SkinInc Magazine recently published an article about how distorted our views and portrayals of beauty have become in today's society.
"Many magazines, billboards, and advertisements falsely portray cultural icons by 'doctoring' images that are viewed by the public," says Brian S. Glatt, MD, FACS, of Premier Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey. "Women look at these photos and ask their surgeons to make them look "just like them." This is usually impossible because the desired body doesn't even exist!"
They go on, breaking down the top 5 most digitally altered body parts in magazines, on billboards, and pretty much everywhere you look.
1. Breasts
In photos, it seems as though every supermodel and celebrity has perfect curvature on her chest by the way their assets are accentuated. "Most of these appearances are a result of a push-up bra, supportive undergarments and digital retouching," says Glatt. "Breat implants are pervasive throughout the modeling profession, and are usually easily spotted as someone who is supermodel thin does not suddenly develop C-cup breasts. In addition, implants in very thin women appear more rounded than teardrop shaped and can be pushed up to create a full, high cleavage area."
2. Waist
To make celebs look even thinner than they are in person, many are digitally altered so the sides of their body actually become an extra shadow or gets blended in with the background. "If they really looked like this," says Glatt, "their torsos would likely not be able to adequately support their shoulders. Although aggressive liposuction techniques can create a much slimmer waist and take off inches, even liposuction cannot create some of the digitally altered and corset-assisted cartoon-type waists frequently seen in consumer magazines."
3. Skin Tone
At times, it almost appears that A-listers are always in front of a bright light that illuminates their skin ad rids all imperfections, leaving a glowing skin tone. "Skin surface retouching is the most common and one of the original digital alterations performed routinely. Nobody's skin can be completely perfected without a line, wrinkle, blemish, or brown spot. Almost everyone who has had photographs taken for a big life event such as a wedding, knows that even those photos will be retouched. People tend not to consider this when emulating the skin characteristics of those in magazines and ads." Glatt continues, "These photos show completely perfect skin, which in real life is impossible to achieve to that extent, evidenced when celebrities are captured in real life, not retouched."
4 and 5. Arms/Thighs
Some celeb photos have their extremities slimmed and trimmed so much that they appear to be the size of a toothpick. There are photos out there where the elbows appear to be the same width of their biceps and their knees seem to be the same width of their thighs. According to Glatt, if this were really how their arms and legs looked, "then they would not work right to walk or pick things up! The trouble with altering their arms and legs in a photo is that it does look so entirely fake. People get the impression that this look can be achieved with surgery, which is typically not possible or safe."
These are really great examples of the distortion we carry in our minds about how we as women should look and feel.
These magic tricks set up impossible expectations and unattainable realities to women across the globe; resulting in eating disorders, body dismorphic disorder, depression, insecurities, and unhappy clients. Although there are countless ways to improve your appearance and well-being, we will never reach perfection (because, what does that even mean, exactly?).
We must be confident in ourselves, in both our inner and outer beauty, and never forget that the vast majority of what you see-- is just too good to be true.
