The idea of beauty is different all over the world, just like language. In 2014, journalist Esther Honig went viral after she sent her photo to graphic designers in different countries. She asked them to edit her face to fit their country’s beauty standards.
This inspired more people, including Priscilla Yuki Wilson and Marie Southward, who added a different perspective. That same year, OnlineDoctor.SuperDrug.com, a UK-based online doctor service, teamed up with Fractl, a content marketing agency, to do a similar project. They sent a stock photo of a woman in her underwear to designers in 18 different countries, from the UK to Syria. The goal was to see how beauty standards differ around the world.
The results showed big differences.
Philippines: The model was made skinnier, with darker hair.
USA: A thigh gap, flatter stomach, and smoother skin were added.
China: The most changed image—estimated weight of 100 pounds, altered hair, face, and underwear.
Colombia: The model was kept curvier, with subtle changes to skin tone and hair.
Egypt: A small waist, black hair, and an orange skin tone were added.
Italy: One of the thinnest versions, with new underwear and shoes.
The Netherlands: Lighter hair, thinner legs, added boots, and a pink bikini.
Peru: The arms and stomach were slimmed down, with changes to the eyes.
Romania: A more orange skin tone and a smaller body.
Serbia: Adjustments to both the model’s body and face.
South Africa: A taller and thinner version.
Spain: Kept a curvier look compared to other countries.
Mexico: Gave the model a tanned look and brown hair.
Syria: The changes looked slightly unnatural.
UK: A much trimmer body with a plain background.
Ukraine: More hair volume, a smaller body, and changed underwear and shoes.
Argentina: A flatter stomach and lifted chest.
Venezuela: A lighter skin tone with long, wavy dark hair.
Fractl’s team noticed that North, South, and Central America tended to create an exaggerated hourglass figure, while many European and Asian designers made the model much thinner.
When comparing all the results, the original image became completely unrecognizable. China had the thinnest submission, Spain had the heaviest, and China had the lightest skin tone.
The main lesson? Beauty standards are different everywhere. There is no single definition of beauty, and no one can meet every expectation. Instead, the best thing is to accept yourself and embrace who you are.