Fear of chins (geniophobia)

Geniophobia is a fear of chins. It may show up as discomfort looking at faces, a strong dislike of a particular chin shape, or unease about your own chin. Because faces are everywhere, even a small fear like this can make conversations or photos feel awkward.

About this phobia

The term draws on the Greek geneion, meaning chin, which also gives the anatomical prefix genio. It appears mainly on lists of unusual fears and has very little clinical documentation. Worry focused on your own chin can sometimes be more about appearance anxiety than fear in the usual sense.

What it feels like

• Looking away from people’s lower faces during conversation
• A shiver of discomfort at close-up photos or video calls
• Fixating on the shape of your own chin in the mirror

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Can you really be afraid of a body part?

Yes. Fears can attach to almost anything, including particular body parts, and the reaction is real even when the trigger seems unusual. If the focus is mainly on your own appearance and it causes a lot of distress, a GP can help with that too.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices