Body-focused repetitive behavior refers to (BFRB) is an impulse control behaviors involving compulsively damaging one’s physical appearance or causing physical injury.
BFRB disorders are part of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum.
The cause is unknown.
Most often begin in late childhood or in the early teens.
The main BFRB disorders are:
Skin Dermatillomania, skin picking
Dermatophagia, skin nibbling
Mouth
Morsicatio buccarum, cheek biting
Morsicatio labiorum, inner lip biting
Morsicatio linguarum, tongue biting
Hands
Onychophagia, nail biting
Onychotillomania, nail picking
Nose
Rhinotillexomania, compulsive nose picking
Hair
Trichophagia, hair nibbling
Trichotemnomania, hair cutting
Trichotillomania, hair pulling
Eyes
Mucus fishing syndrome
Treatment includes: behavior modification therapy, medication, and family therapy.
No treatment was deemed well-established to treat any form of BFRBs.
BFRBs may affect at least 1 out of 20 people.
Trichotillomania alone is believed to affect 10 million people in the United States.