Do Mirrors Play Tricks?

[William2018]

When I look in one mirror I look great, but when I look in another mirror I look totally out of shape. What gives? If the mirrors are slightly bulged or warped, or not positioned upright properly does that make a big difference? Kind of frustrating when I glance at the bathroom mirror and I convince myself I need to lose a few pounds of fat, but when I step into the gym that same day I look at the mirrors all around me and I look good, and I end up not knowing if the mirrors at home are playing tricks or the mirrors at the gym are. Anyone else get frustrated by different mirrors and see different results in them? I must admit the mirrors at home are pretty old and have been washed many times. Does that affect the reflective surface? I feel much more confident when I glance at a shop mirror for sale in a general store, but when I'm at home I just don't see the same thing. Anyone else left puzzled? Do you look at one mirror and avoid another for the same reasons? Do they play tricks?

[CommitmentRulz]

When I look in one mirror I look great, but when I look in another mirror I look totally out of shape. What gives? If the mirrors are slightly bulged or warped, or not positioned upright properly does that make a big difference? Kind of frustrating when I glance at the bathroom mirror and I convince myself I need to lose a few pounds of fat, but when I step into the gym that same day I look at the mirrors all around me and I look good, and I end up not knowing if the mirrors at home are playing tricks or the mirrors at the gym are. Anyone else get frustrated by different mirrors and see different results in them? I must admit the mirrors at home are pretty old and have been washed many times. Does that affect the reflective surface? I feel much more confident when I glance at a shop mirror for sale in a general store, but when I'm at home I just don't see the same thing. Anyone else left puzzled? Do you look at one mirror and avoid another for the same reasons? Do they play tricks?

LIGHTING can make a big difference. I assume you don't have circus "fun house" mirrors installed at home. ;-)

[William2018]

LIGHTING can make a big difference. I assume you don't have circus "fun house" mirrors installed at home. ;-)

Thought it might be the lighting at first, but when I moved the mirrors around to improve the lighting the results at home were the same. I have a large porthole mirror and a wardrobe mirror. I did a little research and it does appear that old mirrors frequently produce a deceptive reflection e.g.


The Sun
'According to Dr. Ken Mellendorf, a physics teacher from Illinois - "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." 'Over time most mirrors bend from top to bottom and there can be a slight curvature at the edge.' "Your home mirror can do this due to its own weight. If the centre 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." (porthole mirror) 'However, if a thin, or an unframed mirror is leaning up against the wall it could well be offering something a little way from the truth.'

The article mentioned that high street customers were complaining because the mirrors in fitting rooms made them look thin, but when they got home the old mirrors made them look fat. Guess it's time to buy a new mirror.

[NuubLifter2000]

Yes Lightning is important, but....

In gyms the mirrors often are a bit "enchanced", in the center they make you look more thin and more laterally they
make you more wide/buff, so subconsiencly you stand were you look the better. The difference is so subtle often you don't even notice it first...…...

not funny mirror style

[MrCarrot]

Yes Lightning is important, but....

In gyms the mirrors often are a bit "enchanced", in the center they make you look more thin and more laterally they
make you more wide/buff, so subconsiencly you stand were you look the better. The difference is so subtle often you don't even notice it first...…...

not funny mirror style

Yep, the mirrors in my gym definitely make you look broader when you stand in the centre. I don't know if it's intentional, or just the side effect of a very big, wide mirror. Either way, I make sure I stand facing the centre of the mirror when doing barbell curls lol

As for the OPs issue, I find lighting plays a big part, whether it's a full length mirror, how big it is, how close you are to it, etc. In my bathroom mirror I tend to look big because my bathroom is small and the mirror itself is quite small. However in my living room I look smaller because the room is much bigger (as is the mirror) plus the lighting is different. For all the reasons I try not to look in mirrors too often with my clothes off!

[etet1919]

Smartphones play "smoke and mirror" tricks...not real mirrors

[SideshowBill]

Mirrors reverse left and right, this actually makes more difference than it may seem.

[Shayded]

The best example of mirror trickery is car windows.

they're slightly convex, so everyone looks joocy as fukk in them.

Gym mirrors are also usually not perfectly flat, and gyms have amazing lighting usually

Your mirror selfie in an average bathroom or bedroom is honestly one of the worst possible scenarios for your physique

[MrCarrot]

There was a post a while ago in the misc asking, "Which is the real me, mirror me, or photo me?"

I can't remember what the consensus was.