Many people who engage in body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), such as nail biting, skin picking, and hair pulling, find relief from hypnosis. Hypnosis can help to reduce the frequency of these behaviors or stop them completely.
 
A hypnotic approach to BFRBs may involve:
 
Reducing stress. Stress and anxiety are common triggers for BFRBs. Hypnosis helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system by increasing parasympathetic activity (i.e., triggering the body’s natural relaxation response).
 
Increasing somatic awareness. Hypnosis can be used to help the client recognize the physical sensations of stress and emotions (i.e., the “urge”) before they manifest as gestures, and to regulate these feelings in an alternate way. 
 
Classical conditioning. Hypnotism may employ classic (reflex) conditioning (which is unconscious learning) by repeatedly interrupting the unwanted behavior then redirecting attention to the desired response. For example, the client imagines herself in a situation in which she bites her nails and identifies the physical sensation of the urge, at which point the hypnotist helps the client interrupt that state and suddenly feel deeply calm and content. With repetition the new response can become automatic. 
 
Letting go of completion. Most clients who engage in BFRBs feel not only a physical urge (compulsion) to repeat the behavior, but also a strong mental urge (obsession) – they cannot stop thinking about it until it is complete. Hypnosis for BFRBs can address this mental fixation and rumination using a variety of techniques for quieting thoughts.
 
Direct and Indirect suggestion. Hypnosis is characterized by increased suggestibility, so verbal suggestions are delivered to support the desired change. The Law of Reversed Effect says that the harder one tries to do something, the less chance there is of success. Therefore it may be more effective to use positive suggestions (e.g., “you are cultivating a relaxed and calm feeling in your body, your arms, and your hands) instead of direct authoritative commands (“You avoid touching you face…”).
 
Positive expectancy. Many people who seek help for BFRBs feel profound frustration and shame. Because the problem most often begins at a young age, it may seem to the client as if they will never be free from it. Hypnosis can help to develop the positive expectancy within the client that he or she really can be freed from the habit and forget about it in time. 

*Results may vary from person to person.