Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between negative affect and body dysmorphic concerns among adolescents seeking cosmetic surgery.

Method: The research methodology was a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The target population consisted of all adolescents aged 15 to 18 visiting beauty clinics in Bandar Abbas City in 2024. A total of 400 participants were selected from this population through a convenience sampling method. For data collection, the following instruments were utilized: the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson & Clark, 1988), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ; Garnefski & Kraaij, 2007), the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS; Frost et al., 1990), and the Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI; Littleton et al., 2008). The collected data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling (SEM) using the SmartPLS software.

Results: Results indicated that negative affect had a significant positive relationship with body dysmorphic concerns (p < 0.01), and emotion regulation significantly mediated this relationship. These results suggest that the ability to regulate emotions can mitigate the adverse effects of negative affect on dysfunctional body-related attitudes.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of interventions focused on enhancing emotion regulation skills in the prevention and reduction of body dysmorphic concerns among adolescents.