Why do people look better in a mirror than in a photograph? Part 3

Check your subscription status, update your details and more. Why do people look better in a mirror than in a photograph? Part 3 This question was posed as part of New Scientist’s Last Word series, in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions.

Here’s what our readers had to say **Why do people appear younger and better-looking in a mirror than in a photograph? (continued)** Faces aren’t symmetrical and you become accustomed to the unique proportions of your mirrored impression over many years. A photograph shows your face without mirroring, and it can be unfamiliar and surprising with the two sides of your face swapped. Of course, you could always spend a lot of time looking at photographs of yourself to get used to the non-reflected image of your face.

I know the answer in my own case. I have a better relationship with myself than I do with others. I’m worried about how others see me, but I’m not worried about how I see myself.

So, when my photo is taken, I tense up and look uncomfortable and distressed under the gaze of others. In the mirror, I am kind to myself. So, I see a confident and happy person in the mirror, not a scared one.

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