- Focus to extreme on their looks. They focus on specific things — like a pimple on their skin, or the shape or looks of their nose, eyes, lips, ears, or hands.
- Feel upset about their looks. They feel worried, stressed, and anxious about their looks almost all the time.
- Check or fix their looks. They feel the strong need to check their looks over and over.
- Try not to be seen. They may stay home; keep to themselves; or use makeup, hats, or clothes to cover up.
There is still much to learn about the exact causes of body dysmorphic disorder. Body dysmorphic disorder is not caused by anything the person or their parent did. It is a mental health condition that needs treatment. A trained mental health therapist who understands body dysmorphic disorder can diagnose it. They ask questions and listen care- fully to the answers to know if a person has BDD or another disorder.