Is it normal that i look hot in the mirror but ugly in pictures?

81% Normal
8 Comments

I have a jaw problem, my lower jaw is off-center and slightly out of line with my upper jaw. I'm actually getting surgery for it in the summer. I really can't notice it in the mirror too much, and my family and friends have told me that they can't notice the problem in person at all either, but when I am in pictures, I look hideous!!! You can totally see my off-center jaw much more easily in pictures, and it throws my entire face off. I'm hoping it's just that I'm not photogenic, but I can't help but think...if I look that way in pictures, why do I look so completely different in the mirror? Do I see a distorted image in the mirror of my "hot" self? Am I actually ugly? Have my friends and family been lying to me?

Voting Results
81% Normal
Based on 129 votes (104 yes)
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Comments ( 8 )
  • mattjay
    13 years ago

    OMG exactly the same with me.

    It's because your image is reversed in the mirror and your mental image of yourself is closely associated with that reversed image. For we slightly asymmetrical folk, seeing ourselves in photos where our faces are the way others see them is not always an edifying experience. Of course for other people, they only see the 'real' version of your face and don't notice any problem at all! It's as much a trick of the brain as a physical trait.

    My jaw is also slightly skewed but it's only noticeable when I smile. I absolutely hate my smile and have come to avoid showing my teeth because my whole smile is off center and horrid. I hadn't ever considered surgery, so I'd love to know how yours turns out for you. Really, please do reply and let us know! :) x

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  • Gardenia
    13 years ago

    Thaaaat sucks:/
    Get your surgery

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  • Antares
    12 years ago

    Oh. I used to have a crush on someone like you. But she hardly cared (on the outside, I guess).

    Anyway, it could be digital flaw, or the way you appear 2-D instead of 3 like in the mirror.

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  • Vcek
    12 years ago

    Nothing is wrong with you .... actually i just recently made this discovery: get someone you know since a long time and look at his face in the mirror .. Yes .. it indeed looks weirdly out of proportions.

    This is because when you see people in real life your brain stores the non-inverted(horizontally) image of their faces. But when you see yourself its mostly in the mirror and it gets stored in the inverted form, so whenever you see a normal picture(non-inverted) you feel its funny, while other people see it just as normal as they see it directly.

    I hope this is the proper explanation of (everybody-looks-funny-in-the-mirror-except-me-phenomenon)

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  • heyygirlheyy
    13 years ago

    i'm the same way. i don't have the jaw problem, but i think i look a lot better in person/the mirror than in pictures.

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  • ChloeFTW
    13 years ago

    I feel the same way about myself. Some people are just not photogenic, but are actually better looking in person.

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  • firefly88
    13 years ago

    The more proportional/symmetrical a face is, the more beautiful.

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    • Antares
      12 years ago

      You must've been infatuated with the powerpuff girls. :)

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