In contemporary society, where beauty ideals are rapidly disseminated, body dissatisfaction has become increasingly prevalent. The concept of objectified body consciousness encompasses three behaviors associated with body dissatisfaction: body surveillance, body shame, and the belief in the controllability of one's body. Emerging evidence suggests that self-compassion may serve as a protective factor against negative body experiences; however, studies that examine self-compassion in conjunction with both body dissatisfaction and objectified body consciousness remain limited. The present study aimed to investigate objectified body consciousness and body dissatisfaction in relation to varying levels of self-compassion among individuals identifying as women or men residing in Turkey. The sample consisted of 222 participants (155 women and 67 men) aged between 18 and 30 years. To test the proposed hypotheses, the UCLA Body Matrices-II, the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, and two researcher-developed items measuring general body satisfaction and the desire for an ideal body were employed. Among women, the results revealed significant differences across levels of self-compassion in dissatisfaction with body fat, overall body satisfaction, the desire for an ideal body, and objectified body consciousness. For men, significant differences were observed in overall body satisfaction, the desire for an ideal body, and body shame. These findings suggest that self-compassion may function as a protective factor in shaping body-related experiences for both women and men. Notably, a greater number of body-related variables were associated with self-compassion among women, indicating the need for further exploration of men's experiences within an objectifying cultural context. Moreover, investigating the specific subcomponents of self-compassion may offer deeper insights into its role in body image. In conclusion, given the pervasive and enduring societal pressures to conform to idealized body standards, the exploration of protective constructs such as self-compassion is essential in mitigating the adverse effects of objectification and body dissatisfaction.