People often find imagined defects of their bodies. We look at ourselves in the mirror and become said: a new stretch marks on the left hip, the nose is curve, an acne on the cheek resist any treatment and become more and more noticeable. One person can discover so many body flaws that the description of all of them would make everyone sure: this person is ugly. But ironically the same “ugly” person would be the only one, who notices these defects.
How critical one can be of their own appearance
Here is an example of how a beautiful woman can criticize her own appearance. Take a look at the picture. The girl is beautiful, but the way she thinks about her body, face, hair would let us draw an ugly woman, if we did not see her photo.
Here is the list of the physical flaws this woman found at herself:
dry skin, but always an acne somewhere,- thin hair, my natural color is too dark, I can never make my hair-dress beautiful,
- curve and big nose, I wish it were cut off, it makes my face look different from the left and from the right,
- excess weight, no matter how little I eat and how hard I train, there are always 3-4 excess kg,
- yellow teeth, what do I pay my dentist for?
- so little breasts, that if I do not wear bra, you might think, I am a man,
- awful nipples,
- thin lips, only lip gloss can make them look thicker and a little bit sexy,
- short and curve legs, I have to wear high heels to make them look a bit better; the shanks are too thin, the thighs are too fat,
- unhandsome and unsymmetrical face, I always look ugly on the photos,
- it takes a lot of time to make my eyebrows thin,
- I am short, the upper part of my body looks bigger, than the lower,
- bikini zone is awful, I must visit a cosmetologist every week to remove hairs,
- I have a double chin, when I am looking down,
- my lashes could be thick, black and long, but they are not,
- I don’t like the color of my eyes, by the way, they could be bigger,
- my back is big and fat, I wish no one could see it, I hate beaches, because it can be seen there,
- my belly is fat, no exercises can help, I sometimes wear sloppy clothes to hide my belly; and when I am eating, it gets bigger,
- and in general… I sometimes hate myself.
One can be extremely critical of their appearance. And it is good, when a person can find their own defects and change for the better. Plastic surgeons distinguish between patients, who are experiencing a normal dislike of some aspects of their appearance, and those patients, who are suffering from a psychiatric disorder. The second situation is called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
Sometimes each of us experiences a mild dissatisfaction with our appearance. Statistics shows, that such people make up about one third of the population. Body Dysmorphic Disorder sufferers dislike their own appearance so much, that it becomes chronic. Body Dysmorphic Disorder begins in adolescence. A person begins to be constantly preoccupied with an imagined physical defect of the appearance and often this defect is very much exaggerated. Such worry about the defect in appearance often ends up in turning to cosmetic surgery. But it does not really end, at list not without psychological medical treatment. In truth the “defected” parts of the body are normal. People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder spend excess of time looking in the mirror, can be permanently fixing the hair, re-applying make-up and surely make multiply visits to surgical clinics, which do not bring satisfaction.
Are you a Body Dysmorphic Disorder sufferer?
But if you notice that you pay too much attention to some flaw of your appearance, it does not mean, that you are Body Dysmorphic Disorder sufferer and need psychological treatment. Do not panic. Just take care of your appearance, choose the right and qualitative make-up, wear nice clothes and do not forget to smile, which makes everyone more beautiful. Moreover, we are taken not at our face value. There exist many famous, talented, but ugly actors, who, however, are loved by thousands. And this love has nothing to do with their appearance.
If you still think you suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, here is a little test to discover if you really do. Answer the following questions honestly:
- Do you hide some parts of your appearance with hands, clothes or make-up?
- Do you undergo multiply surgery procedures, which do not bring satisfaction?
- Is your social life limited, do you feel social anxiety?
- Are you constantly looking in the mirror or, vice versa, avoid mirrors and any pictures of yours (photos, video)?
- Do you visit dermatologist or plastic surgeons very often?
- Do you permanently re-apply your make-up or groom your hair?
- Do your friends or family members tell you, that you do not have this flaw at all or this part of your body is not ugly, but it does not make you change your mind about the body flaw?
- Do you often touch and examine the defected part of your body?
- Does your obsession with your appearance cause problems with your family, friends, career?
If the preoccupation with the body part a person perceives to be ugly or defective causes real damage to relationships with family and friends and does not allow them to live the full life, feel happy, this is the first sign of the presence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The syndrome tends to become chronic and can lead to complete social withdrawal.
Love conquers all
I hope, that you, dear beauties, do not suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, finally, only a little percent of the population does. If you do not like some aspect of your appearance, so what? There will always be someone, who likes exactly this. If you are single, it does not mean, that your imagined defect is the causer, you will not be single for all your life. If you have someone, who loves you, you MUSTN’T have any doubts – you ARE beautiful. For this person at least, because he loves you as you are and he does not care, if one of your breasts is smaller than the other one, or if your cheeks can be seen from behind, or if your ear stands out from your head, because he does not see all this, he sees you. And you appear beautiful in his eyes whatever flaws you find in yourself.
Self-reflection is good. But too much criticism can destroy one’s personality. Do not let fashion trends, “wide spread” opinions and dictated ideals spoil your life.
