As individuals, we often focus on flaws that no one else notices. We’re all human, and being hard on ourselves is something we commonly do. But doing so can become or be a sign of a genuine mental health concern.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or BDD, happens when there is a fixation with one or more perceived flaws in physical appearance that are not observed by others or are seen as very slight by others. People with BDD see themselves differently than how others see them. To be clear, many people are self-conscious about one thing or another with their bodies, but this does not mean they have a disorder. However, we need to recognize the difference between run-of-the-mill insecurities and BDD.
Characteristics of BDD
BDD involves compulsively obsessing over a perceived flaw that is not there and may impact other aspects of the individual's life leading to anxiety, stress, depression, shame, etc. Behaviors seen in BDD sufferers usually include compulsively checking the mirror, comparing themselves to others, skin picking, or researching treatments and even hopping from one practitioner to another to get the treatment they think they desperately need. People who have been diagnosed with BDD suffer from fixations on the appearance of their skin, facial features, or hair and are often accompanied by other disorders like OCD, excoriation disorder, dermatillomania, or trichotillomania.
Who Gets BDD
BDD affects about 3 percent of adults in the US
About 40 percent of people with BDD are men and about 60% are women.
The average age of onset is 12 years old.
According to a 2022 study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, symptoms of BDD were five times more frequent in patients with dermatological conditions. This is where the term skin dysmorphia may have come from. Because of perceived flaws in the skin, many people with BDD will turn to esthetics as well as dermatology and plastic surgery to “correct” these flaws.
Since BDD is a psychiatric disorder, it requires psychiatric treatment rather than esthetic treatment. If you believe you may be suffering from BDD, keep in mind that esthetic procedures usually provide no benefit in patients with BDD—no matter how good the results are, it is never good enough, and the obsession is still present. People dissatisfied with their esthetic procedures may feel guilty and/or angry with themselves—or their practitioner—for not improving their appearance.
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