I've read that some experts theorize that it may be a grooming instinct gone haywire and that it's deeply related to our genes. But they still don't know enough to really understand what the problem is or how to treat it. And yes, I also pulled my eyelashes and brows as a child/teenager, and have just recently started pulling my scalp hair as well once I reached my mid twenties.

I've posted that I'm trying the NAC supplement, as it has shown some potential as a treatment for it that may lessen or eliminate the urge to pull. So far I've had mixed results - but it can take time for any med to work, and finding the right dosage is always tricky too. So I'll keep taking it to see what happens.

I'm just glad that my boyfriend has told me numerous times that he would love me even if I was bald and had no eyelashes and eyebrows. At least that helps my self-esteem (which reaches a healthy level when my eyelashes and brows grow in, and then plummets when I start pulling them out again), and he understands that I can't easily stop (though he tries to remind me when he notices I'm pulling, and will even sometimes smack my hand when it's moving toward my hair, haha).