Most people would have wondered what they would look like with a few improvements to their current appearance. But these days, you don't have to make an appointment with a plastic surgeon or professional photo editor to find out. Free selfie-editing mobile apps will produce your desired face with a few easy clicks, and the results are pretty natural-looking to the layman (if you didn't go overboard with the edits, that is).
Many veteran consumers of media and social media are already well-aware that photos of even the most conventionally good-looking celebrities will not be spared from going under the Photoshop knife. Recognising this fact is one thing, seeing those edits on your own photos is another. Little wonder then, that the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has blamed makeover apps and online plastic surgery games for resulting in a boom for the cosmetic procedure industry. That is not all, beauty bloggers are openly requesting sponsorships for beauty procedures and then reviewing them on their popular blogs, and beauty companies are grateful for the affordable and efficient marketing. It is all fine and good for fully-informed adults who know what they want and what they are getting to, and who have the financial means to fund it all. But for the vulnerable, all this "inspiration" from social media to strive for the perfect face as much as possible is detrimental towards young people with a self-image or confidence problem.
It would be impractical to expect any sort of authoritative action against such apps or marketing measures, or even the cosmetic industry. But we can probably do something for ourselves. For starters, if you have a child with access to a mobile device, you would want to check it from time to time to see the sort of app he/she has on the device. If the child has downloaded and used above-mentioned beauty apps, you'd want to have a conversation about the apps, self-worth and beauty standards. Straight-up banning is unlikely to do any good as the child could probably access such apps from friends. So creating the foundation for healthy values is more effective for preventing confidence issues in the long run.
If you find yourself the victim of constant social media pressure, then it is time for a digital detox, which I've written about here. Spend less times on those selfie-beautifying apps, uninstall them if you must. Adopt a rational perception and bear in mind that what we see is not always necessarily the case. For every successful beauty procedure that has been blogged about, there are lots more that were botched or developed complications, which people are less keen to publicise, especially if they are in the midst of a legal dispute.
When it comes to the cosmetic procedures industry, there is far less protection for consumers and regulation by the authorities. After all, cosmetic procedures are usually considered an unwarranted desire, a luxury, and deserves less attention than other more pressing issues. This is despite the fact that some cosmetic procedures are potentially fatal or leave long-lasting negative consequences, even the ones that claim to be non-intrusive. While there is nothing wrong with choosing to turn to cosmetic procedures, it is prudent to make informed choices on something that will irreversibly change you forever. And for better or worse, that remains to be seen.
Exercise is a healthy distraction that does wonders to one's self-image. When you engage in exercise, dopamine, the happy chemical, gets released. Moreover, as you get stronger and fitter, and your body gets into better shape, you will feel better about yourself. Leading a healthy lifestyle - eating healthily, getting sufficient rest and physical activity, engaging in activities that you are passionate about, practising good hygiene and grooming, is crucial towards looking good. In any case, there's no way those big beautiful peepers or firm skin that you paid for will last if you don't make the effort to love and take care of yourself.
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