Treatment can include behavior modification therapy, medication, and family therapy. The evidence base criteria for BFRBs is strict and methodical. Individual behavioral therapy has been shown as a "probably effective" evidence-based therapy to help with thumb sucking, and possibly nail biting. Cognitive behavioral therapy was cited as experimental evidence based therapy to treat trichotillomania and nail biting. Another form of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, stimuli and rewards has proven effective in some people. However, no treatment was deemed well-established to treat any form of BFRBs.

In the case of pathological gambling, along with fluvoxamine, clomipramine has been shown effective in the treatment, with reducing the problems of pathological gambling in a subject by up to 90%. Whereas in trichotillomania, the use of clomipramine has again been found to be effective, fluoxetine has not produced consistent positive results. Fluoxetine, however, has produced positive results in the treatment of pathological skin picking disorder, although more research is needed to conclude this information. Fluoxetine has also been evaluated in treating IED and demonstrated significant improvement in reducing frequency and severity of impulsive aggression and irritability in a sample of 100 subjects who were randomized into a 14-week, double-blind study. Despite a large decrease in impulsive aggression behavior from baseline, only 44% of fluoxetine responders and 29% of all fluoxetine subjects were considered to be in full remission at the end of the study. Paroxetine has shown to be somewhat effective although the results are inconsistent. Another medication, escitalopram, has shown to improve the condition of the subjects of pathological gambling with anxiety symptoms. The results suggest that although SSRIs have shown positive results in the treatment of pathological gambling, inconsistent results with the use of SSRIs have been obtained which might suggest a neurological heterogeneity in the impulse-control disorder spectrum.

The psychosocial approach to the treatment of ICDs includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which has been reported to have positive results in the case of treatment of pathological gambling and sexual addiction. There is general consensus that cognitive-behavioural therapies offer an effective intervention model.

- Pathological gambling

- Pyromania

- intermittent explosive disorder

- Kleptomania

- Compulsive buying

Excoriation disorder, and trichotillomania have been treated with inositol and N-acetylcysteine.

Habit reversal training (HRT) has the highest rate of success in treating trichotillomania. HRT has been shown to be a successful adjunct to medication as a way to treat trichotillomania. With HRT, the individual is trained to learn to recognize their impulse to pull and also teach them to redirect this impulse. In comparisons of behavioral versus pharmacologic treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (including HRT) have shown significant improvement over medication alone. It has also proven effective in treating children. Biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral methods, and hypnosis may improve symptoms. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is also demonstrating promise in trichotillomania treatment. A 2012 review found tentative evidence for "movement decoupling".

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any medications for trichotillomania treatment.

Medications can be used to treat trichotillomania. Treatment with clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, was shown in a small double-blind study to improve symptoms, but results of other studies on clomipramine for treating trichotillomania have been inconsistent. Naltrexone may be a viable treatment. Fluoxetine and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have limited usefulness in treating trichotillomania, and can often have significant side effects. Behavioral therapy has proven more effective when compared to fluoxetine or control groups. There is little research on the effectiveness of both behavioral therapy together with medication, and robust evidence from high-quality studies is lacking. Acetylcysteine treatment stemmed from an understanding of glutamate's role in regulation of impulse control.

Many medications, depending on individuality, may increase hair pulling.

There is no well-established treatment for self-injurious behaviour in children or adolescents. Cognitive behavioural therapy may also be used to assist those with Axis I diagnoses, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) can be successful for those individuals exhibiting a personality disorder, and could potentially be used for those with other mental disorders who exhibit self-harming behaviour. Diagnosis and treatment of the causes of self-harm is thought by many to be the best approach to treating self-harm. But in some cases, particularly in people with a personality disorder, this is not very effective, so more clinicians are starting to take a DBT approach in order to reduce the behaviour itself. People who rely on habitual self-harm are sometimes hospitalised, based on their stability, their ability and especially their willingness to get help. In adolescents multisystem therapy shows promise. Treatments such as CBT, family intervention, interpersonal therapy, and various psychodynamic therapies were all shown to be possibly effective in treating self-injurious behaviour in children and adolescents.

A meta-analysis found that psychological therapy is effective in reducing self-harm. The proportion of the adolescents who self-harmed over the follow-up period was lower in the intervention groups (28%) than in controls (33%). Psychological therapies with the largest effect sizes were dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and mentalization-based therapy (MBT).

In individuals with developmental disabilities, occurrence of self-harm is often demonstrated to be related to its effects on the environment, such as obtaining attention or desired materials or escaping demands. As developmentally disabled individuals often have communication or social deficits, self-harm may be their way of obtaining these things which they are otherwise unable to obtain in a socially appropriate way (such as by asking). One approach for treating self-harm thus is to teach an alternative, appropriate response which obtains the same result as the self-harm.

Generating alternative behaviours that the person can engage in instead of self-harm is one successful behavioural method that is employed to avoid self-harm. Techniques, aimed at keeping busy, may include journaling, taking a walk, participating in sports or exercise or being around friends when the person has the urge to harm themselves. The removal of objects used for self-harm from easy reach is also helpful for resisting self-harming urges. The provision of a card that allows the person to make emergency contact with counselling services should the urge to self-harm arise may also help prevent the act of self-harm. Alternative and safer methods of self-harm that do not lead to permanent damage, for example the snapping of a rubber band on the wrist, may also help calm the urge to self-harm. Using biofeedback may help raise self-awareness of certain pre-occupations or particular mental state or mood that precede bouts of self-harming behaviour, and help identify techniques to avoid those pre-occupations before they lead to self-harm. Any avoidance or coping strategy must be appropriate to the individual's motivation and reason for harming.

Intramuscular midazolam, lorazepam, or another benzodiazepine can be used to both sedate agitated patients, and control semi-involuntary muscle movements in cases of suspected akathisia.

Droperidol, haloperidol, or other typical antipsychotics can decrease the duration of agitation caused by acute psychosis, but should be avoided if the agitation is suspected to be akathisia, which can be potentially worsened. Also using promethazine may be useful.

In those with psychosis causing agitation there is a lack of support for the use of benzodiazepines, although they can prevent side effects associated with dopamine antagonists.

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder which causes an individual to pull out their hair from various parts of their body without a purpose. The cause for trichotillomania remains unknown. Like OCD trichotillomania isn’t a nervous condition but stress can trigger this habit. For some people pulling their hair out of boredom is normal, but that isn’t the case for someone that is dealing with trichotillomania. Emotions do not affect the behavior but these behaviors are more prevalent in those that suffer with depression.

The obsessive–compulsive spectrum is a model of medical classification where various psychiatric, neurological and/or medical conditions are described as existing on a spectrum of conditions related to obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). "The disorders are thought to lie on a spectrum from impulsive to compulsive where impulsivity is said to persist due to deficits in the ability to inhibit repetitive behavior with known negative consequences, while compulsivity persists as a consequence of deficits in recognizing completion of tasks." OCD is a mental disorder characterized by obsessions and/or compulsions. An obsession is defined as "a recurring thought, image, or urge that the individual cannot control". Compulsion can be described as a "ritualistic behavior that the person feels compelled to perform". The model suggests that many conditions overlap with OCD in symptomatic profile, demographics, family history, neurobiology, comorbidity, clinical course and response to various pharmacotherapies. Conditions described as being on the spectrum are sometimes referred to as "obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders".

Rapunzel syndrome, an extreme form of trichobezoar in which the "tail" of the hair ball extends into the intestines, can be fatal if misdiagnosed. In some cases, surgery may be required to remove the mass; a trichobezoar weighing was removed from the stomach of an 18-year-old woman with trichophagia.

Improving environmental factors will reduce damage to the hair. Gentle brushing with a soft brush should replace more aggressive brushing, ratting, or other procedures. Harsh chemicals such as hair straightening compounds and permanents should be avoided. The hair should not be ironed. Excessively harsh shampoo should be avoided. Hair conditioners should be used.

Veterinary treatment or an improved and more stimulating environment may help birds suffering from feather-plucking. Organic bitter sprays are sold in pet stores to discourage plucking, especially of newly grown feathers, although this may make general beak-based grooming difficult for the animal. This is not recommended since it does not address the real reason why the bird is picking feathers.

Trichophagia () is the compulsive eating of hair associated with trichotillomania (hair pulling). In trichophagia, people with trichotillomania also ingest the hair that they pull; in extreme (and rare) cases this can lead to a hair ball (trichobezoar).

Avoid aggressive brushing and grooming, strong chemicals, permanents, straightening, and similar hair-damaging habits.

The hair, teeth, and skeletal side effects of TDO are lifelong, and treatment is used to manage those effects. A person with TDO has the same life expectancy as a person without TDO. There are no cures or medications used to treat systemic effects of TDO, but medications for the frequent ear and dental infections can be used to manage its symptoms. A team based approach between dental specialists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and physicians is necessary for treating the systemic effects and improves the prognosis. It is also recommended for affected individuals to seek counseling to be better able to cope with any psychosocial problems due to oral and facial abnormalities that occur with TDO.

At home, a person suffering from TDO may be instructed to use frequent deep conditioning treatments and low manipulation hair styling to control shedding and hair loss. Clinical treatment involves the use of radiology to determine the effects that TDO has had on the surrounding teeth and bone structures. A series of appointments with the healthcare team are usually necessary to correct TDO abnormalities with treatment duration lasting from several months to through full oral-facial maturation stages.

Endodontic procedures are routinely recommended due to treatdental pulp exposure or periodontal abscess. Maxillofacial surgery may be required to establish a more appropriate mastication, skeletal, and esthetic relationship vertically between the teeth to improve functioning. Esthetic procedures such as dental crown (dentistry) or veneer (dentistry) are often performed to improve the physical look of the teeth and to strengthen the weak enamel caused by TDO.

The objective assessment of treatment efficacy is very difficult and spontaneous remission is unpredictable, but if the affected area is patched, the hair may regrow spontaneously in many cases. None of the existing therapeutic options are curative or preventive.

In cases of severe hair loss, limited success has been achieved by using the corticosteroids clobetasol or fluocinonide, corticosteroid injections, or cream. The cream is not as effective and it takes longer in order to see results. Steroid injections are commonly used in sites where the areas of hair loss on the head are small or especially where eyebrow hair has been lost. Whether they are effective is uncertain. Some other medications that have been used are minoxidil, Elocon (mometasone) ointment (steroid cream), irritants (anthralin or topical coal tar), and topical immunotherapy ciclosporin, sometimes in different combinations. Topical corticosteroids frequently fail to enter the skin deeply enough to affect the hair bulbs, which are the treatment target, and small lesions typically also regrow spontaneously. Oral corticosteroids decrease the hair loss, but only for the period during which they are taken, and these drugs can cause serious side effects.

When alopecia areata is associated to celiac disease, the treatment with a gluten-free diet allows complete and permanent regrowth of scalp and other body hair in many people, but in others there are remissions and recurrences. This improvement is probably due to the normalization of the immune response as a result of gluten withdrawal from the diet.

Preventive maintenance therapy for the oral effects of TDO involve frequent dental cleanings, professional application of desensitizing medication, diet counseling, and oral hygiene instructions in proper home care and maintenance; medicated dental rinses and toothpastes are also prescribed as people suffering from TDO are more prone to oral hard tissue disease and early tooth loss. If restorative dentistry is performed without orthodontics to correct the protrusion of the lower jaw, a dental night guard worn at bedtimes on the upper or lower teeth to protect them from the effects of grinding may be recommended.

In extreme cases, tooth loss is inevitable, and the patient will consult with a prosthodontist to determine tooth replacement options such as dental implants, or partial dentures. There is no cure for TDO, but managing its oral and systemic affects is key to having the most favorable outcome from the disease. As the person affected by TDO ages, increased bone fractures may occur. The person suffering from TDO should watch for any pimple like masses on the gum tissue, pain or soreness in the teeth and gums, broken or chipped teeth, feeling of water in the ear or severe pain in the extremities which could indicate fracture.

Madarosis has different possible treatments and can be reversed if treated early enough. The treatments for madarosis are completely dependent upon the pre-existing condition. When suffering from blepheritis, antibiotics are used to combat the bacterial infection. People who are suffering from trichotillomania need to seek behavioral and psychological help. Many people look to hair transplant surgeries, especially in non-scarring cases. These surgeries are mainly used as a cosmetic reason rather than a medical one. There are also other treatments that can be used for cosmetic purposes.

Treatments for the various forms of hair loss have limited success. Three medications have evidence to support their use in male pattern hair loss: minoxidil, finasteride, and dutasteride. They typically work better to prevent further hair loss, than to regrow lost hair.

- Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a nonprescription medication approved for male pattern baldness and alopecia areata. In a liquid or foam, it is rubbed into the scalp twice a day. Some people have an allergic reaction to the propylene glycol in the minoxidil solution and a minoxidil foam was developed without propylene glycol. Not all users will regrow hair. The longer the hair has stopped growing, the less likely minoxidil will regrow hair. Minoxidil is not effective for other causes of hair loss. Hair regrowth can take 1 to 6 months to begin. Treatment must be continued indefinitely. If the treatment is stopped, hair loss resumes. Any regrown hair and any hair susceptible to being lost, while Minoxidil was used, will be lost. Most frequent side effects are mild scalp irritation, allergic contact dermatitis, and unwanted hair in other parts of the body.

- Finasteride (Propecia) is used in male-pattern hair loss in a pill form, taken 1 milligram per day. It is not indicated for women and is not recommended in pregnant women. Treatment is effective starting within 6 weeks of treatment. Finasteride causes an increase in hair retention, the weight of hair, and some increase in regrowth. Side effects in about 2% of males, include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculatory dysfunction. Treatment should be continued as long as positive results occur. Once treatment is stopped, hair loss resumes.

- Corticosteroids injections into the scalp can be used to treat alopecia areata. This type of treatment is repeated on a monthly basis. Oral pills for extensive hair loss may be used for alopecia areata. Results may take up to a month to be seen.

- Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make such therapy questionable.

- There is some tentative evidence that anthralin may be useful for treating alopecia areata.

- Hormonal modulators (oral contraceptives or antiandrogens such as spironolactone and flutamide) can be used for female-pattern hair loss associated with hyperandrogenemia.

Dietary supplements are not typically recommended. There is only one small trial of saw palmetto which shows tentative benefit in those with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia. There is no evidence for biotin. Evidence for most other produces is also insufficient. There was no good evidence for gingko, aloe vera, ginseng, bergamot, hibiscus, or sorphora as of 2011.

Many people use unproven treatments. Egg oil, in Indian, Japanese, Unani (Roghan Baiza Murgh) and Chinese traditional medicine, was traditionally used as a treatment for hair loss.

There are restoration surgeries for the eyebrows in severe cases. Many surgeons opt for nylon implants, but have been banned in some countries due to infections. Follicular transplantation is now the procedure of choice. In this surgery, hair samples are individually taken for a donor area and transplanted into the thinning area. Small incisions are made and grafts are placed individually according to the amount of hair in each follicle, eyebrows single. In this procedure, there are no scars or stitches and hair begins to grow after a few months post surgery.

As Becker's nevus is considered a benign lesion, treatment is generally not necessary except for cosmetic purposes. Shaving or trimming can be effective in removing unwanted hair, while electrology or laser hair removal may offer a longer-lasting solution. Different types of laser treatments may also be effective in elimination or reduction of hyperpigmentation, though the results of laser treatments for both hair and pigment reduction appear to be highly variable.

Little is currently known on brain dysfunction in feather-plucking. However, it may be hypothesized that abnormal brain function is involved, especially in those cases that appear sensitive to treatment with behavioural intervention and/or environmental changes. Psychotropic therapy for birds has been suggested as treatment for feather-plucking although responses seem variable.