9TH - 10TH NOVEMBER
I am a speaker at
ABE Expo 2026
Sadie Van
Sanden Cooke
COO, BCAM
Sponsored · BCAM
9th–10th November
Bristol Ashton Gate Stadium
Join me at the
ABE Expo
Almost 1 in 5 patients seeking aesthetic treatment meet the criteria for BDD. Recognising the wrong patient may matter more than selecting the right treatment.
Sadie Van Sanden Cooke · Chief Operating Officer, BCAM
Conference abstract
Recognising the Wrong Patient: BDD Screening as a Cornerstone of Safe Aesthetic Practice
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is one of the greatest patient safety risks in aesthetic medicine, and one of the least routinely screened for. While affecting around 2% of the general population, almost 1 in 5 patients seeking aesthetic treatment meet the criteria for BDD, with some studies reporting prevalence as high as 25% in cosmetic practice.
The consequences of missing BDD extend far beyond an unhappy patient. These individuals are significantly more likely to remain dissatisfied despite technically excellent outcomes, pursue repeated procedures, make complaints, leave damaging reviews, and initiate medicolegal action.
As regulation tightens and patient safety becomes the cornerstone of aesthetic practice, psychological screening should be viewed with the same importance as obtaining informed consent or taking a medical history. This session explores why BDD screening is an essential component of safe aesthetic practice, and the evidence supporting its routine use.
Why this matters for the industry
Under-screened, over-represented
Up to 1 in 4 cosmetic patients may meet the criteria for BDD.
Outcomes don't fix it
Technically excellent results rarely satisfy an unscreened BDD patient.
Real practice risk
Complaints, damaging reviews and medicolegal action often follow.
Screening as standard of care
Due diligence that deserves the same weight as informed consent.