A better understanding
Long called a “dystrophy of unknown origin”, keratoconus is better explained as a mechanical disease driven by repetitive, vigorous eye rubbing.
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The Keratoconus Diary
No rub,
No rub,
no cone.
Keratoconus is not a dystrophy of unknown origin. The evidence points to a single mechanical cause — repetitive, vigorous eye rubbing. Stop, and the cornea can stabilise.
- A mechanical disease, explained with real patients and real data
- Clinical and topographic stability after rubbing stops
- No treatment to sell — information, not marketing
Scroll — the cornea deforms
Clinical evidence, not claims
Why this matters
A clearer way to understand keratoconus
Stop rubbing your eyes
This site sells nothing. Its single aim: help you recognise — and stop — the rubbing that drives the disease forward.
Learn more →Authors & contributors
Written by refractive surgeons from the Rothschild Foundation in Paris, with international co-authors and consultants.
Learn more →Keratoconus support
Share your story, ask questions and follow other patients on our open, moderated forum.
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Our online study
Followed prospectively, measured precisely
Every case revealed clinical and topographic stability after the cessation of eye rubbing.
0Documented cases
0Years of longest follow-up
0Months mean follow-up
0Average age of patients
Eye rubbing
How rubbing reshapes the cornea
Three lines of evidence converge on the same mechanism — and on the same, simple way to halt it.
“Cross-linking-like” effect
01After patients stop rubbing, the cornea often stiffens on its own — a stabilisation that echoes the cross-linking procedure, without surgery.
Read the article →Imaged impact (MRI)
02Dynamic MRI captures the globe deforming under a rubbing knuckle — direct, visual proof of the mechanical forces at play.
Read the article →The UV-A & sunburn analogy
03Why some eyes and not others? The same logic as sunburn: dose, terrain and repetition decide who develops a cone.
Read the article →“No rub, no cone.” Remove the mechanical trigger and the disease loses its engine.
Our patients' stories
Real cases, real stability
Photographs, videos and comparative topographic maps — many followed for up to nine years from diagnosis.
Our home message
What should you do, today?
If you have been diagnosed, the most important step is also the simplest: identify and stop the rubbing. This short message explains how to begin.
What should you do?
News & publications
From experts in the field
The latest publications, news and views on keratoconus and eye rubbing.
Keratoconus support
Enter the forum
Your story, or your questions, on our forum
A moderated portal to share your experience, ask the team and read what helped others.