Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorder By Katharine Anne Phillips, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College; Dan J Stein, MD, PhD, University of Cape Town Reviewed / Revised Jun 2023 View Patient Education Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Key Points Body-focused repetitive behavior disorder is characterized by body-focused repetitive behaviors other than skin picking (excoriation) or hair pulling (trichotillomania) (eg, nail biting, lip biting, cheek chewing) and attempts to stop the behaviors.