Habit reversal training for body-focused repetitive behaviors: a practical guide for the dermatologist

Habit reversal training (HRT) is a clinically effective treatment for body-focused repetitive disorders (BFRDs) such as trichotillomania, onychophagia, and dermatillomania. Despite many dermatology providers knowing the term HRT, very few understand what HRT is and how it actually works. In this article, we give a detailed explanation of HRT and walk the reader through a six-session HRT protocol. We will briefly discuss adjunct interventions for BFRDs, including pharmacological approaches. We aim to make dermatologists more comfortable in offering basic HRT within their clinics and to close the gap that currently exists between patients who are HRT candidates and those who receive HRT treatment.