“Is being obsessed with one's looks some sort of a disease?”

Yes.

Calling it a disease may be a bit extreme, but it can be a problem. It is usually a sign of insecurity or fear of something about you being discovered by others. Talking to a reputable psychologist can be helpful, if you feel that it is interfering with your life

Spending hours in front of your mirror is clearly dysfunctional. At this point I would not call it a disease, but you clearly need help coping with this pattern. I would certainly suggest counseling.

There are two answers: There is a disorder called body dismorphic disorder in which people have distorted views of themselves. If you see yourself as ugly and are trying to correct your defects, and your family says you don’t have them, then you might have BDD.
Many people have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In that, almost any behavior can become excessive. By definition, if it’s enough to cause
concern by others or interfere with work/activities, it’s an official psychiatric problem.
I think you should see a psychiatrist; specifically, a psychiatrist, since they are MDs and can prescribe meds if needed. Check your insurance, because many companies screw psych patients by dreaming up ways to keep you away from treatment. You may have to go through a GP first. Treatment for OCD is very effective, though it may take some trial and error Rx. BDD is very similar.

Good luck.

Hi,

Thanks for your insightful question. Why looking our best is important in today's society, spending hours in front of the mirror, especially if it is causing you problems, could be a symptom of a psychiatric problem. I suggest that you start by looking for a qualified counselor in your area who can help you figure out if you need help and the best approach to get it.

Yvonne Hall, MD

Thanks for the question! Yes, if it is causing issues in your daily routine, it may need to be evaluated and you can start with finding a therapist.

It sounds like body dysmorphic disorder, which is treated with therapy and SSRIs.

Hi! Nice to meet you! Before answering your question, I need to ask you a couple of more questions in order to gain better insight as to what is going on and how to be better able to assist you.
You say you are obssessed with your looks and spend hours a day looking at the mirror.
When did this symptom began? Have they been getting worse as of late? Are those obssessions as you call them exclusively related to your physical appearance? Or do you find your self obssessing over other several aspects of your life? From a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst and 1 the least severe, how would you rate the severity of your symptom? You told me you spend several hours a day in front of the mirror, how many? Has there been any particular stressful event in your life that you think might have triggered the symptoms? Is this the first time it has occurred? Have you noticed if there is anything that make these symptoms worse or better? Do you often have impulsive thoughts and feel the need to act upon them, for example, of keeping things organized in strict order, making sure several times that the locks are placed properly, continuously checking your bank account in order to keep track of your money? Do you have obssessions involving symmetry? Have you talked to any family or friends about these symptoms? How do they react regarding them? Have you visited a physician regarding these symptoms?!Have you tried anything for the relief of these symptoms, such as prescription medication, or searching for common methods for the relief of these symptoms, either online or from any other source? I'm sorry if I'm being annoying by asking too many questions. We are halfway through.
Do you suffer from any medical condition that I should be aware of?
Are you currently taking any medications?
Are you allergic to any medications?
Does anyone in your family suffer from any medical or psychiatric condition I should be aware of?
What do you do for a living? Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you use any illicit drugs?