Type in “Facetune” into your App store and you’ll be met with at least a dozen mobile programs that are all designed to do one thing: alter your body for your social media photos. With names ranging from “Make Me Thin” and “ReTouch Me” to “Photo Plastic—Virtual Surgery Simulator,” using these apps to nip, tuck, lift and smooth your way to digitally altered perfection is practically a given for most people sharing selfies and body shots on Instagram.
You May Also Like: Fitness Blogger Proves That the Number on the Scale Has Nothing to do With Your Health
Not for British model Iskra Lawrence though. The social media star (she boasts more than 2 million followers on Instagram) posted two side-by-side photos of herself—one edited, one not—to make a point: It’s all unrealistic.
In the 10-minute edit job, Lawrence thinned her midsection, trimmed her arms, boosted her bust and smoothed her skin. “I wanted to post the unretouched pic right next to the retouched one so you could see the impact of how a few edits all done on my phone can completely change the way someone looks. I can’t leave home everyday retouched & live in the “real world” airbrushed so why would I want to pretend to be online? We are beautiful because we are us and we are so much more than our appearance. I hope when you see what looks like perfect flawless images of people online you don’t ever feel insecure or less beautiful because it’s not real. What’s real is you and you are good enough because those ‘flaws’ make you completely unique.”
