Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

Mirrors are so confusing. So it's always rational to blame them for the way you look. I know I do. I feel like some mirrors make me look larger, and other mirrors make me look skinny. And if I come across a "fat mirror" it's always the mirror's fault. Not mine. Blame the mirror, (and the lighting). Always! (Except for when you look amazing then it's just you...you go Glen Coco.) There is a certain mirror at my gym that makes me look a bit wide and I HATE it. I avoid it at all costs. So, it got me thinking. Are all mirrors different? Do they REALLY distort the way your body looks? Making you look bigger than you are and ruining your entire day? And, are there mirrors that do the opposite and make you look extremely skinny? What the HELL does my body really look like?! I did my research and this is what I found.

According to Oklahoma physics teacher Jodi Bowie even the slightest bend in a mirror can distort your image. "Really it's just a piece of glass with a reflection on the back so if the glass is bent in any way, shape or fashion," Bowie says. "If you make it bend this way, the light would hit the mirror and go off in an angle so it would make you look larger. A bend in the opposite direction will make you look slimmer." 

"A completely flat mirror will show an image behind it of exactly the same shape and size as the actual object. Slight curvature along only one axis can make a person look fat or skinny. To make you look thin, your image needs to be compressed horizontally or extended vertically. Most mirrors bend over time top to bottom. If seen from the side, there is a slight curvature in the edge. The top and bottom edges are usually straight. Your home mirror can do this due to its own weight. If the center bulges out a little bit, your height will appear slightly smaller but your width will not be changed. This can make a person look a little fat."

If you're like me and need the above quotes simplified all you need to know is this: Mirrors aren't always accurate. They are all different and really do distort the way you are seeing yourself. So, the next time you come across a fat mirror, continue on your merry way because it's the mirror; not you!