PicTricks
Ever since the dawn of online dating, there's been one piece of advice we've heard over and over again: Don't Photoshop your profile photo.
Why? Because you can sound as charming as can be in your "about me" section, but most of the time, people are looking for a visual that fits before diving into a person's details. If you mislead a prospective date with your picture, you're putting yourself on a rocky road. Plus, you wouldn't want someone to pull a fast one on you (Catfish, anyone?)
So it's a little crazy to think that a Chicago-based clinical psychologist is saying that online daters should absolutely step up their game and use Photoshop to help them look better in their profiles.
Dr. Steven Nakisher told The New York Daily News people should "select at least one flattering full-body shot and one good close-up from the bunch and get a professional to clean up those images" because it will help their personal brand.
But of course, the catch: he's touting his own business, a photo-editing site called PicTricks of which he is the CEO. For $5 per photo, professional Photoshoppers will make you look like an A-Lister, perfect for your Tinder or OkCupid profile.
"You really want it to look realistic. You don't want that smooth magazine face," he tells The Daily News, but take a look at some of the changes he suggests making to people's photos.
Body contouring:
PicTricks
Skin smoothing:
PicTricks
They can even do "person removal" (yikes):
PicTricks
Even hair color:
PicTricks
None of this seems very realistic at all if you were ever planning on stepping out from behind the computer screen and go on a date. Shedding 20 lbs in just one photo? Changing your hair color?
But if you must go down the Photoshop route, there are free apps (like this one) and you can do the job yourself.