me doing it. I have to admit that I do it when I am thinking about something, when stressed, or driving. It is pretty continous. I know that OCD, Trichotillomania was mentioned in the other posts, but what about stimulatory behavior? Everyone stims…it is a method of self soothing. Some people are leg shakers, hair twirlers, and we are brow rubbers. What do you all think?
Hiya! Yet another eyebrow rubber here. I’m doing it right now, been doing it pretty much all evening. I am another who equates eyebrow rubbing with stress - I had shamefully large bald spots after completing class projects when I was in college. I forget the think about how weird it looks to do in public and I’m afraid I forget about that rather a lot.
I know I should stop, although my brows grow in rather quickly they seem to have a slightly darker, more spiky apperance to them than before.
I’d also heard about the trichlomania thing but dismissed it because I’m NOT PULLING THEM OUT, I’m just rubbing them because I enjoy the tactile sensation, and at the best of times it helps me relax. What I find most irritating is when I’m concentrating on something else and all of a sudden I realise my hand is getting sore cause I’ve been rubbing a brow without realising it.
OMG! Now I on edge to start crying. I mean - really. I know it will sounds crazy & over reacted… But I literary cannot live with that anymore. You all said you’re eyebrow rubber… Before about 10minutes, untill I didnt sit in front of my laptop & google something like ”eyebrow completelly removed, how to fix it” I didnt know Im not the only one. Before I sit I was in my bathroom, 6am, not sleep, study for exam, and was in bathroom, completely draw my eyebrow with pencil because my mom will wake up & Im to ashamed that she see me like this AGAIN.
I.. I really dont know what to do… I was start modelling career, I could be succesful… for first runway show (it wasnt anything big) I shaped (really good) my eyebrow (I was going in primary school, 15years old)… but then, all because of stress, I start to first rubbing them, then to completelly remove, all by my hands, acting strange, being agressive to them, and in the end - start to look really weird to other people.
My whole high school I was like in hell - I noticed how my friends look at me, I noticed that they are really suprised how I look - & I was look different every day - I am now in college & I can call myself a master in covering.
I apply them with eyepencil (in period when I dont have them completely & when I have half of them, because the rest look really thin, like dying men, lol), put powder, and at the end, I put hairspray so how they wont wipe out.
Before few days I think it became MOST embarassing.
One ”friend” in front of my whole company, sitting in bar, ask me where is my eyebrow.
I just sink into floor. It hapend few times - that people ACTUALLY ask why I look like that, but usually they just judge and keep quiet. (You can imagine how it is having sex and after everything run in bathroom checking!)
I can say I lost eyerything because of my stuppid habit. I didnt have curage to go to make pic for modeling - & ppl say I’m beautiful (rofl, when they see me with e.b, when I’m relaxed, not in panic, on holidays, or etc.) & I literary thought going to visit shrink so he prescribe me antidepressive, or any other medicine because I think I’m crazy.
Today I have exam. Full of people. Who will watch me strange. I think not going on that. I will fall my year. I already lost all my self confidence.
Yes, I can’t stop. Like Cat said - they grow more darker & stronger & that ”growing” phase is omg, horrible - I cant stop untill I rip them all off - they hurting my fingers…
& it is stimmulating… I feel better. Crazy thing is that I wake up without it - I started to do that in half-wake condition, rofl.
Does anyone know how to stop? Except ”find something diff to do”. Because I try everything. I only stop doing that while I’m playing computer games, going on holiday (can persuate myself to stop because going in sea & not having e.b isnt good combination, lol, but first day I come home circus continues)
THANK YOU PEOPLE.
THIS HELP ME A LOT.
To know I’m not the only one (lol, but seems I’m demented one)
My mom has been rubbing her eyebrows for the past 5 years. Basically ever since my dad had his accident in 2004. I noticed alot of you said in your comments that it is a harmless habit other than losing your hair. Well this is totally not true. You can get a serious infection called cellulitis from doing this. It is a type of stapyh infection. It happened to my mom twice and what is so bad about this is that her whole eye socket swelled her entire eye shut like she had been punched in the face. It eventually runs out of room to swell and works its way towards your temple area and down your cheek. When the swelling finally did subside for her she was admitted to the hospital and in the intensive care unit because the infection had worked its way into her bloodstream and into her brain. She was lucky and they caught it in time, but she has a nice scar on her eyebrow now from where they had to cut it open to release all of the pus and cheesy matter that had collected in there.
So please, dont think that this habit is harmless to just some hairloss because that is so not true. You use your hands for everything and your hair is coming out of an open pore in your skin. All of that constant rubbing is just pushing dirt into them and it can cause ingrown hairs, boils and to its worse extreme what I just told you. Believe it or not, she is still doing it and to this day we cannot get her to stop doing it. If anyone has any advice other that do something else, I would love to hear it. Thanks guys! Good luck on quitting this nasty habit.
Wow, I thought I was the only person who did this. I sure appreciate this post.
Wow, I thought I’d type this in to google and it’d tell me my search matches no documents. I honestly thought it was only me. I’ve been rubbing my eyebrows for eight years now.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I do it because
a) I’m tired. Kinda like how kids rub their eyes when they’re sleepy.
b) It feels SO good, for both my finger and my eyebrow area (to the point where I have the worst bald patch ever at the moment! Good ol’ pencil!)
c) My hands need to be kept busy… whether it’s at work on a computer or washing the dishes.
I like to think it’s because I have a lot of energy that needs to be used. I have a high metabolism.
I don’t think it’s stress related cos when I have a lot going on, my hands are kept busy while I’m running around trying to get things done. I also don’t drink a lot of caffeine. In fact, I think it’s the opposite. It’s worse at the moment cos my life is very calm and non eventful at the moment. So I have time to rub my eyebrows!
Same thought at the comment above. I thought nothing would come up with the results.. It is a stress thing, whenever I get super stressed I rub, pluck (with my own hands!!) my eyebrows.. I looked in the mirror this morning to my horror that my eyebrows are 1/2 and thin… I have to cover them up with a pencil
I’m so sad that I have this horrible habit and I dont know how to stop.
I use to rub my neck, wife complained about that,
then I got hit in the eye with and elbow playing basketball, both parents died in the same month,
When I am not stressed, I seem to rub them less, now I rub my eyebrows and it is difficult to stop.
When I carry a stress ball or something to keep my hands occupied that helps.
I am always playing with my eyebrow, feeling and pulling at the hairs. I was even doing it while reading this. My partner is always telling me off for doing it and I dont even relise Im doing it. I do it when thinking and if bored. I dont drink alot of coffee and I have Biopolor.
Any ideas on how to stop? I want to kept my eyebrows!
I used to twist my hair as a child. Stopped that habit. Then I bit my fingernails. Stopped that habit. Then I picked my cuticles. Stopped that habit. Pulled a few gray eyebrows. Then started rubbing. I was diagnosed with a low thyroid. It appears the habit gets worse when my thyroid levels are low. Wonder what bad habit I substitute for eyebrow rubbing.
ME TOO!
I have been doing this for about 14 years. I am now starting to get to the point where I have minimal hair on my eyebrows…and still cant stop. It certainly is trichotillomania, and I am soon to see a Homeopath for assistance in stopping. I find it very frustrating and am doining it all the time, at work, driving, phone…etc etc. Sometimes my arms hurt from doing it.
Best of luck to all of you, for it is a horrible habit and it would feel so much better if I could stop. Almost like a sense of claustrophobia when I cant stop doing it.
Arg, doing it right now…poor eyebrows they hurt!!
Oh my god!! I can’t believe I found you all! I have never known anyone else who does this!
I’ve been doing it since I was a little girl - as long as I can remember. I used to suck my thumb at the same time, but when I got to Kindergarten and saw that no one else sucked their thumb I quit doing it in public, but kept on with the eyebrows. It sort of replaced the thumb sucking, I think (I don’t do it at all anymore).
I find the eyebrow rubbing really relaxing and have always done it when I feel tired or watching TV/movies. As a lot of you have said, I don’t realize I’m doing it most of the time. The worst is that I do it when I’m listening to someone talking and then I see them looking at me ‘in that way’ and have to stop myself, but no one ever points it out to me directly. I’m doing it right now - holy crap.
Anyway, I never thought of it as a disorder and I’ve only ever had a bald spot once a long time ago - maybe try being more gentle or rub lightly - if you can even focus on being aware of it, which is really tough. I actually have really great eyebrows - it’s the feature people mention the most about me in a positive sense!
I don’t have ADD and am not on any medication, but I do have a history of OCD in my family. Also I never thought of stress as a factor, but now I think it may be.
I just want to give you all a huge hug - seriously - thank you for sharing your habit with everybody and don’t think you’re wierd because you’re not!! Everyone comforts themselves somehow, this is just more visible to others, I guess.
Lots of love to you all.
Finally! I have found a forum of eyebrow strokers! It has been such a relief to realise I am not the only freaky stroker in he known universe! It really is a ridiculous habit but, like many of you here I cannot seem to stop myself.
I started eyebrow stroking when I was very young, often when I was tired or upset. At that age it was considered “cute” but now, at the tender age of nearly 40, I am still doing it and it is not so cute anymore. In fact I am thoroughly fed up with this habit that relentlessly pursues me every day.
I have tried without success to find a site on the internet that will adequately explain this phenomenom. My gut reaction is that, as many of you on this site have mentioned, it is a form of stress relief and therefore may be linked to an accupressure point of the face. Alternatively, it is a mild form of OCD that has, as yet, been unrecognised by medical specialists.
I consider myself to be a typical adult of my age, i.e. slightly jaded with life and a little cynical, but not unduly depressed or unable to cope with life’s busy schedule. It bothers me immensely that I am unable to control this crazy habit when I am pretty much in control of everything else in my life.
From reading what others have said, I am typical in that the left eyebrow is favoured, which brings me back to my point that it may be an accupressure or acupuncture point. Sadly I have no factual data to back up this theory. Perhaps somebody else out there who stumbles across this thread could back this up?
Anyway, we eyebrow rubbers are not alone! Yay! An odd, peculiar habit that irritates as well as soothes us, annoys as well as comforts us. I DO wish I could stop as it means I would have a decent left eyebrow but…hey…if things could be worse!
Keep the conversation going guys….we will be the basis of a medical student’s thesis one day!
Love and luck.
Louise
omg I have done this since I was tiny, and remember my sister saying to my Mother , “mam she’s playing with her eyebrow again”.. I still do this when I get stressed
then when I start I can’t stop , I love the feeling I like it even more when it is bald and get addicted to it :s… hate the look though and have to colour in the bald patch , i only ever do it in on my left eyebrow and never pluck just rub it.
Wow…like many people who have commented before me, I have never met anyone else who has this habit. I started rubbing my eyebrows at the age of 15. I liked how it felt to rub them against the hair growth–the way they snap back into place. It’s sort of like snapping/flipping the pages of a book.
Now, I’m 23 and I still have the habit. I do it when I’m in a state of elevated alertness or concentration–for example, if I’m trying to study, or even if I’m watching an engaging TV program. The more mentally challenging something is, the more I rub my eyebrows. I also do it more when I’m tired or anxious.
I am tired of the back half of my eyebrow being thin or nonexistent. Today, I cut a long strip out of a piece of fabric. I cut it so that when I tie it around my head, it covers my eyebrows completely without pushing on or covering my eyelids, which I find annoying. I’m going to wear it at home while I study, go online, or watch TV. So far it seems to be working, but this is only the first day :). Today, I took a picture of my worst-looking eyebrow (my left one–probably because I’m right-handed, so I have to use that one to write). I’ll take a picture two weeks from now, and then two weeks after that. I’ll report back occasionally to let you know how it’s working.
Of course, I still might rub them a bit if I’m doing studying between classes on campus, but I’m so self-conscious of my habit when I’m in public that if I do it at all, the rubbing is definitely less destructive than it is when I’m at home.
I have never had ADD, though I’ve had other health problems that can make concentration difficult. I very rarely use caffeine…and I NEVER used it as a 15 year old, when I started the eyebrow rubbing.
This has been very helpful. I also scratch my head. I know that I look totally stupid when I do it and want to stop it once and for all.
It means such a lot to me to read about all of you. I have been mocked for so many years over this. I have always known it was weird. It just feels good, I don’t know why. It calms me down. I would love to stop too, but I am not sure if I can.
I am so totally, utterly relieved to find out that I am not alone.
It is so nice to see that there are other people who do this! I sucked my thumb until I was in the third grade, and while I was sucking on my thumb, I would use my pinky finger to rub my eyebrows. I stopped when I stopped sucking my thumb, but then within the past several years, I started rubbing my eyebrows again. It’s constant and doesn’t really seem to have anything to do with my stress level. I am 35 years old now and I’m losing my eyebrows! It was so humiliating when I went to school to become an esthetician and my fellow students would ask me what was wrong with my eyebrows. I can’t seem to stop! It makes me wonder if I have OCD, and if so, can I get on any medication to help me. I wish more people would see this as a legitimate problem, rather than just a quirk!
Pam, I definitely think eyebrow rubbing is a form of OCD … there is no doubt about that. If I am not rubbing my eyebrows, I am torturing my skin or hair in some form. I suppose it is a legitimate problem that makes us look a little weird to our peers, but there are definitely worse problems to have. Everyone has something wrong with them … this just happens to be ours! I think it is a rather amusing problem to have (if not taken to the extreme as wrmonahan’s mother).
I can’t believe that I found this site. I was sitting here, rubbing my left eyebrow, thinking how it was going to go bald. I wondered if there was anyone else out there that did it, and this was one of the first sites that popped up. My parents gauge how stressed I am by how much I rub my eyebrows. Or, if a subject comes up that stresses me, they can tell because I’ll start rubbing.
I can’t say how long I’ve been doing it, but I used to do both eyebrow, but specialized on the left one so that I could constantly rub it during exams. I used to rub my eyebrows if they were getting stubble in between waxing or plucking, but now it is constant and I’m beginning to see bald spots.
I know I must look strange. I’ve caught myself doing it in public, while conversing with someone, and during tests. I can’t stop, and I used to have really nice eyebrows. I just asked my boyfriend to yell at me when I do it, since it’s often really unconscious. I agree that it must be OCD. My grandmother is highly OCD about many things, and my mother and all of her siblings have also struggled with it. Sometimes I feel like it’s the only way of coping with the stress in my life.
I thought I was the only one, too! Obviously I’m not. I was the one in my family known for doing this. It started when I was really young, and it was directly associated with my thumb sucking, which I also was the only one in my family that did this (at least out of the closet!). I am 46 years old and STILL do it, it’s so crazy! I feel it is definitely a comforting thing that has lingered since I was young. I dont know why I do it exactly, but know that it is connected to wanting to feel comforted when I was younger.
Daaaaaam i thought i was the only one! seeing all you makes me feel a whole lot better. Mine didn’t start until i was 12th grade and started smoking weed. When i dont smoke i do it once in a while. it last to about an hour. It so relaxing. Its like messaging my eybrows. I go in circular motion though.
Oh my god! I can’t believe other people do this! I thought I was a complete retard! I started doing this about 2 years ago whenever I’m bored or stressed. I usually do it when I’m on the computer or sitting at my desk doing homework or whatever. I’m 15. It annoys me soooo much! I always tell myself I won’t and I end up doing it without even realising! I don’t pull it out, just sort of stroke/rub my eyebrows, mainly just my left one. WHY?! So weird. But, I’m so glad there are others
My name is Stephanie and I am an eyebrow rubber!
It’s been great reading all of your posts…joy filled me I realized that there really “are dozens of us!” (you’ll think that’s hilarious if you know Tobias from Arrested Development).
In short….my story is that I started during the stress of my 1st year of university exams, but now it is just an everyday kinda thing….i just like how it feels (like many of us have said). It’s now 7 years later. I felt like I was reading my story in so many of the posts.
So the important part of this post is the book that my Mom found for me. It’s called Nix The Tix’s by Duncan McKinley. I can’t say that I’ve stopped since reading it, but it has some very helpful tips. I read it over a year ago so from what I recall the main points where firstly to be serious about wanting to stop. And not wanting to stop just cause other people think you’re weird, but wanting to stop for you yourself.
Another major point he says is being aware of something you do BEFORE your tic happens. This is a kinda tough one, since as many people have said it happens without even noticing. What I came up with for this was the act of raising your hand to your eyebrow….if you can catch yourself at this point than you have a good chance at stopping that single eyerub occurance.
After catching yourself before the act you have to be aware to let the urge pass before you let your guard down. (30 seconds??) My problem is I can do it every 30 seconds, so I guess I have to always be on guard…tiring!
Also, he talks about replacing your tic with another less “bad” tic. Earlier in the posts I read about looking in the mirror and choosing spots on your eyebrow that you would normally tweeze…i really like this idea! thanks! Sometimes I rub my boyfriend’s shorty stubbly beard.
And as many people have mentioned, the rubbing is worse with stress….and a stressful time is the worst time to try and break your tic…so wait till the stress has passed, and then try again.
He also talks about how you have to tell the people you care about how you want to be treated while trying to stop. He suggests coming up with a name for the tic. My family came up with Brows. Tell the people who care about you if you want them to say nothing, or yell at you, or say your code word. It was so great that my Mom found this book and read it herself first. Prior to this she would say stuff like, “Can’t you just stop!!!”, or how it was disgusting. So it helps if the people who really care about you and want to help you stop read the book too.
I hope that helps! The book is really good. The author Duncan McKinley has a PHd and has Tourette Syndrome himself….so he knows what it’s like to try and kick seemingly uncontrollable tics. He gives you hope and inspiration.
What has been frustrating to me were the past two summers when I worked as a cook and stopped touching my brows and they were completely back to normal! hurrah! but after the jobs ended I went back to rubbing! that would;ve been the best time to stop.
So good luck to all of you trying to stop! I cheer you on!
Oh…a few other things! I used to stick tape on my brows when I was alone and studying…it helps…until you pull the tape off and just start rubbing again.
And lately I have been wearing gloves when I read in bed at night. I’ve found this to work wonders. Without them I can lay reading for hours while constantly rubbing!
damn though…it just feels good! grrrrr
take care,
love Stef
I do this!
What I do is sort of hold up my eyebrow with my left thumbnail and stroke/rub back and forth with my index finger… weird! I’ve done it for a while now and I can’t stop I always do it
The more stressed I get the more I rub. I also rub at my eyelashes. I actually enjoy the feeling of both. And the sound accompanied by rubbing the lashes. Does anyone else rub their eyelashes too? Does anyone know what could be the phsycological reason behind this? I have OCD, depression and social phobia, and recently my doc said he thinks I have mild bipolar. I am so glad to see that I’m not alone. I actually watch someone if I see them with their hand by their eye to see if they are doing it. Though I don’t actually know if I’ve seen anyone doing it. I just want to know that I’m not alone and that maybe even someone I know does it. I think I started when I was very young. I also started when I sucked my thumb, rubbing at the same time. Sometimes I feel so weird that I’m in my thirties and I still do this. I do it when watching tv, reading, falling asleep, and if I’m really stressed I have to be careful or I will do it at other times when I’m around people. When I get so bad that I feel like I’m going to rub my brows bald I will eat sunflower seeds while watching tv. It gives my hands something else to do. I’ve tried to quit, but it’s hard to quit doing something when half the time you do it you’re not even conscience of doing it. And to be honest part of me enjoys it, especially when I’m stressed. But it makes me feel so alien. I actually got the nerve up to tell my husband about it several years back. He said he had noticed that I messed with my eyes a lot, but didn’t realize I actually have this problem. He didn’t seem to care. He knows I’m quirky anyway, and seems to love me inspite or maybe even because of my quirkiness. We’ve been married for 15 years. So I guess I’m not so alien to be unloved/liked, though sometimes I wonder. I also wonder if this is associated at all with the same kind of condition as people who pull their hair out. Anyone know?
I’VE FOUND A CURE!
Er, sort of.
Basically, I find myself doing it when I’m sitting around bored or stressed. It’s something to do with my fingers. So whenever you feel yourself reach up to your eyebrows, grab a small ball of blu-tac or putty and just roll it around in your fingers and play with it. It really works! I have some blu-tac stuck on my desk so whenever I’m about to rub I just grab that and it stops me from doing it!
Hope this works for you guys too
Rose x
I’ve been rubbing my eyebrows since I was about 6 or 7 (I’m now 22)… I’ve just kind of resigned myself to the fact that I’m always going to have barely existent eyebrows LOL (I used to use makeup to make them visible, but nowadays I couldn’t be bothered). It’s not stress-related in my case, it just feels nice. However, I also started pulling out eyebrow hairs when I was 19, which -is- stress-related. I’ve read somewhere that pulling behaviours may start with rubbing, which is interesting…
Wow , I never knew that people just like me with the whole eyebrow rubbing phase existed . I’m currently 13 and I have been rubbing my eyebrows for a long time now . I recently stopped for about 3 month’s and the main reason why I stopped was because I wasn’t bored or thinking about stressful thing’s . The reason why I most likely think I’m so addicted to rubbing my eyebrows is mostly because I’m either bored or thinking . Now on the daily basis I rub my eyebrows constantly without even noticing it either , even my parent’s and friends at home , school , or where-ever have had to point out to me that I’m rubbing my eyebrows . I feel so weird but a little less weird that now I know that I’m not the only one with this addiction . But I’m not gonna lie I love to rub my eyebrows sometimes just skimming my fingers around the hairs just feel really good when you need that good-feeling . Anyway reading some comments has really inspired and showed me that I’m not the only one .
I just guess something like my eyebrow addiction will just never go way no matter how much my parents yell at me about it or no matter how much my friends laugh at me about it when they think I don’t notice them . Today I saw a real shocking picture and the picture was of me at my cousins volleyball game , and I guess that somehow I wasnt paying attention to my mother when she took a pic of me sitting on the stands rubbing my eyebrows with my index finger . My whole family saw the pic and now they think I’m so weird because I’m constantly rubbing my eyebrows , but hey I was bored and that’s a habit I tend to do when I’m bored and nobody can stop that because I’ve done it for years now so it’s something I’m gonna have to live with .
I totally feel not alone anymore!!! I too have been rubbing for a long time. I dont drink alot of caffine, however I have been diagnoised w/ anxiety. I believe this problem to definately be stress driven. Like most of you I enjoy feeling for the new growth & also too pluck to avoid ruining the hairs around. I have addressed this w/ my doctor, because I felt I was loosing my mind. He started treating my anxiety and I have noticed a huge difference. I am much more aware of my actions because like you all I too didnt realize when I was rubbing. Most of the time I now have the ability to stop myself, though it is a battle I live with like you all everyday.
Heyy eyebrow rubbers!,
Omg, I don’t feel so alone anymore. I have had this problem for over a year now and I am only 17 now. I hate this problem, I rub only my left eyebrow and think god I have my hair pulled over it most of the time. My bf hasnt notice I don’t think 0.o I wish I could stop though, just like all of you. The only thing I can help you out with is…usually I wrap a bandage around my head and it stops me from rubbing it so much. That seems to help…I hope one day doctors can find a cure, till then were all stuck! :/
I am a little late to the party here, but I do feel better now that I know I am not alone. The eyebrow rubbing goes up and down in intensity most likely as the result of stress. I have been doing it for as long as I can remember. This morning is the first time I googled it to see if it is common and if there is a solution.
I do it too, and I thought I was alone! I’m so glad to hear I’m not. Like all of you, I do it when I’m bored, in class, watching tv, just thinking..I’m doing it now! AHH! I agree, i do not think its trichotillomania neither, we rub and im sure not depressed or disgusted or anything. I rub some bald spots, but most of my eyebrow is prickles, like i burnt them or something. Actually one time I went to get my eyebrows waxed and the lady asked me if i had burnt them, and i felt soo stupid explaining to her that I have a habit of rubbing them. I’ve been too embarressed to get them waxed again.
I need a cure, I want my eyebrows back!
I also do this.
I’ve always had compulsive habits, since a young age. The skin of my hands is very often dry because I rub them together when stressed. This “brow rubbing” thing is the latest habit I’ve had (I had another that I think has damaged my eye lids, whereby I pinched them constantly throughout the day - I now have dry eye syndrome)
I’ve only posted here to give a bit of advice to those of you in the same situation. You pick up an incredible number of germs on your hands, on your fingers, under your nails. I touch my face a lot and was thus prone to a lot of spot breakouts - something I’ve pretty much abolished after buying hand gel - Its very cheap here in the UK, no more than about £1 - But if you use it frequently it’ll reduce the risk of spreading germs from your hands (picked up from your desk, keyboard etc) to your face.
Hope this helps
Wow I thought I was the only one doing this at first. I have been rubbing away at my eyebrows scene I was 9(third grade)and I’m 19 now. When I was little I just did it because I liked the feeling. Oddly enough it’s only my right eye brow that I’ve gone after and only half of it. My left eyebrow is completely untouched.
Now i just force myself to stop but when finals week comes around, a big test, or project. I tend to rub my eye brows with out realizing it.
I think its a compulsive habit.
Thats insane!! I do it, too. I do it ALL the time, except of course when I am in public. I have to draw my damn eye brows on (well, I have half of them…) and i feel self-conscious standing too close to people now because I know they notice it. -.-
It started out with lightly rubbing my eyelashed and ive moved on to my eyebrows.
I do it ALL the time, regardless of stress or not. There is just something so satisfying about feeling them, LOL! Especially the prickly ones that are fighting to grow back.
I do this too!!! It just started a few months ago and I can’t seem to stop doing it! I haven’t worn out any parts yet but I’m afraid I will if I don’t stop soon. Just a thought does anyone here get their eyebrows done, because it seemed to have started when I got my eyebrows done at a new salon and they took off too much and so the hair started growing back uncomfortibly and thats when I started rubbing, now its become a habit. Any suggestions on how to stop?!
I don’t know what made me google this, and I’m so glad I did! I’ve been an eyebrow rubber since junior high school. At some point my husband figured out I do it when I’m worried. 9 times out of 10 when he calls me out on it, he’s right, I am in the midst of worrying.
I think my issue started when I was a kid and had a blanket with satin ribbons on it. When I would go to bed, I’d rub the satin ribbons between my fingers because of the pleasant sensation. When I got older, I discovered my eyebrow gave me the same weird sensation.
OMG! and i thought it was just me…! but there are like, so many others and i feel less of a freak now. On occasions I’ve rubbed my eyebrows so bad that the skin starts to bleed. I HATE when i do that but I’m simply unable to stop. i usually rub on the left corner of my left eyebrow with my left hand (of course) while reading or studying. Lately I’ve been putting a stick-on bandage on the spot, so as soon as my hand goes up i feel the bandage and remember NOT to rub. But of course i do it ONLY when I’m home and don’t have to go out.
p.s. I’ve not exactly lost my eyebrows as yet although this habit has been with me since the last seven years atleast but it’s scary that so many people have so I’m going to be extra careful and alert now.
I feel so much more “normal now.. I can pinpoint the exact date I started “rubbing” and the reason why. I had a stray hair and couldnt find the tweezers.. started rubbing the hair and then my husband said something to upset me. Instead of retaliating I rubbed at the spot on my eyebrow so much that when I looked in the mirror the next day I had developped a bald spot which went right through… thus a habit was formed, initially I only rubbed at my left brow but after a few months noticed that it was wearing quite thin and for some reason, in attempting to break the habit, made a conscious effort to only rub the right one..big mistake. Now I find myseld alternating between the two in turn and find that the only time i dont rub is if I am asleep or if I am doing something that uses both hands… Both brows are now very thin after almost two years of rubbing and I really want to stop as every one notices and comments.
I stopped smoking after 25yrs so theres hope that I can break this habit too.
I think of eyebrow rubbing as a form of trichotillomania, a documented obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For me, rubbing was the first sign, and progressed to a mild but chronic case of compulsive pulling (trich), which I’m thankful has never progressed beyond my eyebrows to any other hair. Onset was also early adolescence.
OCDs are most often associated with trauma, so look into trauma counseling. Even if you don’t have any major traumatic incidents in your past, an accumulation of stresses, upsets, embarrassments… can function psychologically as a trauma and add up to an OCD, so trauma therapies can be helpful. If you *do* have a traumatic incident in your past, there is an excellent chance that it has a lot to do with your eyebrow rubbing. Therapies exist to address and alleviate the emotional fallout from trauma, which should also lead organically to the resolution of your rubbing habit.
I began this habit about 10 months ago - about the time I was preparing for the LSAT (law school) exam- and have had difficulty curbing it ever since. The stroking comes in waves for me, and is not always triggered by an obvious stress. It comes just as often when I’m bored, or stationary for a period of time (reading, computer etc.) I can go a week or so without doing it, only to start back up again out of the blue. Very frustrating. My girlfriend yells at me whenever she catches me, which can be embarrassing, but it helps.
Upon realizing that I spent the last couple of hours stroking the inside corner of my left eyebrow (spot of choice), I FINALLY googled the habit and came across this forum. Very comforting to see other people have an identical issue, and it’s been informative reading all of your experiences. Thanks for everyone’s honesty!
I agree on all of the textural comments, something about it “feels” good, although the reality of it drives me nuts. Although it’s only a small portion of my left eyebrow, I too suffer hair loss during extended episodes. When that happens, I try to be super diligent over the next couple of days to let it grow back. Usually I have success and will NEARLY break the habit, only to slip up a few days later. It’s a constant battle, but I feel like with extreme diligence, you can break it - or at least gain control over your impulses. Finding an distraction for your fingers is the first step.
Good luck!
Couldnt believe what I was reading when reading these stories that are just like me lol but its not really that funny it is real. I specially love rubbing my eyebrow till I fall to sleep. I even do it while I’m driving, I do it everywhere.Even when I try to stop due to being embarassed about the bald spot I just cant the urge gets me in the end, it’s like I cant breathe if I am forcing myself not to do it. What are we going to do everyone???? Byee need to rub my eyebrow right now!! Ooo one more thing I love it when I get a real pointy sharp hair and I rub it till their is a sore omg lol
i no everyone keeps saying OMG but really omg iv been doing this for about 6years maybe more and its soooooo bad!! there must be a real reason if there are so many people out there the same!! i just cant belive other people do it too. i do wish i could stop as id love to have beautiful eyebrows! but hey if anyone finds a cure please post it up here! but i think i may try the bluetac thing as i do it when i bored or watching tv or reading i just do it all the time when im not busy! thank everyone for standing up and sharing ur storys i dont feel like as much of a freak anymore xx