How Different Mirrors Can Change How You Look

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A guide that explains how lighting and lenses can change how you look in mirrors and photographs

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Kalee Hewlett

Last Updated: November 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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Reasons Why You Look Different

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Why do people look different in mirrors vs photos?

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Are mirrors more accurate than photos?

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You look like a model ready to strut down the runway in the dressing room, but when you come back home, your mirror reminds you a little too much of a fun house. Why is it that you look like yourself in one mirror, but completely different in another? Don’t worry, you’re not seeing things! The lighting, type of mirror, and glass quality all affect how you look in the mirror. In this article, we’ll tell you exactly why you might look different in different mirrors. We’ll also answer your questions about why you look different in pictures, and whether mirrors or photos give you a more accurate image of yourself.

Things You Should Know

Lighting, warping, and glass thickness can cause you to look different in different mirrors.
Mirrors reverse your image, making you look different in mirrors rather than in photos.
Mirrors are generally a more accurate depiction of how you look than photos.

Section 1 of 3:

Reasons Why You Look Different

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Lighting If you’ve noticed that gym mirrors tend to make you look better than mirrors in your own home, you might be onto something. Gyms often place soft lighting over their mirrors, which is much more flattering than harsh, direct light.^{[1]
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- Gentle lighting smooths your skin, highlights your muscles, and creates slimming shadows along your body–all of which work to keep you coming back to the gym!
- Harsh lighting is notorious for emphasizing the tiniest flaws and creating sharp shadows that distort your proportions.
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Warping The mirrors that you primp and prep in front of are called plane mirrors. In a perfect world, all plane mirrors would lay flat and reflect an undistorted image back at you. However, most mirrors have some curve and bending to them. This distorts your image, making parts of your body appear larger or smaller.^{[2]
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- If you’ve ever been in a fun house at a fair, you probably know that some mirrors are concave, or curve inward. They make your face and body appear smaller and squished in. On the other hand, convex mirrors curve outwards, which can make your normal sized features look huge!
- There’s an easy way to tell whether a mirror is distorted or not. Simply look for any uneven lines in the reflection that should be straight, such as door frames and baseboards.
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Thickness Different mirrors have different glass thicknesses, which can easily make you look different. If your proportions look out of whack in one mirror but not another, it’s likely that the glass is just too thin. Glass is heavy, so a thin mirror will often buckle under its own weight and warp.^{[3]
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- If you’re looking for a more accurate mirror, experts recommend buying one that is at least ⅜ of an inch (1 cm) thick.
- Be sure to also look for mirrors with a sturdy wood backing. This helps to prevent bending and distortion, even if the glass is thin.
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Material You might be surprised to learn that some mirrors are made out of plastic acrylic, not glass. These mirrors are generally poorer quality because they bend easily and are less clear than glass. So don’t worry if you liked your outfit better in front of your mirror at home than in the one at work; it’s not you, it’s the mirror’s material!^{[4]
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- You can usually tell the difference between glass and acrylic mirrors because glass is more reflective. Acrylic mirrors are also much lighter and have some give to them, unlike glass.
Clothing stores and gyms want you to look and feel your best, so they often angle their mirrors down and towards you. This slims and elongates your body, while a mirror angled up from the bottom will have the opposite effect. You’ll likely find that your most accurate reflection is in a mirror hung flat against the wall.^{[5]
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Section 2 of 3:

Why do people look different in mirrors vs photos?

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When you look in the mirror, you see a reversed image of yourself. You might think you look different in a photo, or even be surprised at how you look, because your face and body are not reversed. Instead, a photo shows you how your friends, family, and acquaintances see you in person.^{[6]
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- You are much more familiar with your reversed self–and therefore probably like it more–because you see yourself in the mirror more than you do in photos!
- It’s common for people to like their image better in the mirror because you have more control. When you look in a mirror, you usually pose and immediately shift yourself to your “good” side.^{[7]
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Section 3 of 3:

Are mirrors more accurate than photos?

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While mirrors reverse your image, they are more accurate than photos. Unlike photos, mirrors are less affected by factors that can distort your image. If someone takes your picture in the same pose with a camera and a phone, you will probably look different in each photo. The lens quality, lens size, light available, and angle of the camera all affect your image and can alter your proportions.^{[8]
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- While neither a mirror or photo is a perfect depiction, mirrors simply reflect your face back to you.
- Mirrors are also more accurate because they give you a 3D view of yourself while in motion. Cameras give you a static, 2D image which can flatten and enlarge your features.
- Shorter camera lenses, which are usually in phones, can make your features look wider and larger. A longer lens will generally make you look more elongated and slim.^{[9]
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