"Selfies With the Pre-Surgery Me and Post-Surgery Me"... Japan's 'AI-Generated Cosmetic Surgery Photos' Trend

According to The Financial News, young people in Japan are embracing an "AI-generated before-and-after cosmetic surgery photo" trend. They use artificial intelligence (AI) to merge their pre- and post-surgery faces into one image, making it look as if two "different" people are standing together in the same place.
On the 22nd, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong reported that photos created by AI, which combine pre- and post-cosmetic surgery images to make it appear as though two people are sitting side by side, have been appearing one after another on Japanese social networking service (SNS) platforms.
The technology works by feeding two photos—before and after surgery—into an AI program, which then blends them into a single, natural-looking image. Most of the resulting pictures share a similar mood: in a dim, virtual bedroom, the "two selves" take a selfie together or gaze at each other.
One Japanese user recently posted an AI-generated composite photo along with the comment, "I compared the two versions of myself and burst into tears." The post drew explosive attention, racking up 15.8 million views.
Other users shared lists of the procedures they had undergone, along with costs, recovery times, and levels of pain, describing the images as "proof of their effort."

They also recounted their surgery experiences.
One user wrote, "I didn't have any bone surgery, but after getting orthodontic treatment, liposuction, a facelift, and eyelid correction, I went through a major transformation." Another commented, "I didn't get plastic surgery to look good for men; I did it for myself."
People who saw the posts on SNS responded with messages of encouragement and praise.
Comments included, "The pain, the money, the long recovery time—these photos really hit home," and, "It takes courage to share pictures like this publicly. You have to make peace with your past self and accept who you are now as you are."
There were also notes of concern. Some critics warned that the trend could provoke insecurity among image-conscious teenagers and distort standards of beauty.
Japan is considered one of the world's largest cosmetic surgery markets, with around 3.3 million procedures performed each year. There is currently no legal age limit for cosmetic surgery in Japan, and minors can undergo procedures as long as they have parental consent.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter