Ever peek in a magazine and think “That model looks perfect. I’ll never look like that…” Well, chances are that you won’t. Magazines, billboards and other ads often digitally alter models’ images to make them look perfect, often in ways that nature (or even plastic surgery) couldn’t possibly replicate.
So what’s most often digitally altered? Here’s a list of the top 5:
- Breasts – That perfect cleavage is often the result of push-up bras, supportive undergarments and digital retouching. Breast implants do the trick as well
- Waist. Digital alteration to the sides of a person’s body will help to make them look thinner than they really are. Truthfully, bodies that look like this wouldn’t be able to give adequate support to the shoulders. Even liposuction couldn’t deliver this type of result
- Skin tone. Retouching skin tone is probably the most common (and one of the earliest) digital alterations around. It’s impossible to have perfect blemish-free, wrinkle-free skin without some retouching
- Arms – Arms can be trimmed down so much that they resemble toothpicks – elbows may appear the same width as the biceps. This scenario would render an individual incapable of the simplest functions including lifting anything
- Thighs – Like the arms, thighs are often slimmed down so that the knees appear to be the width of the thighs. Consider how one would be able to hold their weight or even walk if this were the reality.
Digital retouching is just another way that marketers use to make us feel somehow less than perfect in a way to get us to buy their products. Keep this in mind the next time you obsess over a model’s tiny waist or super slim thighs.
