How to tell what you actually look like

Introduction:

At Elite, one of the main complaints we get from our clients during consultations regards how they dislike the way they look in photos, on Zoom/web calls, or in videos. They tend to pick out areas of their appearance that they do not see in real life such as minor wrinkles, asymmetric features, and “double chins”. Rest assured, this is a normal habit humans do, but this blog with further explain how to tell what you actually look like! Keep reading below.

Why do I look so different in selfies vs. real life?

Even though we are all at fault for being our own worst critics, it is actually self-sabotaging to “nit-pick” at our appearances from selfies, videos, and Zoom calls. Why? Because these are images that only show your appearance as 2D, not 3D, like in real life or how the human eye sees things. For instance, a selfie distorts your face, not to mention if the angle is wacky, lighting is off, and your camera sucks! Of course you are going to see wrinkles, lines, skin texture, and all the above. Most of these complaints are personality quarks that make you who you are.

Which is more accurate, a mirror or a picture?

Viewing yourself in the mirror will provide a better picture of what you look like in real-time. Pictures are not the human eye, like mentioned earlier, there are so many variables that go into photos such as angles, lighting, camera lenses etc. Below is an image of a beautiful woman in a mirror vs a photo to help better explain ourselves.

Photo Credit: Shutterbug

What is “Zoom-tox”?

Ali, NP’s personal definition of “Zoom-tox” is: the Botulinum toxin injections (of any brand) prescribed for an individual suffering from lack of confidence or low self-esteem after staring at themselves on Zoom calls all day.

Zoomtox has become mostly a joke in our office but it also warrants some real talk. In general, Elite’s patient population tends to be a very realistic group of women that just want little tweaks to their physical appearance. They want to look refreshed and natural, not over-done. They are (usually) really well balanced with their procedures and overall very confident people.

So when these bada** women come in comparing themselves on Zoom calls, selfies, and videos to old weathered movie characters, animals and even shriveled foods we get a good laugh. We laugh about it because they really are (mostly) being sarcastic.

However, some of them laugh for a bit and then explain how it really is starting to bother them. Maybe it’s time for them to do more than their regular injections? Maybe they do need to do ____.

Our rule of thumb is, if something about their appearance really does bother them, and we can see it in real life (not just in a photo) it’s totally worth a discussion about treatment options.

Looking good on camera vs in real life

Our providers look at people’s faces, expressions, and anatomy all day! They especially watch what they look like at rest, when talking, when smiling, and at every angle. What makes faces the most beautiful is looking at them in 3D with animation. The way a smile lights up someones face, slightly lifts their cheeks and slants their eyes. Or the way they tilt their head and turn up one mouth corner when thinking of something clever.

Have you ever seen someone that you thought was “ok” looking and then when you had a conversation with them they became much more attractive? A lot of that is their energy and animation and you can’t always capture that online or through a video.

So the problem with tweaking our faces and appearance JUST for images or videos, is that we can sometimes take away unique and natural beauty.

For Example:

• A cheek that is perfect at every angle without animation might look overdone when smiling in real life.
• Those beautiful, sultry, pouting lips may be sexy in the photo but in person they’re not kissable.
• A face with no lines might look great on a call at first until they start talking or laughing and then something doesn’t look quite right with the animation.

Ever wonder how some celebrities go over board? Those poor souls are constantly staring at themselves on camera, photos, and videos and then they keep going back to their aesthetic professional for more treatments, until they no longer look like themselves. For whatever reason, that professional doesn’t tell them to stop, or they do and the celeb goes elsewhere. Below is a picture of a well known model who looks beautiful in both photos, but when she thinks she looks like the picture in Instagram (left) but her runway photo shows up as the picture on the right, she may start thinking of ways to tweak her appearance even more.

Photo Credit: Uber Humor

Moderation with Zoom, Selfies, and Videos

We understand that it is important to look your best, and feeling good about yourself is very important. However, our providers at Elite are also not always 100% confident. We compare ourselves to other people in the industry, their brand, what they look like, their photos…it is only human nature! We can all admit that we have taken over 100 photos in a day and deleted every single one. Or nailed it on a video topic and then never posted it because we couldn’t get over something trivial with our appearance. Remind yourself that  what you look like in photos and videos isn’t always a true reflection of your appearance and is also not what anyone’s self-worth is based on.

“Your self worth is not based on how you look on Zoom or any other media”

What you look like in a photo or on a video call and how many likes you get on Instagram does not define you or your self-worth. There is so much that we all bring to the world. To our families, to our peers, to our pets. Don’t let yourself be down because of how you look on in a selfie or video. If it really is just that one thing, ok, go see someone you trust and take care of those 11’s lines or whatever is driving you nuts and then let go of the rest.

We really do have to love ourselves on the insides before we can love anything we do on the outside. Our appearance might kick-start that confidence but trust that you are enough with or without that.

What are some tips to look better on Zoom or in selfies?

• Find a place in your house with adequate lighting and make sure that lighting is in front of you and lighting your face versus behind you or to the side creating shadows
• Set the camera on your computer or device slightly above the level of your face so that it is angled down on you versus looking up your nose
• Use the filters on iPhones or Zoom if it helps you feel more confident. This is just a button you can click so that it smooths our your appearance while on calls, kind of like a snapchat filter.
• Wear clothing that makes you feel your best and compliments your features/colors
• Practice smiling and different animations so you know what facial expressions you can avoid for photos and/or specific videos
• Relax and be yourself– trying to hard can look unauthentic

Photo Credit: YouTube

Conclusion: Love yourself 💗

• Love yourself no matter what you look like on Zoom.
• If you want to reasonably change your appearance and it will make you look and feel more confident, that’s ok, do it and love yourself.
• If you want to learn to love yourself as you are and not change anything, that’s ok, do it and love yourself.
• If you feel icky but you want to try to love yourself, that’s ok, do it and try to love yourself.
• You can love yourself and get Zoomtox. You can love yourself and not get Zoomtox. You can love others if they decide to do opposite of what you decide to do for yourself.
• Don’t let what you look like in selfies, videos, or Zoom ruin your day.

Elite Medical & Aesthetics is a premier Med Spa in Lone Tree, CO that takes a holistic approach for natural results. We pride ourselves in having an all nursing staff of NP’s and RN’s with safety as our #1 priority. Book a free consultation below and talk with one of our providers today.