When Beauty Isn’t Real: The Rise of AI Models and the Mental Health Cost of Synthetic Perfection
- Schoen Clinic UK
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
In August 2025's print edition of Vogue, an advert featuring a striking woman in a floral playsuit and striped maxi dress made headlines, not for what she was wearing, but for what she wasn’t. Real.
Created entirely by AI for Guess, the model’s polished appearance is flawless, symmetrical, and critically, unattainable.
The fashion world has long wrestled with the damaging consequences of unrealistic beauty ideals. But the rise of AI-generated models brings a new layer of complexity, one with serious implications for public mental health. According to specialists at Schoen Clinic Chelsea, this shift in visual culture could be fuelling body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and anxiety, especially among young people navigating identity in a digital age.
The problem isn’t new - just more perfect than ever
From airbrushed supermodels to filtered Instagram selfies, the media has always presented edited versions of reality.
But as Dr Bradley Powell, Chartered Clinical Psychologist, explains, AI-generated bodies represent a new threshold of distortion: “Unlike traditional beauty standards shaped by media, AI models are often literally unachievable digital composites created without the limitations of biology, health, or diversity.”
These aren’t people edited to look flawless. They’re entities designed to be flawless.
The danger? When real people compare themselves to these fabricated images, the psychological fallout can be profound.
“If we are comparing ourselves to something that doesn’t even exist, it’s no surprise that feelings of inadequacy can deepen,” Dr Powell notes.
The rise of synthetic beauty: A step backwards for diversity?
Model and body diversity advocate Felicity Hayward called the Vogue ad “disheartening,” warning it risks undermining progress toward inclusive representation in fashion. Ten years ago, major brands featured transgender, plus-size, and hijab-wearing models. Today, they’re reverting to digital avatars that reinforce narrow ideals, typically white, thin, symmetrical, and conventionally attractive.
Even the creators of the Guess AI model, Seraphinne Vallora, admit that their diverse AI content receives less engagement on social media. Their response? Focus on what gets likes even if that means sidelining inclusivity.
Emma Johnson, Principal Systemic Family Psychotherapist at Schoen Clinic Chelsea, argues that these avatars fail to represent not only the diversity of real people, but the cultural richness of fashion itself:
“Give me roman noses, give me freckles and wonky eyebrows, give me a tummy that shows you love pasta and can still dress like Charli XCX… The style is old, the look too perfect. It lacks nuance. It ignores how young people really look.”
Her point is poignant: these AI models are not just unrealistic, they are unrelatable. By recycling outdated aesthetics and manufactured perfection, they erase real individuality and feed a homogenised fantasy.
Body image and mental health: More than skin deep
The psychological impact of idealised beauty standards is well-documented, and new technologies like AI may be amplifying the problem. Recent global research has found that beauty ideals have become increasingly contradictory: people are now expected to be slim, curvy, toned, and small-waisted all at once. 72% of respondents said "being slim" is still a key expectation, while nearly 60% also listed "being curvy", highlighting how impossible these combined standards can be to meet.
Perhaps even more concerning, 85% of women and girls say they’ve been exposed to harmful beauty content online, and two-thirds believe the pressure to look attractive is greater now than in their mothers’ generation. While the beauty industry has made strides in embracing diversity, the rise of AI-generated models threatens to reverse that progress, replacing real, varied bodies with digitally perfected ones that often reinforce outdated ideals.
This kind of exposure doesn’t just influence trends, it shapes self-worth, particularly in young people who are still forming their identities. When beauty becomes an algorithmic fantasy, it distances people even further from accepting what’s real and human.
As Dr Daniel Masud, Consultant General & Addictions Psychiatrist, points out, the issue is no longer limited to women:
“Body image concerns, once thought to predominantly affect women, are now recognised as a growing mental health crisis in men… More than half of British men exhibit signs of body dysmorphia, particularly a preoccupation with muscularity and leanness.”
Social media has already flooded timelines with fitness influencers and photoshopped physiques.
Now, with AI-generated perfection added to the mix, self-worth is increasingly tied to an impossible ideal.
“Muscles become a measure of masculinity, symmetry a sign of discipline… but the satisfaction promised by this pursuit rarely comes,” Dr Masud adds.
In men, this can result in the misuse of performance-enhancing substances like SARMs and steroids. In both genders, it contributes to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and disordered eating.
Eating disorders and the blurred line of comparison
The UK's leading eating disorder charity Beat, recently warned that poor body image, especially when shaped by idealised and filtered imagery, increases the risk of eating disorders. It’s a link echoed in NHS Digital data, which shows a 5.1% rate of eating disorders among males aged 17 to 19 - a figure that continues to rise.
AI doesn't just airbrush imperfections. It eliminates them entirely. For those predisposed to body dissatisfaction or perfectionism, this sets a standard that not only can’t be reached, but shouldn’t be aspired to in the first place.
Dr Powell calls for a shift in how these technologies are used:
“We need industry standards so that AI-generated bodies mirror realistic and diverse physiques… and we should commission AI to model balanced lifestyles, confidence, and recovery—not perfection.”
AI models. The missing label: Why transparency matters
A recurring theme in the backlash to the Vogue campaign was transparency. The AI label was present, but subtle, and easily missed by readers. Critics say this lack of clarity is deceptive and harmful, especially to younger audiences who may not realise the image is artificial.
Former model turned tech entrepreneur Sinead Bovell described it as “exceptionally problematic,” highlighting how beauty ideals shaped by AI can exacerbate mental health issues, especially among adolescents already affected by filtered images and social comparison.
Dr Powell agrees:
“Requiring clear disclosures when an image is AI-generated allows viewers to contextualise what they see… It gives them back power and perspective.”
Toward a healthier digital landscape
So what’s the solution? According to Schoen Clinic specialists, AI in fashion doesn’t need to be inherently harmful, but it must be used responsibly. Dr Powell outlines three key ways to improve its impact:
Establish industry-wide standards to promote realistic and inclusive representation.
Mandate clear labelling of all AI-generated content to support informed consumption.
Use AI to model positive behaviours like recovery, resilience, and self-confidence—instead of perfection.
On an individual level, he also recommends building media literacy, shifting focus from appearance to function (“what does your body allow you to do?”), and curating your digital space to include diverse, inspiring, real people.
From illusion to inclusion
As AI-generated beauty becomes increasingly normalised, the risks to public mental health, and particularly body image, are significant. But it’s not too late to shift direction.
Real change means resisting synthetic standards and choosing instead to celebrate what makes us human: our flaws, our individuality, and our stories. As Emma Johnson puts it, “I need real people with real bodies and a real brain.”
Whether you're a fashion house, a policymaker, or just someone scrolling your feed, the message is clear: beauty isn’t meant to be engineered. It’s meant to be lived.
Further reading and resources:
About Schoen Clinic Chelsea: Schoen Clinic Chelsea provides specialist outpatient mental health care for adults, teens, and families. Our experts offer evidence-based support for body image concerns, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Contact us, explore our specialists, or book an appointment today.
