Unrealistic beauty standards and perfectionistic expectations of physical appearance are deeply ingrained in our society. These ideals permeate various aspects of life, transcending cultural boundaries and manifesting in our family and community lives, workplaces, leisure activities, and beyond. Social media, through digital tools that modify images and augmented reality beauty filters, along with makeup tutorials on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, constantly bombards individuals with idealized notions of beauty. This relentless promotion of unattainable aesthetics by the $374.18 billion beauty industry, which is projected to grow to $758.05 billion by 2032, significantly impacts how people view themselves and others.

For individuals experiencing body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as hair pulling, skin picking, nail-biting, or other BFRBs, these beauty ideals can be particularly impactful, severely damaging one’s sense of self and complicating treatment and recovery. The emotional pain associated with manifesting unwanted self-inflicted damage to one’s own appearance when these ideals are held out as aspirations by our society is significant for many.

Emotions are central to the cycle of BFRBs. Individuals with BFRBs are often more vulnerable to intense emotional experiences and have difficulties regulating these emotions. Furthermore, shame is a prevalent emotion among individuals with BFRBs. It is both a trigger and a consequence of the behaviors. Shame about one’s appearance or one’s inability to control these behaviors can lead to social withdrawal and isolation,........

© Psychology Today