Is the Future of Beauty Being Enhanced or Distorted by Filters?

I swipe through the array of filters on TikTok and there she is. She has a chiseled jawline and sharp cheekbones, and her makeup is just perfection. Who is she, you ask? Well, she’s the beauty filter version of me. 

I remove the beauty filter, and then there’s the real me. Raw, textured skin, with marks and acne scars all over. After staring at my filtered face for so long, reality feels kind of… underwhelming. That’s the thing about beauty filters: They’re a little too good at their job. They hook you, offering a euphoric glimpse of perfection without effort—and if I’m being honest, it’s a little addictive.

Not too long ago, augmented reality (AR) was a term you’d only hear about in sci-fi movies. AR was for uncanny holographs and funny-looking robots, not for finding out how you look with a V-shaped face. But alas, here we are: fiction’s now reality, and it’s extremely accessible with the apps we scroll through in our phones.

When beauty and tech collide: A new creative era

To prove I’m still sentient and totally not reprogrammed by robots, a 2023 paper shared during the Irish AI Conference talks about some of the merits of AR filters, like sparking creativity and helping users understand themselves better through experimentation. To understand what’s really going on behind these filters, Allure Philippines talked to Florencia Raffa, an AR artist who’s a featured creator for Meta and Snapchat, and an ambassador for TikTok. When developing filters, Raffa sees the creative process “as a form of art.” “Beauty is subjective, so I prefer to explore it from a more artistic perspective,” she says. 

For Raffa, who uses Procreate for her designs and some artificial intelligence to refine and polish her ideas, filters should be creative tools—not instruments for exacerbating insecurities and unrealistic standards. Her TikTok “Art & Flowers” filter, for example, was designed to turn the user’s face into art without distortion.

Makeup artist and content creator Nate Javier also embraces this creative approach to filters. “I view [beauty filters] positively, because these filters can be used as a guide or inspiration for beauty looks and trends,” he says. 

Some filters can even help step up your beauty routine. Javier mentions a popular one on TikTok called “What’s Your Contrast?”. By trying a filter like this, “users can save time and money before investing in a certain makeup look that may not work for them,” he says. “At the very least, filters are able to help beauty girls make more informed decisions about their beauty routines.”

The perils of AR in beauty

But as helpful as some of these beauty filters might be, Raffa also emphasizes the importance of ethical guidelines in creating and using them. “The tools are accessible to the public,” she points out. “There should be regulations to safeguard mental health, particularly for teenagers, and clear guidelines to prevent misuse or problems arising from irresponsible filter use.” What complicates things is when filters ingrain unrealistic stereotypes into people’s minds, shares Raffa, making them feel dissatisfied with their real appearance. She cites the “Bold Glamour” filter as a concrete example: “Many users struggle with their self-image without it,” she shares.

Even Javier isn’t immune from the pressure that comes from constant exposure to filters: “At some point, I was scared that my unfiltered face and skin wouldn’t be acceptable or up to the standard of a beauty creator,” he admits. I find myself relating with Javier’s admission: It’s tough, since I also get disappointed when my real-life features don’t measure up with my filtered self. Because beauty filters are conveniently one tap away, potential dangers lie ahead. 

Allure Philippines sat down with Emmielyd “Em” Reyes-Guiriba, RPsy—a licensed MindNation lead psychologist with a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and a specialization in neuropsychology—for an expert weigh-in. “Regular exposure to altered images often leads to unfavorable comparisons with one’s natural appearance, fueling dissatisfaction and distorted self-perception,” she explains. Reyes-Guiriba mentions “Snapchat dysmorphia,” a troubling trend discussed in an article back in 2020. British cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho coined the term to describe people seeking cosmetic procedures to match their filtered selfies. 

Turns out, the filter-caused dysmorphia is not that rare—and that’s genuinely concerning. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery says that enhancement requests influenced by selfies jumped 13 percent from 2015 to 2017. The culprit? The “selfie effect,” which makes you feel like your nose looks bigger when you take a photo up close.

For some, filters can cause someone to spiral into an obsession—constant selfie-checking, endless tweaking, and a warped idea of what they really look like. As social media keeps feeding us these flawless, filtered faces, the reality is more people are pressured to chase unattainable perfection.

How to detox on digital perfection

Since we’re currently in an era where everyone is constantly online, how can we set a boundary from the harmful effects of beauty filters? Reyes-Guiriba shares some ways to help navigate the mental toll of filters on our self-perception.

Work toward self-awareness.

Be mindful of the moments when you catch yourself thinking “I don’t look good enough,” while scrolling through picture-perfect selfies on social media. Instead of fixating on negative thoughts about your appearance, replace your train of thought with something more rooted in reality. You can also explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a licensed psychologist, so that you can be guided on how to switch off negative thinking and challenge how you see yourself.

Shift your focus to what your body is capable of.

Rather than obsessing over how your body looks, try to focus on what it lets you do—like dancing, running, and even hugging the people who matter most to you. This helps boost your confidence and takes the pressure off trying to look “flawless.”

Be gentle with yourself.

Showing self-compassion encourages you to show yourself the same kindness and care you’d give to a friend. Instead of putting yourself down, uplift yourself by saying some words of affirmation.

Where to draw the line 

Beauty filters aren’t necessarily bad—it all boils down to how and why we use them. When they’re for fun or for creativity, they can be a great way to express ourselves. But when we start feeling uncomfortable or anxious about looking at our unfiltered selves—that’s a red flag. “Simply put: It’s not the filter that’s the problem,” says Reyes-Guiriba. “It’s when the filter starts to reshape how you view your real self.”

For us to keep a healthy self-image amidst the potential toxicity of beauty filters, Reyes-Guiriba suggests setting personal boundaries and knowing when to seek professional help. Why not try out posting raw, unfiltered photos? It’s a great reminder that authenticity is beautiful. But if you notice that filters or social media are affecting how you feel about yourself, it might be time to reach out to experts like a licensed psychologist from MindNation.

To keep it real with you, there’s still a lot of work to be done in safeguarding how we use AR in beauty. It’s fun—undeniably—to play with filters, experiment with looks, and explore new creative expressions. But when the line between enhancement and erasure starts to blur, we owe it to ourselves to pause and reflect.

Augmented reality should expand how we see ourselves, not narrow it down to a single, filtered ideal. We can embrace tech without losing touch with our truth. The most powerful kind of beauty isn’t manufactured—it’s lived, it’s earned, and it’s real. And no filter can replicate that.