Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Aesthetic Clients
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a very real condition which affects many individuals, and a disproportional amount of clients who seek aesthetic services. As skin care professionals, we may be the first to see symptoms in a client.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder, or BDD, is a personality disorder, in which an individual obsesses about their body, or a specific part of their body (i.e. their face, nose, eyes, breasts, or skin). BDD affects men and women equally, yet the two sexes are more likely to obsess about different things. Furthermore, individuals suffering from BDD will often seek approval of others when it comes to the aspects they obsess over. They will often ask people, “do you thing my nose is too big?” or “do I look old?”
So how do we recognize when a client has Body Dysmorphic Disorder? As with most personality disorders, an individual affected with BDD will try to conceal the condition as best they can.
The best opportunity you will have to recognize the presence of BDD in a client is during the consultation. Have the client hold a mirror to their face, and have THEM tell you YOU what they think is wrong. Next ask your client if YOU can tell THEM what you perceive as problematic. If the two lists are noticeable different, that may be cause for further investigation. Especially if the perceived problems are unlikely to be noticed by friends or family.
Another helpful means of recognizing BDD in clients is by gauging their expectations. Clients with BDD will often have unrealistic expectations as to the end result. For instance, if they are obsessed with wrinkling, they may expect certain treatments, for example a facial, to alleviate the problem. We know that a facial cannot accomplish as much. If you cannot manage the client’s expectations, then you have more cause for concern.
You may not suspect that your client has BDD until you have been working with them for sometime. Typically, these clients just seem organized and efficient. But as you get to know them, you will recognize the difference between organizational skills and an inappropriate self image.
While you may suspect it, it is not your role to actually diagnose the condition. So what do you do about a client whom you suspect may have BDD? If you are working in a medi-spa, refer your client to the managing physician for further analysis. If there is no managing physician, you may need to inform your client that there is no more you can do to treat their condition, as taking advantage of a client’s condition would be grossly unethical.
BDD is a fairly common condition. We need to constantly keep our eyes open for clients who suffer from it. While not always easy to recognize, when we do, it is doing our clients a service by refusing treatments so they can deal with the underlying causes of the
