Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Explains what body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is, the symptoms and possible causes of BDD and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and advice for friends and family.

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What are the common signs and symptoms of BDD?

People with BDD see themselves differently to how others see them. Although everyone's experience of BDD is unique, there are some common signs:

Common obsessive worries about the body

If you have BDD, you experience intrusive, negative thoughts about one specific area of your body, or several areas of your body, which you think are:

out of proportion
too big or too small
disfigured
lacking symmetry.

These thoughts cause you significant anxiety, and you will often spend several hours a day thinking about the area or areas of concern.

BDD can affect any area of the body, but common areas of anxiety include your skin, hair, nose, chin, lips or genitals.

BDD and eating disorders

BDD and eating disorders share similar symptoms, such as:

having poor body image
worrying excessively about your physical appearance
developing compulsive behaviours to try to deal with these worries.

However, BDD and eating disorders are not the same. When a person is experiencing an eating problem, such as anorexia nervosa, they are mainly concerned about their weight and shape. Someone experiencing BDD is likely to experience other concerns around body image – for example, they may also have concerns about a particular facial feature.

Some people with BDD experience an eating disorder but not all people with eating disorders have BDD.

A mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, can assess your symptoms to help you find out whether you are experiencing BDD, an eating disorder or both. For more information, see our pages on eating problems.

"I've struggled with BDD for 13 years. It changes. Sometimes it is something little, like my nose, that is really bothering me that day. Sometimes it is every centimetre of my body that just feels wrong."

Common compulsive behaviours

If you have BDD, at some point during the course of your obsessions you develop compulsive behaviours and routines to deal with the anxiety you feel about your appearance.

You may spend hours each day carrying out these behaviours to try to reduce your anxiety. The behaviours may briefly lessen your worries, or they may make you feel worse.

Common compulsive behaviours include:

obsessively checking your appearance in mirrors, or avoiding mirrors completely
using heavy make-up to try to hide the area you're concerned about
changing your posture or wearing heavy clothes to disguise your shape
seeking constant reassurance about your appearance
exercising excessively, often targeted at the area you're concerned about
frequent body checking with your fingers
picking your skin to make it smooth
excessive use of tanning products
frequent weighing
brushing or styling your hair obsessively
constantly comparing yourself with models in magazines or people in the street
seeking cosmetic surgery or having other types of medical treatment to change the area of concern.

What is muscle dysmorphia?

Muscle dysmorphia (or muscle dysmorphic disorder) is a type of BDD where you experience obsessive worries about your body being too small, skinny or not muscular enough. Despite these worries, you are of average build or, in some cases, exceptionally muscular.

This often leads to compulsive behaviours that focus on building muscle, such as: