Why do some people pull their eyebrows?

Question:

Is there a disorder which compels certain people to twist or otherwise pull their eyebrows, eyelashes or other body hair?

Answers:
There is no certain cause of trichotillomania, but the current way of looking at trichotillomania is as a medical illness. One theory on a biological level is that there is some disruption in the system involving one of the chemical messengers between the nerve cells in parts of the brain. There may be also a combination of factors such as a genetic predisposition and an aggravating stress or circumstance; as with many other illnesses. Further, trichotillomania could be a symptom caused by different factors in different individuals just as a cough can be produced by a multitude of different medical problems. Finding the cause(s) will take more research.

Symptoms usually begin before the age of 17. It may affect as much as 4% of the population. People with this disorder will often seek the help of a dermatologist initially. Women are 4 times more likely to be affected than men.

Links for more info:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001517.htm
http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/92.cfm

Trichotillomania....... it's a nervous disorder, kinda like picking at the skin or biting nails

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Why do some people pull their eyebrows?

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