Body dysmorphic disorder

[Le Libérer]

The definition for BDD is a psychological disorder in which the affected person is preoccupied by a perceived defect in his or her physical features or body image.

As a woman I know I have always hated and focused on particular body parts that I would change if I could. I dont really consider that a disorder but I also believe ALL women obsess over their appearance.

I suppose if an affected person with BDD is excessively concerned about and preoccupied by a perceived defect in his or her physical features that it causes them to consider them to become clinically depressed or suicidal, that is serious enough to be considered a diagnosis.

And chemical changes in the brain may help explain how people can become overly focused on a perceived defect of their face, hair, skin or facial or body shape that others may not notice.

According to some studies, the two most effective approaches are cognitive behavioral therapy and treatment with serotonin-enhancing drugs, either alone or in combination. In cognitive therapy, patients gradually learn to reorder their thinking, expose their “defect” to others and view themselves more realistically as whole individuals rather than seeing only the presumed defect.

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder)

Curious, does anyone here feel they are obsessed over certain aspects of their appearance?

[<Insert Username Here>]

My girlfriend has this disorder, but on a larger and more general scale, and I can tell you it is no fun for either of us.

[Quail]

I'm not sure whether it's just women who are prone to obsessing over their appearance. I think there is a lot of pressure on men to look good too, but a lot more difficult for men to seek help if it is making them depressed. For example my brother and his friends soend an awful lot of time in the gym, and I think that maybe my brother has a bit of an obsession with having big muscles (although that's just a suspicion).

Having said that, women are bombarded with more images of how they should look and I don't think it would be hard to start obsessing over insecurities because in a way that's what we're expected to do. Just flick to the back of any women's magazine and there are a ton of ads for plastic surgery. I'm a little obsessed with my weight, stomach and thighs, and although it's nothing really to do with society telling me that thin is pretty, I'm constantly reminded of my insercurities by things like billboards, flms/tv shows and unrealistically tiny mannequins in shops.

[075]

I don't think its true to say that all women obsess over their appearance. Obsess is a strong word, I don't think caring or taking pride about how you look is obsessing. Only part of my body that I sometimes stress about is my skin. I used to use soaps and my skin would get v dry. So I stopped using soaps and now use moisturizer every time after I have a shower (normally I have 3-4 showers a day). Now my skin is lovely and soft. I also get v dry lips, so i always need to have lip balm/lip gloss on. Coldsores suck. Somedays I really can't be bothered at all, just wear jeans and a hoodie to cover my hair. I only really care if other people have to see me.

[Le Libérer]

I don't think its true to say that all women obsess over their appearance.
I can agree with that, Obsess is a strong word. But I also think the older a woman gets the more she notices the changes that occur because of aging. Now that I am older, I really have to work hard to keep my body shape the same it was 15 years ago. And I know it will eventually be a losing battle. I do work hard, and that for me is an obsession. And I get alot of looks, and compliments( I was told I look like Pamela Anderson last Saturday, tho if it was meant as a compliment, I didnt feel it to be.) Even with those kinds of affirmations, they dont change how I see myself.

[¿Que?]

I obsess over my beard. It's not all that thin, but somewhat light on the sides. It somewhat resembles that of El Che. I think it has to do with my Dad, who has a very thick well groomed beard, genes that unfortunately I did not get. And if you want to get Freudian, maybe I just want to kill the prick.:p

[anticap]

I could write a book on this, and perhaps one day I will, but pigs will fly before I discuss it on this forum, having witnessed how people treat one another here.

Suffice it to say that this topic is absolutely misplaced under "Women's Struggle."

[anticap]

My dicks only seven and a half inches hard, yes i have measured, this makes me depressed, esp after watching porn where some black dude with a 12 inch peporami makes a woman orgasm and im like god damn i wish i could do that :(

1. You're above average.

2. Male porn performers are selected mostly because they're well above average, and so you ought not compare yourself to them any more than you ought compare your biceps to '70s-era Schwarzenegger.

3. Porn utilizes many tricks; things are not always as they appear (e.g., lighting, camera angles, women with small hands squeezing a penis at the base, etc.)

4. Almost no man has a 12" penis. John Holmes is rumored to have had the biggest "verified" penis, and estimates still vary wildly, with the maximum of ~14" scoffed at by many who experienced it for themselves.

5. Women are far less likely to orgasm from penetrative sex than from clitoral stimulation, rendering penis size nearly irrelevant.

6. Surveys of women consistently affirm that the ideal penis size is somewhere around average, and does not vary too wildly from that baseline.

7. Many women report that very large penises are unsatisfying, uncomfortable, or even painful.

8. The vagina is most sensitive for the first ~4", making anything longer practically superfluous if your goal is to help your lover reach vaginal orgasm -- which, again, is not the ideal place to be focusing your attention.

9. Learn to use your tongue. A healthy and well-groomed vagina both smells and tastes wonderful.

10. Try not to think in terms of "making a woman orgasm"; try to think in terms of giving her what she needs to reach orgasm. Women are not like those ring-the-bell games at the carnival, where it's all about how awesome you are.

[Le Libérer]

Suffice it to say that this topic is absolutely misplaced under "Women's Struggle."
Agreed. I'll move it.

[Le Libérer]

My dicks only seven and a half inches hard, yes i have measured, this makes me depressed, esp after watching porn where some black dude with a 12 inch peporami makes a woman orgasm and im like god damn i wish i could do that :(
The average woman is only 5 inches deep. Anything over that is a waste. well not a waste, but...

Most men I have been with, barely hit the 7 inch range. SO yeah, you are bigger than average.

Once again media is perpetuating an unrealistic view of what is normal or desirable. I know one thing, if I saw a 12 inch dick coming at me, I'd run.
"Run Forest Run!". :)

[chegitz guevara]

I know one thing, if I saw a 12 inch dick coming at me, I'd run.

This statement is so open for abuse.

[Le Libérer]

This statement is so open for abuse.
How so? I'm just being honest.

[chegitz guevara]

I mean I could abuse the statement. Think about different possible meanings.

[black magick hustla]

i dont think i obsess over my appearance. i am not the most beautiful chap ever but ive always realized appearance is like 20% the other 80 is how you present yourself. (unless you are really overweight or something)

[piet11111]

I have been told i always look like i am angry :laugh:

But really my only concern is me having a beer keg instead of a six pack but since i have to pull my belt tighter regularly i am sure i will be at my desired weight eventually.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Curious, does anyone here feel they are obsessed over certain aspects of their appearance?

Yes... I'm fucked up from over twenty years of seeing a boy in the mirror when I feel much more femme internaly.

[berlitz23]

As a male and suffering from this disorder it has impeded me on so many levels, because I was very preoccupied how I appeared to the extent missing out on several social events. Yet the silver lining becoming my unyielding proclivity for reading and a variety of novelties, but there have been several times where I have wanted to help with events but feel my appearance has in a sense imbued with an insecurity that I don't know if I can overcome.

[075]

I can agree with that, Obsess is a strong word. But I also think the older a woman gets the more she notices the changes that occur because of aging. Now that I am older, I really have to work hard to keep my body shape the same it was 15 years ago. And I know it will eventually be a losing battle. I do work hard, and that for me is an obsession. And I get alot of looks, and compliments( I was told I look like Pamela Anderson last Saturday, tho if it was meant as a compliment, I didnt feel it to be.) Even with those kinds of affirmations, they dont change how I see myself.

You know, sometimes i think that the biggest critics are ourselves. At least that's how I am. After that, the next biggest critics are other women. I was reading an interview by Megan Fox and she said something that i agree with, that you're treated like shit if you're ugly, but you're also treated like shit if you're good looking, because other women get *****y and jealous over you.

[Le Libérer]

You know, sometimes i think that the biggest critics are ourselves. At least that's how I am. After that, the next biggest critics are other women. I was reading an interview by Megan Fox and she said something that i agree with, that you're treated like shit if you're ugly, but you're also treated like shit if you're good looking, because other women get *****y and jealous over you.
Amen to that. I think women in general dress to impress other women before they dress to impress men.

[chegitz guevara]

Yeah, for the most part, men don't really care about clothes.

[RedAnarchist]

Yes... I'm fucked up from over twenty years of seeing a boy in the mirror when I feel much more femme internaly.

I'm sort of like this. I don't really feel fully male, and unfortunately I do have a rather masculine appearance that I would prefer to be less masculine. It's almost as if I'm in the middle, but just on the male side. I have a browridge that seems bigger than most mens which I would love to get rid of, and I'm flabby around my chest which is horrible even though part of me likes it because it's not as masculine as being toned and muscular.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

I'm sort of like this. I don't really feel fully male, and unfortunately I do have a rather masculine appearance that I would prefer to be less masculine. It's almost as if I'm in the middle, but just on the male side. I have a browridge that seems bigger than most mens which I would love to get rid of, and I'm flabby around my chest which is horrible even though part of me likes it because it's not as masculine as being toned and muscular.

One of my friends from a trans support group I go to aparently had a 'rambo' browridge and very masculine features but after some FFS (facial feminization surgery) looks like a goddess. She is still a right wing wench though. As far as I know she is the only ultra-right wing person in the group. Jajaja!

I am, however, lucky that I'm on testosterone blocker already in my early 20's.

[Le Libérer]

If I had to pick the one thing I hate about my body, it would be my arms.I feel like they are very masculine, they are big, and I cant do anything to change that. Its from body building 10 years ago.(which probably isnt really true and is more of my BDD) I would prefer to be more feminine but I tower over all the women I know, nearly 6 feet tall, I'm blonde, I can fight, ( muay tai and kung fu) and I feel like they can see me coming. I've been told I am very intimidating, whether it is from my appearance or personality or both, I'm not sure. .I hate that really, I would prefer to not be stared at when I walk into a room. But then on the other hand, I'm told I look like a fake playboy bunny. I'm just confused, fuck.

[RedAnarchist]

The ironic thing is, I actually can't produce my own testosterone as I had hypogonadism and now only have one ball. I didn't even start taking testosterone until I was 14 and still need to take it every day (well, I don't NEED it every day, but I'm prescribed them like that). It doesn't even seem to do anything other than give me the ability to have an erection (although it's probably producing sperm as well). I don't think I would want to change my entire body because it still wouldn't fit my gender anyway.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

If I had to pick the one thing I hate about my body, it would be my arms.I feel like they are very masculine, they are big, and I cant do anything to change that. Its from body building 10 years ago.(which probably isnt really true and is more of my BDD) I would prefer to be more feminine but I tower over all the women I know, nearly 6 feet tall, I'm blonde, I can fight, ( muay tai and kung fu) and I feel like they can see me coming. I've been told I am very intimidating, whether it is from my appearance or personality or both, I'm not sure. .I hate that really, I would prefer to not be stared at when I walk into a room. But then on the other hand, I'm told I look like a fake playboy bunny. I'm just confused, fuck.

On some level I feel you on that. Though for me it's like I want less waste and more hips and ass and breasts. My arms are not so much what I'm insecure about since my muscles hide themselves well unless I flex them. I also really really want bottom surgery. Will I ever be able to afford it? Hopefully someday, but I don't know.


The ironic thing is, I actually can't produce my own testosterone as I had hypogonadism and now only have one ball. I didn't even start taking testosterone until I was 14 and still need to take it every day (well, I don't NEED it every day, but I'm prescribed them like that). It doesn't even seem to do anything other than give me the ability to have an erection (although it's probably producing sperm as well). I don't think I would want to change my entire body because it still wouldn't fit my gender anyway.

Wow! That sounds difficult! But FFS is only on the face. It is Facial Feminization Surgery.

[RedAnarchist]

On some level I feel you on that. Though for me it's like I want less waste and more hips and ass and breasts. My arms are not so much what I'm insecure about since my muscles hide themselves well unless I flex them. I also really really want bottom surgery. Will I ever be able to afford it? Hopefully someday, but I don't know.

My hips seem quite wide, although they don't look it. I'm assuming 43in hips are normal for a man of my height and weight though (I'm 5 foot 9 and a half/176cm and around 208lbs. I hope you get those surgeries you want.


Wow! That sounds difficult! But FFS is only on the face. It is Facial Feminization Surgery.

I'm sort of OK with the rest of my face, it's the browridge that I don't like.

[Le Libérer]

My hips seem quite wide, although they don't look it. I'm assuming 43in hips are normal for a man of my height and weight though (I'm 5 foot 9 and a half/176cm and around 208lbs. I hope you get those surgeries you want.



I'm sort of OK with the rest of my face, it's the browridge that I don't like.See RA? I know what you look like. And when i look at a pic of you, I see a very sweet, gentle, kind face that is very approachable. Do you see that when you look in the mirror?

[RedAnarchist]

See RA? I know what you look like. And when i look at a pic of you, I see a very sweet, gentle, kind face that is very approachable. Do you see that when you look in the mirror?

Thanks :). I see that, yeah, and my face is fine apart from the browridge.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Thanks :). I see that, yeah, and my face is fine apart from the browridge.

I don't know what you look like aside from what you said. I'm sure that you are attractive. I suspect that everyone has something about themselves that just bothers them.

I have a few problems with my body.

[RedAnarchist]

I don't know what you look like aside from what you said. I'm sure that you are attractive. I suspect that everyone has something about themselves that just bothers them.

I have a few problems with my body.

I do consider myself attractive, and I suppose I am. I agree with your suspicion that we all have something that bothers us. Whether that's because we're just human, or whether it's partly because of the way society is I don't know - but it's probably a mix of the two.

[OldMoney]

My face looks like it caught on fire n someone put it out with a shovel full of manuer. I dont care though. BDD, ADHD, OCD, BPD, all these new socialy constructed diseases are really symptoms of capitolism. Labeled dully to keep peoples attention off of why they are actualy sick. Until we cure the real disease I think we are just going to see the emergence of more and worse socialy constructed diseases.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

My face looks like it caught on fire n someone put it out with a shovel full of manuer. I dont care though. BDD, ADHD, OCD, BPD, all these new socialy constructed diseases are really symptoms of capitolism. Labeled dully to keep peoples attention off of why they are actualy sick. Until we cure the real disease I think we are just going to see the emergence of more and worse socialy constructed diseases.

So you think my dysphoria is a symptom of Capitalism?

.. Because I'm pretty sure it is the result of being born into the wrong body.

If Capitalism were overthrown I still wouldn't be content in the male body I was born into.

[REVLEFT'S BIEGGST MATSER TROL]

Well I've been diagnosed by BDD for about a year now, and it does suck really.

Like, I mean I had to quit two different high schools because of it, and essentially remain in my bedroom 24/7 after that, as I was too afraid too let anyone see me, or dare to inflict myself apon anyone at all.

What made it so all around crippling though, was how your concerns with your appearance were so great, that you felt that the plesaures of a normal human existance would be beyond you, or at least pointless.

So it wasn't so much hard due to thinking I was very ugly, and being worried about things directly related to that (i.e. the opposite sex), but that I was so ugly, that for me to exist or do anything was utterly pointless, as I would never, ever be recognised for anything aside from that. That is, not that my appearance would be regarded as one facet of my person (like, so people would describe me as ugly "But a nice guy" or something) but that that one facet was so bad, that it would be impossible for anyone to say or feel anything about me aside from that, cause it was so overwhelming.

Its like, consider how we generally are incapable of (personally) feeling or defining anything about a serial killer aside from that he kills people and thats bad. His looks, or intelligence, humour etc etc are all irrelavant in forming a judgement or relating to him because of that fact - thats what I felt how my looks would be regarded as well.

So its much more extreme than feeling you are unattractive, and feeling sad that there will be normal conquences to the imaingary or exaggerated unattractiveness like not being as attractive to women/men, but something that utterly defines you as a person, and if it cannot be altered, makes anything else you do worthless!

Hope this is intresting anyway, wrote more than I expected I would

[cska]

If I had to pick the one thing I hate about my body, it would be my arms.I feel like they are very masculine, they are big, and I cant do anything to change that. Its from body building 10 years ago.(which probably isnt really true and is more of my BDD) I would prefer to be more feminine but I tower over all the women I know, nearly 6 feet tall, I'm blonde, I can fight, ( muay tai and kung fu) and I feel like they can see me coming. I've been told I am very intimidating, whether it is from my appearance or personality or both, I'm not sure. .I hate that really, I would prefer to not be stared at when I walk into a room. But then on the other hand, I'm told I look like a fake playboy bunny. I'm just confused, fuck.

What the hell? Why wouldn't anybody like muscular arms? Maybe its just me thats messed up and not like other men...

[Le Libérer]

What the hell? Why wouldn't anybody like muscular arms? Maybe its just me thats messed up and not like other men...
Maybe it is, because someone who would rather be feminine doesnt want bulging muscles.

[075]

one thign i no, is that every1 is beautiful in there own way, on the outside and on the inside, and if u neverhave anything nice to say about some1 u shud keep ur mouth closed and i think every leftist is very beautiful becuz they want a fair and compashionate society witout hate towards any1 and that is very beuatiful :)

[REVLEFT'S BIEGGST MATSER TROL]

Maybe it is, because someone who would rather be feminine doesnt want bulging muscles.

Surely you could just not work out and let them shrink?

Usually men don't mind so much what a woman's arms look like though, as long as they aren't particually outrageous. I guess the converse would be for a guy to have overly skinny or overly large leg muscles, which surely isn't *that* big a deal?

[Le Libérer]

Surely you could just not work out and let them shrink?

Usually men don't mind so much what a woman's arms look like though, as long as they aren't particually outrageous. I guess the converse would be for a guy to have overly skinny or overly large leg muscles, which surely isn't *that* big a deal?
Thats just it, working out is what has made them large. I was a body builder 10 years ago, and they still are big. I've been told I look great and shouldnt worry about it, but its my self perception that tells me otherwise, thus the OP.

[Crusade]

I'm actually not insecure about anything. I used to be insecure about my skin color when I was a kid, but I grew out of that really fast. I was mainly insecure about it because I didn't look like the cartoon characters I idolized growing up like from pokemon, gundam, video games, etc all that. As soon as I found out a lot of girls liked me that much gave me immunity to any self esteem issue. If every girl I met from now on said she wasn't attracted to me I'd still be fine just because it's sort of set in stone now. The same with the penis size thing, i was told I was a good size before I was old enough to give a shit about it so now I don't give a shit about it. :thumbup1: I try not to judge myself at all and that leaves me pretty balanced. For some reason the women I attract always end up being insecure. Whenever I tell my girl she's beautiful now she rolls her eyes and thinks I'm just saying it so I try to say it in a way that makes her laugh, which I can do because I'm the most charming man who has ever existed. Or she just laughs to stroke my ego. Either way it works.

[REVLEFT'S BIEGGST MATSER TROL]

Thats just it, working out is what has made them large. I was a body builder 10 years ago, and they still are big. I've been told I look great and shouldnt worry about it, but its my self perception that tells me otherwise, thus the OP.

They're still large after a decade? Jesssus Christ? They must of been huge at the time.

If you want to help your self perception, a good idea would be to measure how large your arms (if you aren't too afraid) are with a tape measure or something, and compare it too the average, or some people you know. Works much better than trying to look at them in the mirror, as you tend to see them worse than they actually are.

Btw, do you reckon the bodybuilding thing was part of your BDD schema? Just seems like a possibility considering how little incentive there would be for a woman who considers herself physically normal to actually bodybuild,

[Azraelscross]

dealt with it for pretty much my whole life. mine is weight\how skinny i am. developed into going back and forth between anorexia and normal eating habits. not so much the former anymore but it happens once in a while without me knowing.

i've seen alot of people laugh it off and say crap like "welcome to the life of every person in the world" or other dumb remarks when they don't know. nothing worse than loosing 40 pounds and looking the exact same when you look in a mirror. and hearing "hey you look great" from a friend and just wanting to curl up and die because in your mind they are thinking the opposite

[Foldered]

Women focusing on "problem" areas of their bodies is something that the media encourages; one needs only to see anti-wrinkle cream commercials and the like. If you've noticed though, this type of advertising is making its way into men's advertising; they even have made products to get rid of bags under men's eyes. As a result of these advertisements, and the products, the behaviour to obsess over your appearance, be it whole or just one aspect, becomes not only socially acceptable, but "normal."
Anyway, I don't have this issue, but I have dated women that do. I think in the near future, this issue will not be relatively exclusively female.

[Stand Your Ground]

I'm sort of like this. I don't really feel fully male, and unfortunately I do have a rather masculine appearance that I would prefer to be less masculine. It's almost as if I'm in the middle, but just on the male side. I have a browridge that seems bigger than most mens which I would love to get rid of, and I'm flabby around my chest which is horrible even though part of me likes it because it's not as masculine as being toned and muscular.
That's like the opposite of me lol. I'm 20 years old, 5'7" and 120 lbs with no muscle, I would like to have more muscle.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Women focusing on "problem" areas of their bodies is something that the media encourages; one needs only to see anti-wrinkle cream commercials and the like. If you've noticed though, this type of advertising is making its way into men's advertising; they even have made products to get rid of bags under men's eyes. As a result of these advertisements, and the products, the behaviour to obsess over your appearance, be it whole or just one aspect, becomes not only socially acceptable, but "normal."
Anyway, I don't have this issue, but I have dated women that do. I think in the near future, this issue will not be relatively exclusively female.

I am as guilty as they come of buying into all of that which is materialistic and vain. I recognise the irony in my political views about society being one way and how I view myself being another way. I want to be not just passable but exceptionally beautiful.

[Foldered]

I am as guilty as they come of buying into all of that which is materialistic and vain. I recognise the irony in my political views about society being one way and how I view myself being another way. I want to be not just passable but exceptionally beautiful.
That's the interesting thing to me; the women I've dated, specifically one, who had this issue was feminist, and she was incredibly brilliant (introduced me to a lot of the feminist literature that I know), and critical of media and its manipulation of people, but none of those factors seemed to have an effect on the fact that she thought she was fat, etc.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

That's the interesting thing to me; the women I've dated, specifically one, who had this issue was feminist, and she was incredibly brilliant (introduced me to a lot of the feminist literature that I know), and critical of media and its manipulation of people, but none of those factors seemed to have an effect on the fact that she thought she was fat, etc.

Things have gotten better as I develop more. But for me it is not about how much weight but how weight on my body is distributed. So I gotta love my daily dose of estrogen, even with the growing pains.

I can't help to buy into those media stereotypes about my body image.

[leftace53]

I realized I was short a couple years ago, and for a while it seemed like everything was affected by the fact that I kept reminding myself of how short I am. I stopped going to theme parks because I was always self conscious about being too short for rides. I hate walking around town, because people figure I'm 12 or something since everyone my age is normal height (they're actually not, the demographics of my town is full of short people, but I don't see it), I don't even bother with clubs and such because even on showing my real ID the dude thinks its fake.

It has gotten slightly better now, where I don't get up every morning and think that people won't take me seriously because I'm short...I've just learnt to yell louder.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

I've spent a lot of time feeling almost suicidal because of my appearance and it is to do with society and the media. If I thought I wouldn't be judged by looks, I can honestly say it wouldn't bother me, but it's obvious that so much emphasis in society is placed on being 'beautiful'. Just look at those celebrity magazines with circles around a non-existent flabby bit of some famous person's body. It's not surprising people have BDD. Sexism plays a part too. I recently read an article about Venus Williams and in the comments section not a single person actually mentioned tennis or her personality. They were all complaining about how she looked like a man or ''a gorilla''. Not helpful.

[Quail]

I think that part of it is society and how much being beautiful/perfect is made out to be important, but also I think that part of it could be down to the amount of stress and pressure people have in school, in their jobs, etc., and feeling inadequate in all areas of their life.

I don't think that sexism plays as much of a part as it used to because there seems to be an increasing amount of pressure on men to look a certain way too now. Although, I still think that women are expected to be superwoman and be beautiful, a perfect mother and have a brilliant career, whereas there is slightly less expected of men.

[GreenCommunism]

i had anxiety disorder and this sounds somewhat similar, i was too scared of going out because of my appearances, but it was a mix of this and simply not wanting others to see me being scared that i look stupid. things are better now but i still feel bad when outside.

[Invincible Summer]

Women focusing on "problem" areas of their bodies is something that the media encourages; one needs only to see anti-wrinkle cream commercials and the like. If you've noticed though, this type of advertising is making its way into men's advertising; they even have made products to get rid of bags under men's eyes. As a result of these advertisements, and the products, the behaviour to obsess over your appearance, be it whole or just one aspect, becomes not only socially acceptable, but "normal."
Anyway, I don't have this issue, but I have dated women that do. I think in the near future, this issue will not be relatively exclusively female.

I read an article for my feminist theory class that suggested such advertising implies that women's skin/appearance/etc is inferior to men's skin/appearance/etc. Why else is it "acceptable" for men to just wash their face with soap, but women have to use a "special cleanser?"

Why are expression lines on a man's face a "show of character and wisdom," but unacceptable for a woman?

Of course, with the advent of the "metrosexual" and capitalists tapping into a new male market, this is changing a bit, but I think it's an interesting analysis. I'll try to find the name of the article later.