Why is it more socially acceptable for women to alter their appearance but less so for men?

Women use makeup and filters all the time to improve their appearance. I'm a woman and I do it myself. However recently a male friend of mine used filters to clear his skin and give his cheekbones a little bit more definition, but nothing crazy. I won't lie in the picture he went from a 6 to an 7+. He ended up going on a date with a girl he matched with on tinder after using those edited photos. When she realized he didn't look exactly like his tinder photos, she got pissed and made a viral Tiktok about it and it raised the ire of several women. Apparently she felt "deceived". Why is it socially more acceptable for women to alter their appearance but not men? I get that looks maxxing is a thing, but so far men who get rhinoplasty, lipo and limb lengthening surgery get clowned. It seems even men who use simple filters and edit their photos also face immense scrutiny.

Posted Jun 15, 2026, 1:03 PM UTC

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