Bored Panda has put together a collection of 60 before-and-after photos showing dramatic transformations, and it has drawn attention to a broader question: why do young people chase these kinds of changes online? The images are striking, but the story behind them is less simple.
The collection is presented as a record of sudden change, the kind that makes a viewer do a double-take. Some transformations are subtle, others are extreme, and the platform has gathered them into one list for viewers to scroll through. The site describes the trend as a viral online habit where people post pictures of themselves before and after major changes.
The Trend Behind The Pictures
The photos are part of a larger online pattern. People share images of themselves before and after major life changes, often styling, weight loss, or cosmetic shifts. The collection at Bored Panda is one example of this kind of sharing.
The trend has drawn attention from experts who study youth development and health. Their concern is not with the photos themselves but with what young people see when they look at them.
What The Experts Say
Dr. Whitney Casares, a pediatrician and author of My-One-of-a-Kind Body, has noticed a shift in her young patients. She says the problem is growing over time, not shrinking.
“I absolutely notice this as a central focus among my patients in this age cohort. And it’s only getting worse as time goes on,” she says.
Grace Lautman, a nutritionist and teen eating disorder therapist, shares that worry. She says glow-up routines put too much emphasis on “perfect” bodies, which can lead to unhealthy habits and even eating disorders.
“It’s another area of the internet where perfectionist and unrealistic beauty standards are upheld,” Lautman told Parents.com.
Why Teenagers Are Vulnerable
The Polaris Teen Center has tracked the age at which young people become aware of their body shape and size, and the trend is moving younger. According to the center, the rate at which teens become aware of their body shape and size is getting younger and younger.
The center points to social media as the main driver. Many teenagers say media is one of the biggest influences on how they see their own bodies.
“Many teenagers site media as being on of the biggest influencers when it comes to body image (how one perceives his or her body when looking in the mirror),” notes the site. “In the United States, media and overall popular culture strongly idealize thinness, and adolescents and teens are amongst the population most strongly influenced, especially with the popularity of social media.”
The numbers are specific. Polaris researchers found that 69% of females aged 10 to 18 say photographs of models and celebrities in the media motivated their “ideal” body shape. Even teens with a healthy body weight are still likely to view themselves as “overweight” or “fat” because of what they see in the media.
The Risks Of The Trend
The concern is not just about vanity. Casares links beauty content directly to physical outcomes.
“Over-exposure to beauty content is also linked to body image struggles which are, in turn, related to other negative physical outcomes for people of all ages, including dieting and overexercising,” she says.
The Polaris team warns that the pressure to fit an ideal can become dangerous.
“The importance placed on thinness in the media can create a desire to achieve the impossible in terms of body shape and size, and can obviously become a trigger to dieting and weight loss,” they warn.
How Parents Can Respond
Lautman offers practical advice for parents who want to talk about these issues with their children.
“If a parent is just starting to create conversations about these topics, then just open-ended questions about what it’s like to navigate clothes and make up at their age can go a long way,” explains the expert.
She also encourages parents to help their children think critically about what they see online.
“It’s vital that parents encourage their children to think critically about social media, and to discuss how it promotes unrealistic body and beauty standards, or how social media filters can fool us into thinking someone looks ‘perfect,'” she says.
The Limits Of The Research
The Polaris findings come from a specific group of young people. The 69% figure applies to females aged 10 to 18, and the research does not cover boys or adults. The numbers are narrow, but the trend they describe is widespread.
The trend is visible across social media, and the pressure to look a certain way is present in many communities.
Other Voices On The Trend
Not everyone sees glow-ups as harmful. Some people find them empowering.
“For some, the concept of a glow up is one of positive personal growth, a celebration of progress and a motivator to become your truest self rather than a dismal indication of pervasive negative body image,” reports The State Press.
The LGBTQ+ community has its own perspective on physical transformation. For some members of that community, physical changes carry a different meaning than they might for straight, cisgender people.
What The Trend Says About Us
The photos at Bored Panda are a snapshot of that desire. They show young people making real changes to their lives, documented in images that can be shared with millions of strangers.
The trend raises questions about identity, visibility, and the role of the internet in shaping how people see themselves. Those questions do not have easy answers, but they deserve attention.
| Stage | Focus |
|---|---|
| Before | Self-doubt, insecurity |
| After | New identity, new confidence |
| Trend | Viral sharing, public comparison |
| Concern | Unhealthy habits, eating disorders |
| Response | Critical thinking, open conversation |
The trend is unlikely to disappear soon. Social media is not going away, and neither are the dozens of glow-up trends we see all the time.
The experts cited here agree that the trend is concerning, but they do not offer a single solution. They encourage critical thinking, open conversation, and a willingness to question what is being shown.
What is clear from the research is that the pressure to conform is real. It affects young people across gender and background, and it shows up in the numbers: 69% of girls aged 10 to 18 say celebrity images shape their idea of what an ideal body looks like. That is a majority, and it is a warning sign.
The photos at Bored Panda are a reminder of that pressure. They are striking, but they are also a symptom of something larger.
See the 60 photos at Boredpanda.
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