How Instagram Filters Are Shaping Real-Life Aesthetic Trends

This article explores how Instagram filters—and the broader “Instagram effect”—have shaped modern aesthetic trends, including the concerns providers are seeing and how to pursue results that look natural, balanced, and true to you.

Social media has transformed our lives in ways that go far beyond sharing updates or connecting with friends. It influences how we communicate, how we consume information, and increasingly… how we see ourselves. With curated feeds and face-altering filters at our fingertips, it’s no surprise that social platforms have reshaped the aesthetic ideals many people strive for.

Today, countless users rely on filters to refine or “perfect” their appearance before posting a photo. In turn, these filtered images are showing up in aesthetic treatment rooms, with patients requesting filler, Botox, lasers, or even surgery to mimic the look a filter gave them. While wanting to look your best is completely normal, it’s equally important that the end result still looks like you — enhanced, not edited.

To unpack how Instagram has influenced aesthetics, we turn to Houston-based Nurse Injector Candace Bersani, who shares candid insights into the trend, the concerns it raises, and how she guides patients toward natural, authentic outcomes.

But first, what do we mean by “Instagram face” and “Instagram effect?”

What is “Instagram face?”

“Instagram face” refers to a highly polished, highly edited ideal that filters often exaggerate. Common traits include:

• High cheekbones
• Full lips
• Poreless, ultra-smooth skin
• Small, refined noses

Of course, these features rarely appear together naturally – no one person has the perfect look or features. Yet Instagram filters make them seem accessible and oddly attainable when individuals use said filters for their own photos.

“Instagram filters have definitely influenced what people see as ideal these days,” shares Bersani. “I notice more clients coming in with filtered selfies, wanting that ultra-smooth skin, tiny pores, or perfectly symmetric features. But filters can blur what’s realistic — they create a version of perfection that doesn’t actually exist. Ummm… hi, we all have pores!”

Bersani adds that this trend has “shifted aesthetic preferences toward more uniform, polished looks, which can sometimes take away from a person’s natural beauty and uniqueness.”

Concerns about the Instagram effect in aesthetics

Filters may seem harmless, but they come with real psychological and aesthetic implications. Some of the most common concerns include:

• The pressure to be perfect
• Trying to meet unrealistic aesthetic goals
• Fake and unnatural looks, like pillow face and duck lips.
• Body dysmorphia

When asked about her biggest concerns, Bersani is direct:

“The main concern is how filters affect self-image and expectations. When people constantly compare themselves to an edited version of reality, it can lead to dissatisfaction or even body dysmorphia. As a nurse injector, I take that seriously.

My goal is to enhance, not erase — I want patients to feel confident in their real, authentic selves. I always find it interesting when patients comment on my skin or say my face looks flawless. Meanwhile, I’m very aware of my own self-perceived flaws. I still get acne in my 40s… my damn smile is crooked! But we all only notice our own things. It’s human nature.”

Related reading: How to Avoid Pillow Face with Dermal Fillers

How do you handle it when people come in seeking a “perfected” or “filtered” look?

Many patients show up with filtered photos in hand, hoping to replicate that version of themselves. Bersani approaches these conversations with honesty and education:

“When someone brings in a filtered photo, I take the time to talk about what’s actually achievable and safe. We discuss balance, proportion, and what will look best for their features. Education is key — I explain how injectables can create subtle, natural improvements without making someone look ‘done.’”

Bersani also reminds patients that beauty isn’t about perfection; it’s about harmony and confidence.

“If you don’t believe me, go look at the studies where they make each side of the face mirror each other. The person never looks as attractive as they do with their own unique asymmetries.”

The bottom line: enhance, don’t erase

Everyone has insecurities – and everyone deserves to feel confident in their appearance. Aesthetics can absolutely support that confidence, but the goal should be enhancement, not perfection. Chasing the edited, filtered version of yourself often leads to results that appear unnatural, unbalanced, or overdone.

Your natural features, proportions, and subtle asymmetries are part of what make you uniquely beautiful. The right provider will work with those features, not against them.

Schedule an aesthetics consultation today

Ready to look and feel like the best version of you?

The team at DermaTouch RN has more than 15 years of experience serving the Houston and San Antonio communities. They take a conservative, patient-centered approach to injectables like Juvederm dermal fillers and Botox, and they offer innovative treatments ranging from advanced laser rejuvenation to CoolSculpting fat reduction and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Contact us online 24/7 or call 281-720-8724 (Houston) or 210-951-3520 (San Antonio) to schedule your consultation today.

Candace Bersani, BSN, RN, CANS

Nurse Injector

Candace has been a registered nurse since 2019 after obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. After graduation, she worked as an operating room nurse at one of the nation’s top hospitals, specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. This role not only allowed her to be the patient care advocate during surgery but also provided her with the unique experience of working alongside the surgeon, where she was able to observe facial anatomy up close. Candace has always had a passion for aesthetics and skincare. She is committed to providing innovative aesthetic treatments to achieve a natural result centered around the patient’s aesthetic goals. Learn more about Candace and the team of professionals she works with.