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

4 November 2026

Why do people appear younger and better-looking in a mirror than in a photograph? (continued)

Kevin Wooding
Via Facebook

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. Have fun with this.

Burcu Akten
Via Facebook

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.

Kittens brought up in a box containing only horizontal striped lines couldn’t see vertical objects in a normal environment

Lisa Munroe-Shields
Via Facebook

I look OK in the mirror. But I look like the love child of Hagrid and Worzel Gummidge in photographs! And the self-service cameras in supermarkets make me want to introduce a self-imposed ban on going in those particular shops!

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Topics: Last Word