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We all sometimes worry about how we look, but body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious illness in which a person is overly worried about minor or imaginary physical flaws. These perceived flaws are usually not apparent to anyone else or are seen as minor. A person with BDD may feel so anxious about these physical flaws that she avoids social situations and relationships. She may also try to fix perceived flaws with cosmetic surgery.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious illness in which a person is overly worried about their appearance or about minor or imaginary physical flaws. Most of us worry about our appearance sometimes or are unhappy with some part of the way we look, but these worries don’t usually affect our daily lives, such as whether we go to work or school. People with BDD check their appearance in a mirror constantly, try to cover up their perceived flaw, or worry about it for at least an hour a day, and that worry interferes with their life in some way.1,2
Women with BDD may worry about any part of their body, such as acne or another skin problem, a scar, the size and shape of their nose, their breast size, or their body shape.2
The symptoms of BDD include:3
One in every 50 people may have BDD.1 The condition is more common in women and usually starts in the teen years. People with BDD often have other mental health conditions, especially eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes BDD, but certain factors probably play a role:3
Certain things seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering body dysmorphic disorder, including:3
Your doctor may treat BDD with therapy and medicines.
Getting cosmetic surgery can make BDD worse. People with BDD are often not happy with the outcome of the surgery and continue to obsess over imaginary defects. Learn more about using caution with cosmetic surgery.
For more information about BDD, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from these organizations:
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
Embed this widget on your web site
To receive Mental Health email updates
The Office on Women's Health is grateful for the medical review in 2017 by:
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Danielle Johnson, M.D., FAPA, Psychiatrist, Medical Staff President, Chief of Adult Psychiatry, Director, Women’s Mental Health Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati
Cassidy Gutner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine; National Center for PTSD, Women’s Health Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Mark A. Lumley, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Clinical Psychology Training, Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, and his Stress and Health Laboratory team: Jennifer Carty, Heather Doherty, Hannah Holmes, Nancy Lockhart, and Sheri Pegram
Mark Chavez, Ph.D., Chief, Eating Disorders Research Program, NIMH
Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D., and Jennifer J. Thomas, Ph.D., Associate Professors of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Co-Directors of the Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
Kendra Becker, M.S., Clinical Fellow in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
Michael Kozak, Ph.D., Division of Adult Translational Research and Treatment Development, NIMH
Alicia Kaplan, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Temple University School of Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine, and Staff Psychiatrist, Division of Adult Services, Department of Psychiatry, Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny General Hospital
All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.
Page last updated: August 30, 2018.
We all sometimes worry about how we look, but body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious illness in which a person is overly worried about minor or imaginary physical flaws. These perceived flaws are usually not apparent to anyone else or are seen as minor. A person with BDD may feel so anxious about these physical flaws that she avoids social situations and relationships. She may also try to fix perceived flaws with cosmetic surgery.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious illness in which a person is overly worried about their appearance or about minor or imaginary physical flaws. Most of us worry about our appearance sometimes or are unhappy with some part of the way we look, but these worries don’t usually affect our daily lives, such as whether we go to work or school. People with BDD check their appearance in a mirror constantly, try to cover up their perceived flaw, or worry about it for at least an hour a day, and that worry interferes with their life in some way.1,2
Women with BDD may worry about any part of their body, such as acne or another skin problem, a scar, the size and shape of their nose, their breast size, or their body shape.2
The symptoms of BDD include:3
One in every 50 people may have BDD.1 The condition is more common in women and usually starts in the teen years. People with BDD often have other mental health conditions, especially eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes BDD, but certain factors probably play a role:3
Certain things seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering body dysmorphic disorder, including:3
Your doctor may treat BDD with therapy and medicines.
Getting cosmetic surgery can make BDD worse. People with BDD are often not happy with the outcome of the surgery and continue to obsess over imaginary defects. Learn more about using caution with cosmetic surgery.
For more information about BDD, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from these organizations:
This content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201
1-800-994-9662 • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (closed on federal holidays).