Condition
Body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs)
Body-focused repetitive behaviours are repetitive self-grooming behaviours that cause damage and distress and have proven difficult to stop on one's own. They include hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (excoriation), nail biting (onychophagia), and lip or cheek biting.
Signs and symptoms
- Pulling hair from scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or body
- Picking at skin, scabs, blemishes, or cuticles
- Biting nails or cuticles to the point of damage
- Biting the inside of lips or cheeks
- Tension before, relief during, regret afterwards
- Hiding the behaviour or its consequences from others
How therapy helps
Habit reversal training and CBT for BFRBs
Habit reversal training, often delivered within a broader CBT framework for BFRBs (ComB model), has the strongest evidence base. Treatment focuses on awareness of the behaviour and its triggers, competing responses, and changes to the sensory and emotional cues that maintain it.
Who Dr Turner works with
Dr Turner works with BFRBs in children, adolescents, and adults.
Frequently asked questions
Is hair pulling a form of OCD?+
Hair pulling sits in the broader 'obsessive-compulsive and related disorders' group but is distinct from OCD. Treatment overlaps in places but is not identical.
Can BFRBs be treated in children?+
Yes. Age-appropriate habit reversal and family involvement is the typical approach.
Related conditions
Sources & review
- Evidence base: habit reversal training, often within the Comprehensive Behavioural (ComB) model, for body-focused repetitive behaviours.
Last clinically reviewed: July 2026
This page is general clinical information and does not constitute personal clinical advice. For assessment and treatment, please make an enquiry.
Considering an appointment?
Enquiries are answered within two to four business days. Telehealth is available across Australia.