What is the Appearance Anxiety Questionnaire (AAQ)?

The AAQ is a clinical screening tool designed for aesthetic medicine settings. It measures appearance anxiety across 7 subscales (23 items) and screens for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) features using 5 ALERT items. It helps clinicians identify patients who may need additional support or evaluation before aesthetic procedures.

How does the AAQ screen for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)?

The AAQ uses 5 ALERT items specifically designed to identify BDD features: Symptom Migration (concerns shifting between body areas), Insight Discrepancy (gap between perceived and objective appearance), Compulsive Research (excessive procedure research), Urgency (pressure for immediate treatment), and Perfectionism (unrealistic expectations). These items drive the traffic light triage recommendation.

What do the AAQ triage levels (Green, Amber, Red) mean?

Green indicates standard pathway with routine informed consent. Amber suggests extended discussion to explore expectations and ensure treatment goals are realistic - these patients may respond positively to treatment. Red indicates BDD features are present, meaning aesthetic treatment is unlikely to resolve underlying concerns, and psychological evaluation is recommended.

Is the AAQ validated?

The AAQ is currently undergoing psychometric validation. Population norms have not yet been established, and current severity thresholds are provisional based on clinical rationale. Results should support, not replace, clinical judgement. Every assessment contributes to establishing normative data.

What are the 7 subscales measured by the AAQ?

The AAQ measures 7 clinical domains: (A) Preoccupation - time devoted to appearance concerns, (B) Social Threat - fear of negative evaluation, (C) Avoidance - avoiding situations due to appearance, (D) Safety Behaviours - camouflaging, checking, reassurance-seeking, (E) Mood Reactivity - emotional responses to appearance perceptions, (F) Self-Worth - appearance-contingent self-esteem, (G) Functional Impairment - impact on work, relationships, daily life.

Who should use the AAQ?

The AAQ is designed for cosmetic surgeons, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, aesthetic practitioners, and medical aesthetic clinics worldwide. It helps practitioners identify patients whose appearance concerns may not be addressed by aesthetic treatment and who may benefit from psychological support.

What percentage of aesthetic patients have BDD?

Research suggests that 7-15% of aesthetic patients may meet criteria for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The AAQ helps differentiate between appearance anxiety that treatment can address and BDD patterns where treatment may not help.

Is patient data secure with the AAQ?

Yes. The AAQ platform is GDPR and HIPAA compliant. Patient data is encrypted, and research exports use k-anonymity protection (minimum group size of 5) ensuring individual responses cannot be traced back to specific patients or clinics.

Is there a free trial for the AAQ?

Yes, all Professional plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start. The Free Starter plan allows up to 5 assessments per month indefinitely.

Is patient data secure with the AAQ?

Yes. We use bank-level encryption, and all data is stored in secure, GDPR-compliant data centres. Patient data is de-identified using unique keys. The platform is both GDPR and HIPAA compliant.

How much does BDD screening software cost?

The AAQ offers a free tier with 5 assessments per month. Professional plans start at $49/month (USD), 49 GBP/month, or 79 AUD/month for unlimited assessments. Enterprise pricing is available for clinic chains.

Pricing

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Choose the plan that fits your clinic. No hidden fees, cancel anytime.

Prices shown in:

Limited Time

Early Adopter

Help validate the AAQ instruments. Complete 100+ assessments to qualify.

Freefor 12 months

Single clinician account
All instruments (AAQ-Core, AAQ-Alert, AAQ-Full)
Unlimited assessments
Professional report generation
Subscale profile analysis
Triage and recommendations
Follow-up tracking
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Starter

For solo practitioners getting started with appearance anxiety screening.

$59/month

Single clinician account
All instruments included
Up to 30 assessments per month
Professional reports
Subscale profile analysis
Triage and recommendations
Email support
Data export (CSV, PDF)

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Professional

For busy clinics and multi-clinician practices.

$129/month

All instruments included
Up to 100 assessments per month
Professional reports with custom branding
Team accounts — up to 5 clinicians (coming soon)
Priority email support
Advanced analytics dashboard
Bulk patient import
API access (coming soon)

Start Free Trial

Unlimited

For high-volume clinics and research sites.

$179/month

All instruments included
Unlimited assessments
Professional reports with custom branding
Team accounts — up to 15 clinicians (coming soon)
Priority support
Advanced analytics dashboard
Bulk patient import
API access (coming soon)
Dedicated onboarding call

Get Started

Enterprise

For clinic networks, NHS trusts, and research institutions.

Custom

Everything in Unlimited
Unlimited clinician accounts
SSO & audit logs
Dedicated account manager
Custom integrations (EHR, etc.)
On-premise deployment options
Staff training sessions
Co-authorship opportunities
Research data access
SLA guarantees

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Prices shown in USD. All prices exclude applicable taxes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free trial?

Yes, all Professional plans include a 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start.

Can I change plans later?

Absolutely. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. Changes take effect on your next billing cycle.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and can arrange invoicing for Enterprise customers.

Is my data secure?

Yes. We use bank-level encryption, and all data is stored in secure, GDPR-compliant data centers. Patient data is de-identified using unique keys.