Idk if I’m insecure or what and I know it’s probably normal but I’ve always struggled with how I looked and recently I tried filters to figure out what makeup styles look good on me but it just made me feel even worse about myself.its probably like a teenager rite of passage to feel this way anyway but I wanna ask if there’s anyway to make me stop feeling weird about myself.
hey @Busybee
thank you for sharing about this! you’re right that this is a normal thing to go through, many of us don’t feel very confident about how we look during this period.
the feeling might not go away immediately, there are always going to be days where you don’t feel good about yourself, but I would like to encourage you to build confidence! start small with things that you like to do! do you have any hobbies? or places you like to go to?
also, even if you do continue using those filters once in a while, that’s completely okay! I think you’re already doing well in identifying that this behaviour isn’t the most healthy, that’s the most important part~ once you build more confidence it’ll be a lot easier to let go of this and the weird feelings
take care! 
Hey @Busybee,
When you said the filters “made me feel even worse,” that’s an important detail. It sounds like you were experimenting to see what suits you, but instead of helping, it lowered how you felt about yourself.
It’s true that many teens struggle with appearance at some point. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it feels small. You mentioned you’ve “always struggled,” which suggests this insecurity has been around for a while, and the filters simply intensified it.
One thing that may help to understand: filters don’t only simulate makeup. They often adjust skin texture, lighting, symmetry, and sometimes even facial proportions. When someone looks at altered images repeatedly, the brain gradually adjusts its idea of what “normal” looks like. Then when you return to your unfiltered face, it can feel unfamiliar or less polished. That reaction is predictable. It does not mean there is something wrong with how you look.
The pattern may look like this:
You feel unsure > you check using filters > the filtered version looks enhanced > your real face feels less than > you question yourself.
That loop can quietly reinforce insecurity.
Before trying to “build confidence,” it may be more effective to reduce the comparison tool itself. Taking a short break from appearance-altering filters can allow your perception to reset. If you still want to explore makeup, approach it as experimentation or self-expression, rather than correction.
You asked how to stop feeling weird about yourself. Often the first step is not forcing confidence, but reducing habits that amplify self-criticism.
From what you’ve written, this appears to be appearance insecurity shaped by comparison, not something extreme. If the thoughts ever become harsh or begin affecting your daily functioning, speaking to a trusted adult or counsellor would be appropriate. Otherwise, this is something many people gradually work through as their sense of identity stabilises.
There is nothing abnormal about you for feeling this. You are still forming your sense of self, and that process can feel uneven at times.