TikTok is sharing cringe photos to explain the ‘eyebrow blindness’ phenomenon—what is it?

The shape of your eyebrows can make a huge difference in your entire look. Never is it easier to notice that than when you're frustrated with your face and get them redone in the hopes of seeing "a whole new you" emerge. And that's not even factoring in how we change our brows to fit what's trending at the time.

Lately, people are opening up about those changes and the concept of eyebrow blindness on TikTok.

What is eyebrow blindness?

Eyebrows can be so striking and face-defining that it's easy to criticize them, particularly your own. If you look back at old photos, you might realize your eyebrows are totally different than what you prefer today.

Celebrities and vloggers alike have been taking a trip down memory lane to look back at previous beauty trends. As they have, so many have been embarrassed by the stark difference of their eyebrows, be they big and bushy or the simple, slick line brows of the '90s. TikTok has dubbed the phenomenon "eyebrow blindness."

Those who report experiencing eyebrow blindness say they picked their brow style based on popularity—even if it wasn't the best fit for their face or best for their overall eyebrow health. They were "blind" to these factors for the sake of staying on trend. Some argue that's not taking accountability for those decisions and our overall relationships with trends.

Where did eyebrow blindness originate?

While the idea of eyebrow blindness has been discussed on the internet reaching back to at least 2021, the new trend of sharing throwback videos took over TikTok in June 2024.

Many have credited creator @maddiscott2 with popularizing the term when explaining the phenomenon in a video.

Eyebrow blindness examples on TikTok

As people grew to understand the term, they began to share their own stories of eyebrow blindness on TikTok—complete with photos and video evidence—as they vowed to do better or celebrated already doing better.

Let's take a look at some of the real-life examples...

James Charles apologized for any role he played in it:

While some people are honest about their motivations and susceptibility to trends, critics have pointed out that it's an unkind reference to the visually impaired—and is critical of women and their bodies overall.

If you've read this far and are wondering if a TikTok filter can help identify how your own brows stack up, here's a link that will show you the way. Good luck!

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