WHAT IS A BFRB?
Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) include any repetitive self-grooming behavior that involves biting, pulling, picking, or scraping one’s own hair, skin, lips, cheeks, or nails that can lead to physical damage to the body and have been met with multiple attempts to stop or decrease the behavior.
what causes bfrbs?
BFRBs are among the most poorly understood, underdiagnosed, and untreated group of mental health disorders. Research suggests that causes of BFRBs include improving or correcting an imperfection in physical appearance, in addition to self-regulation of intense emotions. Several studies have shown a higher number of BFRBs in immediate family members of persons with skin picking or hair pulling than would be expected in the general population. BFRBs are not self-harm.


Myths and Misperceptions
About BFRBs.
MYTH: Only women experience BFRBs.
BFRBs are equal opportunity behaviors that affect both men and women. They are highly underreported and undiagnosed disorders, which oftentimes provides the illusion that women are more susceptible to experience hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, cheek biting, and other associated behaviors. It is possible that men are less likely to report having a BFRB than women; therefore, present less frequently for treatment. Although research shows that more women likely suffer with hair pulling, it may be that men are just as implicated, but do not report their symptoms.