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We Know Beauty Filters are Bad for Us, but is Anything Changing?
Meet the Expert
- Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, is a practicing licensed neuropsychologist in New York City. She is a member of ishonest’s Medical Review Board.
- Pamela Rutledge, PhD, is a media psychologist and Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, an organization with a mission to study and promote positive development and use of media and technology. She is on the doctoral faculty of Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University
- Dana Myers, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker based in Philadelphia who incorporates a holistic therapeutic style by using a biopsychosocial framework to gain a better understanding of her clients.
Why Do We Use Beauty Filters
What People Have to Say About Using Beauty Filters
- “I use them for subtle changes, but nothing too dramatic. I slim my face when I look a little puffy and blur out blemishes. I know it’s okay to be puffy and have blemishes, but it makes me feel better when I put what I think is my best face forward.†- Jana C., 36
- "Damned if you do or don’t, filters may perpetuate the idea that you, in your purest form, aren’t 'perfect' or 'desirable,' which further feeds into the unhealthy expectations put on women daily. I don’t knock anyone who uses beauty filters, but there’s enough pressure in life already. The work feels more valuable when I actively try to love myself versus changing myself." - Aimee S., 28
- “I’ve stopped using them as frequently—and have since learned to love myself more—but I tend to use a filter here and there. On no- makeup days when my skin doesn’t look it’s best, I’ll add a subtle filter that will even out those dark spots and under eyes. It creates the effect my concealer would have, and I feel more put-together." - Ashley A., 26
- “I only use them to sometimes whiten my teeth or delete a pimple. I don’t actually change my facial features because it seems like too much effort and time and I want my photos to look like the real me." - Emily C., 23
- “Using filters isn’t an everyday thing for me, and I would prefer it never be. As a beauty editor, I think all of our goals are to make readers feel confident in who they are, not how a filter makes them feel. After all, that feeling is temporary." - Angela T., 26
- “I like using them for fun on IGS sometimes, but I don’t think it’s good for your mental health when it alters your appearance." - Nikita C., 30
- “I feel like the ones that pinch my nose and inflate my lips make me look ridiculous, but I dabble in them because they look funny. I don't use filters seriously—only for fun." - Marianne M., 33
- “I love me. I don’t need them—I’ve learned to embrace my age." - Dawn B., 50
- “I don’t like that most of them make me look Caucasian with light colored eyes. I now try to post raw photos for selfies, as I’m learning to appreciate my natural features." - Gloria Y., 32
What's Next?
If nothing changes, professionals predict more strain on mental health. Myers says she observed a spike in social media-related anxiety disorders in her work as a therapist. “We will continue to see increased body dysmorphia and body image issues as a result of beauty filters due to the unrealistic or unattainable standards of beauty that exist,†she says. “Due to the prevalence of cancel culture in society today, I can also imagine that persons who continue using filters without declaring such may be called out, which may lead to increased bullying, labeling, or name-calling on the internet, which can also be unhealthy or toxic."
Hafeez adds that there is an uptick in plastic surgery related to beauty filters, which can create additional issues down the line. "The problem with this interest in plastic surgery—apart from the invasive surgery, cost, and complication—is the never-ending quest to achieve an unrealistic image of self,†she says. “It’s a tricky, slippery slope, and will lead to a global decline in a healthy self-image. There are social-emotional, psychological, and relationship factors associated with this."
The phenomena has, however, triggered the following actions.
Brands Are Taking a Stand
In 2020, Tula Skincare launched its EmbraceYourSkin initiative, which enlisted influencers to encourage skin positivity. According to the brand, it directed its influencer partners to keep content unfiltered when using the initiative’s hashtag. In 2017, Dove pledged to only show real women with "zero digital distortion" in its ads and has since kept this promise. The list goes on.
Psychologists Use This Information to Inform Research
"I do believe with increased awareness around this topic, mental health professionals are taking into account its severity and making efforts to explore persons' history and current behaviors around social media usage," says Myers. When meeting with clients, she briefly explores their relationship with their social media and seeks to identify any anxiety related to it. "Phone and social media addiction, social anxiety, or anxiety related to media can be treated with tools that clinicians are trained like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and more."
But there is still a lot of work to do. Myers wants to see more formal training options for mental health professionals surrounding these topics, explaining that she doesn’t see a filter-less world ahead of us.
Transparency Sanctions Are Being Put in Place
Myers says this is a positive step toward promoting awareness around the impact of beauty filters, but has one word of caution: "It does not solve the underlying issues. In order to understand the impact it is having on our own mental health, it is important to ask ourselves these important questions: Why are people using beauty filters in the first place? What are the benefits and or consequences of using beauty filters or not using such filters?"
Hafeez adds that younger, more impressionable people should receive some regulation, like limited social media usage.
What Can We Do?
Curate Your Feed
Myers says being mindful of the media you are consuming is key to protecting your self-esteem. She suggests taking a look at your feeds and asking yourself if you feel uplifted and inspired by the content or insecure. If you find that images with beauty filters are making you feel self-critical, you shouldn’t feel bad about unfollowing that account. If you do choose to continue following a certain account, ask yourself why you are choosing to follow it, Myers says.
Take Breaks From Social
Hafeez says short breaks can be invaluable when it comes to protecting your mental health. Her suggestion is to start by taking a few hours off from social media and gradually increasing that time to days.
*Some names have been changed.