Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) are repeated self-grooming behaviors that can result in damage to the body, and have been met with multiple attempts to stop or decrease these behaviors. For a behavior to be considered a BFRB, it must cause distress or interfere with daily life, and not be better explained by another medical or mental health condition. BFRBs can include:
- Hair pulling (trichotillomania)
- Skin picking (excoriation disorder)
- Nail biting or picking
- Biting lips, cheeks, or tongue
- Nose picking
- Eating hair or skin
For some people, these behaviors are focused. For others, they can be automatic. For many, they can be both. Similarly, people can fall between engaging in the behaviors for both up-regulatory (e.g., boredom and needing stimulation) and down-regulatory (e.g., anxious and overwhelmed and needing to relax) reasons. BFRBs are somewhat common, impacting an estimated 3-5% of the population. While they often have an onset in childhood, BFRBs can occur at any age. While BFRBs can co-occur with other mental health disorders, they are distinctly different than things like Obessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), self-harm/non-suicidal self injury, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).