People Are Going "Band for Band" on TikTok, but It Doesn't Mean What You Think

Another day, another trend on TikTok that doesn't seem to make sense to anyone who doesn't already know what's going on. At the moment, the trend that has people so confused involves people going "band for band" with one another, and rubbing their eyebrows as they do so.

While the term has one more general meaning, it's being used in a totally different way on TikTok. Here's everything we know about the "band for band" trend, and why it seems to have something to do with a person's eyebrows.

In general, "band for band" refers to a competition over who has more money. The idea is that bands are $1,000 wads of cash, and whoever has more of them has more money. So, going "band for band" with someone is basically just comparing your wealth to theirs. While it can sometimes mean the same thing on TikTok, many users on the platform are using the phrase in an entirely new way.

On TikTok, going "band for band" someone means comparing your eyebrows with another person and determining whose eyebrows are fuller. While bands refer to wads of cash in the usual meaning, here, they seem to be referring to individual hairs, and the person who wins is the person who has more eyebrow hair. In essence, then, this is just a way for those with particularly nice, full eyebrows to show those eyebrows off on TikTok.

"Band for band" could really be used in just about any circumstance where people are trying to compare two things, so it's possible that the phrase could continue to expand its definition as it continues to spread around TikTok. For now, though, the definition on TikTok seems to be mainly focused on eyebrows, which is why so many users are rubbing their own eyebrows as part of the trend.

Although there are clearly plenty of people who understand what "band for band" means, there may have been even more people on TikTok who found themselves looking around for somewhat to explain what everyone was talking about. Under one video asking for a definition, some comments were more helpful than others.

"OFC so it's like.. when u.. then it.. and basically… like.. to put it simply.. kinda like…. and yeah," one person wrote.

While some people were willing to offer a straightforward definition, others took some time to talk about their own eyebrow issues, or to offer a definition that doesn't apply to the TikTok trend.

"I can't go band for band bcz i'm missing half my eyebrow and half my eyelashes," one person wrote, while another referenced the way two people can compare money.

As TikTok continues to grow and change, there are always going to be new phrases circulating around the platform. Thankfully, TikTok users have one another to help them understand all of the different, strange things that are happening on the platform.