For another photo editing article with pics check out my published piece here. This article is intended to help people recognize the degree of photo editing to help foster realistic body and beauty standards.

It’s no secret that mainstream beauty standards are limited, but they have also become unattainable due to photo editing and manipulation. People compare themselves to what they see online and often feel inadequate when presented with an endless parade of perfect images filled with smooth skin, sleek limbs, and physical perfection. While it’s important to understand that someone’s physical beauty does not detract from one’s own looks or worth, uncovering the extend that photo editing is at play can help create realistic and attainable beauty standards.

Sub-Reddit r/Instagramreality can help people recognize how much social media photos are altered. When even paparazzi images and videos are edited, it’s hard to trust what one sees online. The group mandates that no individuals be named or targeted and that plastic surgery and natural looks are not mocked or insulted. Instead, the sub teaches people how to spot telltale signs of photo editing to realize just how manipulated images can be. It also celebrates untouched photos and so-called imperfections that make people human and unique. The following advice can aid people in uncovering photo editing on social media.

Vanishing Skin Texture

A classic example of photo editing is the erasure of pores and skin texture. If the skin has a muted or blurred effect, it has likely been edited. While this commonly occurs on the face, it can also happen on any part of the body as birthmarks, cellulite, and anything else deemed an imperfection is blurred away. While some people have naturally luminous complexions, real skin has texture. It has pores and flaws, which often include scars and cellulite dimples and stretch marks, and when it ages it wrinkles. Don’t let photo editing fool you into thinking your perfectly normal skin is not the standard.

Manipulation Traces

While you might think influencers and people with sizable followings would thoroughly check their photos before uploading, you might be surprised by the number of wonky images that are shared. From warped backgrounds to missing limbs, the effects of photo editing and Facetuning are often evident when you look close. Since many people cinch their waist and exaggerate their curves, the background around their midsection often becomes curved and wonky, which is particularly noticeable around straight edges. Curvy mirrors and rounded stairs are a clear indicator of photo editing, as are missing elements to the photo.

Anatomic Anomalies

Another area you can look at is the proportions of the person pictured. When photo editing lingerie and bikini pictures, many people arrange their belly button and hips in a way that wouldn’t be naturally achievable. Study the proportions in the picture and see if they make sense. Another editing exaggeration is when people make their waists smaller than their heads. At the same time, it has also become a trend to shrink down one’s head to more closely align with Korean beauty standards. Yet another photo editing hack to stretch and slim legs leaves people with impossibly long feet. If something seems off, there is a good chance it is.

New Face, Who This?

Have you ever seen someone in a paparazzi shot or video and thought they looked entirely different from their social media photos? While paparazzi images and videos can be edited, social media is a breeding ground for altered images. Facetune is an app that allows people to entirely alter their faces. There are even molds existing of the “beauty standard” facial alignment that some people work to match. That means they can easily manipulate images of their face to do things such as slim their nose and widen their eyes. While plastic surgery, angles, lighting, and makeup all help change one’s look, editing is also often at play.

Look For Light Sources

Some images reveal their editing because there are so many light sources at play that it makes no sense. Look at where the shadows hit the people, as well as the vibrancy of the people’s skin and clothes, as well as the background lighting. While it may seem ridiculous, some people do edit themselves into other photos or better backgrounds. Additionally, sometimes people only edit themselves in group shots. Also keep a lookout for filters, which can drastically alter appearances. Filters that are applied to videos can dramatically change face and body shapes, but they often reveal themselves in glitches with activity.

Related: Inside The Big Head Little Body Photoshop Trend Reality Stars Are Doing