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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric diagnosis of an impairing condition in which the patient is preoccupied with a slight or perceived defect in their appearance. BDD patients have a higher rate of psychiatric comorbidities than the background population which include obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, anxiety and suicide. It causes distress and affects the patient's quality of life. It is previously found that the prevalence of patients that suffers from BDD is higher among dermatology patients than in the background population. To create an overview of the original literature that exist on topic: BDD in dermatology. A systematic review was conducted by two reviewers. PubMed was searched using a predefined search string created in collaboration between the authors and a bibliographic fellow on 18th of August 2018 and again in January 2020. 45 articles were obtained and after exclusion 5 relevant articles remained. Dermatology patients have a higher incidence of BDD than the background population. BDD patients are significantly younger and it has been suggested that BDD develops during adolescence but is diagnosed with a delay of several years because patients seek out health care professionals among non-mental health specialists. BDD does not appear associated with the setting, i.e. cosmetic vs general dermatology, but BDD patients have a lower quality of life and are more commonly unemployed or on sick leave. It is often difficult to treat, and a combination of the dermatologic treatment and the psychiatric treatment may be necessary in the context of visible skin pathology.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply disrupted daily life across the globe, with profound effects on mental and physical health. After more than a year of isolation and communication via videoconferencing, people are returning to in-person activities. Objective: This study aimed to investigate worsening self-perception, mental health, and anxiety with the return to in-person activities, with a focus on the influence of videoconferencing, social media, and the use of filters. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed online through social media platforms and student network pages. Results: A total of 7295 participants responded to the survey. Seventy-one precent reported anxiety or stress related to returning to in-person activities, and nearly 64% sought mental health support services. Thirty-percent stated they plan to invest in their appearance as a coping strategy to deal with the anxiety of returning to in-person, and >30% plan to take action in changing their appearance. The most reported dermatologic concerns were skin discoloration (32.36%), wrinkles (24.45%), and acne (14.85%). The prevalence of anxiety and mental health services increased relative to the use of filters in 18- to 24 year-olds. Conclusion: This survey study of >7000 participants across the country elucidates worsening self-perception, anxiety, and mental health as we return to in-person activities in relation to increased videoconferencing, social media usage, and the use of filters. Physicians should be aware of these effects to better serve their patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a massive shift toward virtual living, with video-conferencing now a primary means of communication for both work and social events. Individuals are finding themselves staring at their own video reflection, often for hours a day, scrutinizing a distorted image on screen and developing a negative self-perception. This survey study of over 100 board-certified dermatologists across the country elucidates a new problem of Zoom dysmorphia, where patients seek cosmetic procedures to improve their distorted appearance on video-conferencing calls.