Apart from creating connections, a large part of social media is about gaining validation. It’s why you will likely see a flood of “glow-up” posts on your timelines where people proudly showcase their caterpillar-to-butterfly transformations.
But in recent years, the exact opposite trend has emerged: glow-downs. Instead, people are now showing how they’ve “declined” physically over the years. These people from TikTok took part and shared past photos from when they felt they were in their prime physical self.
If you’re learning about glow-downs for the first time, scrolling through these photos may help you understand why they became such a hit.
This post may include affiliate links.
Grandpa Joe, you are a (UK) national treasure!!! You are still beautiful!!!
Yeah....but....your closer to heaven! A matter of perspective! Good day!
Idk but the "before" looks like a frat d0uche, "after" looks like a chill dude you'd meet at a metal concert
I don't think we should normalize glow downs, no. We can't validate letting oneself go, bc it's inherently linked to depression. It's obvious this dude isn't happy, have you seen his face on pic 2? We need to help and not entitle, imho
You think that duckface in picture one shows happiness? And if your self-validation depends on your looks, you'll be suici*dal when you reach your 50s, dude.
Load More Replies...Wtf?? How does that relate at all to the context of this?
Load More Replies...Weddings are sort of a live-action movie you get to star in, and just like a movie, you (generally) have a professional hairdresser and makeup artist. You have a 'costume' fitted/altered perfectly to you. Unless we all suddenly become wildly beautiful, no, you will never look as good in day-to-day life as you do on your wedding day. Yes, I know not everybody does all of that, and that there are late bloomers who do look better later in life, I'm talking about those who try to do all of the standard wedding stuff. If you do a full face of special occasion makeup, fancy hairstyles, and fully tailored clothes daily, you just might be a bit high-maintenance!
The “glow-down” trend began in April 2020 when TikTok user Gabrielle McDonald issued a challenge. She admits to having physically peaked at 18 in high school, and she wanted others to share photos of when they were at their “hottest” and compare them to their current self.
Her video racked up more than 150,000 engagements and mixed reactions from commenters. Some felt the challenge fit them perfectly, while others didn’t appreciate the “negativity.”
Ahh, Michael Barrymore, once a king of British quiz shows on ITV. However the former TV presenter, was embroiled in controversy surrounding the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001. Lubbock was found dead in Barrymore's swimming pool, and Barrymore was later arrested on suspicion of sexual a*****t and murder. While he was released without charge and has always maintained his innocence, the events significantly impacted his career and reputation. Here is a link to his cover of Coolio's (I'll) See you when you get there, it's a gem, It's more Alan Partridge than Alan Partridge!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_bIaF7P9WA
Stuart Luubbock was found with catastrophic injuries to his anús. He may not have been múrdered (a lot of alcohol and drúgs were involved), but there was sever abúse.
Load More Replies...Please google Michael Barrymore and the murder of Stuart Lubbock. You probably won't think he still has it then!
Load More Replies...This is not talked about enough. Cancer treatment absolutely robs you of your looks, I was also 20/21 and remember begging my oncologist to cut down the steroids in my treatment because of the moon face it gave me. I know it shouldn't matter, but I've never felt good about my looks post cancer.
Amen to this! chemo f's you up mentally and physically. I'm happy you're still here, any which way you look - you are beautiful. And so am I.
Load More Replies...I guess I'm probably not supposed to say this, but frankly, she's far prettier now, than she was when she was caked with makeup. Who cares that she's bald, so am I. And the fact that she's fighting through a terrible disease just goes to show her inner strength, and that is beautiful.
WHO KEEPS DOWN VOTING MEE 😭😭 IM ACTUALLY BEING NICE FOR ONCE 😭
Load More Replies...wow, I just don't think I understand this category. Or are people just asking for compliments?
She literally looks the same. Just without makeup and having her natural hair color.
While McDonald’s challenge was likely out of curiosity and to defy the social media status quo, it quickly became viral. Many people, mostly women, shared past and present photos of themselves.
A lot of them were comparisons from when they were in their teens, while some were photos after giving birth and going through different stages of life.
Not sure this is the same person. Most of these people are puposely trying to use really bad angles.
She’s a skincare influencer popular on TikTok. Probably just doing this for likes. 🙄
Load More Replies...So she went from blonde to brunette. I don't think I understand this thread. This woman hasn't changed in appearance at all. Is it because she'll never wear a wedding dress again?
Personally I would say that most of this is simply aging, or lack of makeup/good photographer, not "glow down", with some rare exceptions (e.g. the cancer glowdown). Yeah, you are without makeup, without professional photographer, without perfect hairstyle and have a zit. It is not a glowdown, it is adjusting your expectations.
Load More Replies...Still absolutely lovely! On another note, the design of her wedding dress is incredible!
Maybe you should visit a therapist if you only feel pretty when you're the center of attention. This thread is so stupid.
On the surface, the glow-down challenge may signify a negative transformation. In fact, it is a way of showing the reality of daily life, without the makeup and filters.
Naturopathic physician Dr. Heidi Lescanec compares it to cooking videos with neatly prepped ingredients, hiding the chaos behind the scenes.
“The truth? A truly delicious meal, like personal growth, emerges from the disarray: trial and error, adjustments, a pinch of salt here, a squeeze of lemon there, until you taste it and say, Wow, now that’s it,” she wrote.
Yeah, you're so ugly now, especially with those eyebrows. (This will be my reply to all of those who are fishing for compliments)
And now that she's 20 and looks exactly the same? Was this just fishing for a compliment, because I'm sure she knows she's a beautiful woman.
I spent ten plus years as an ice blonde bleached hair woman; thank God my hair grows back now. Haven’t dyed it for 1,5 years; it’s looking so healthy now
I don't understand. Why can't she look like this again? Do they not make hair bleach anymore?
That's kinda pêdo-adjacent for an 11-year old. Gawd, let kids be kids.
Yeah, that was my thought too. Why is she dressed like she's about to be in a Scorpion music video at 11.
Load More Replies...That’s just sad (comparison wise). My mums always taught us never ever compare yourself to your child sizes and looks.
WTH is an 11 year old doing looking like this sexpot? This shows how bad it is to make our preteens look like Kartrashians. There's no place to go!
Experts recognize that the glowing-up trend does more harm than good. But for social psychologist Dara Greenwood, media portrayals and Hollywood are to blame for glorifying unattainable beauty standards.
“As long as A-list celebrities and social media influencers who attempt to critique the beauty myth don’t actually disengage from it themselves, young girls and women, and indeed boys and men, will not get the message,” Greenwood wrote.
Oh for goodness sake this thread is so stupid. Girl looks like a f*****g beauty queen in both
Wonder how much tape was necessary for that wedding dress. How would she even move one centimeter?
Now, we’d like to hear from you. What do you think about the glow-down trend? Does it help encourage people to be proud of their natural selves despite the “decline” with age? Or does it carry a negative message? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I don't get it but many celebrity post partum pictures may create insane expectations. Question is, is it more meaningful to follow beauty ideals or to literally start a new life?
Well, the glasses are not very flattering. In all other aspects, she looks very much the same.
HOW!! I look like a terr*rist in my passport photo. Which doesn't help at airports BTW. How does one get such an amazing photo? But yeah, she's very pretty in both pictures.
If 99% of brides compared themselves on a regular day to themselves on their wedding day, this wouldn't be a thing. Just a way to show off pics of themselves on their best day.
You look the same 😊 The only difference is that glow from the wedding day itself and that's just precious ❤️
Tape. There is tape that is sticky on both sides that is used a lot in fashion shows. At least so I learnt from Heidi Klum's misogynist model show.
Load More Replies...Maybe if you didn't have spiders nesting on your eyes, you could see that you look the exact same?
Oh purrlease..... 🙄 Remove the fly catcher lashes, sort that makeup from under your eyes and stop fishing for compliments. You're not getting Any from me 🙄🤦🏻♀️
Can also be hormonal. During puberty my hair dwindled down to a pencil thin ponytail and never recovered. No bleaching involved.
Load More Replies...Sorry, friend, but your eyes look completely dead and lifeless in the photo of you when you were 11 O_O;
I was just gonna say the same thing, I don't really see a difference in the two photos
Load More Replies...It looks like she is a natural brunette. And what is holding her back from re-dying her hair?
If that isn't just attitude for show and clicks, I'd like to send her either to therapy or have her meet people who have real problems.
Oh my heart bleeds for you, really it does.... 🙄 If you can't afford a hair dresser get box dye, you're clearly still dying your hair 🤷🏻♀️
I starting to feel that some of these photos are simply for validation on their looks haha. You're right, she could just dye her hair again, what's the big deal?
Load More Replies...I honestly see very little difference here other than the hairstyle...?
Il y en a beaucoup qui se "plaignent" pour rien finalement 🫠
Load More Replies...No, you just wanted to show off. Sad for you, what a shallow life. you have a narcissistic tendency in your personality. Be careful.
when looking at your profile shows 29 negative comments in less than 12 minutes, i feel more sad for you.. what a negative life you must live.
Load More Replies...Another one of the "have to drop that I've been to China/Korea" kind.
No, they still have those filters you were playing with at 16...you can look like that anytime you want.
La raison pour laquelle j'ai downvote tous ces postes filtres
Load More Replies...So many of these are just silly. Girl, you look the same, just with a little less make-up or filter/retouching. Have a feeling the whole trend is mostly girls fishing for compliments, which is sad in and of itself.
Most of the "when I was pretty" photos are professionally done, if that's what it takes to make you pretty, then you never were. And yet, none of them are too different from the now photos. Even the woman after cancer treatment looked rather lovely.
Wow, this is so stupid! "I don't look like a 12 year old with heavy makeup anymore, so I can never feel pretty again!!" If you feel that way, maybe you should wear a paper bag over your head and shut up.
This was a terrible post. They all looked beautiful in both pictures.
So many of these are just silly. Girl, you look the same, just with a little less make-up or filter/retouching. Have a feeling the whole trend is mostly girls fishing for compliments, which is sad in and of itself.
Most of the "when I was pretty" photos are professionally done, if that's what it takes to make you pretty, then you never were. And yet, none of them are too different from the now photos. Even the woman after cancer treatment looked rather lovely.
Wow, this is so stupid! "I don't look like a 12 year old with heavy makeup anymore, so I can never feel pretty again!!" If you feel that way, maybe you should wear a paper bag over your head and shut up.
This was a terrible post. They all looked beautiful in both pictures.
