Photo Editing Tutorial: Digital Cosmetic Surgery

Many of us want to know what we could look like with some technological help. Even for those of us who don't consider plastic surgery an option in real-life, digital cosmetic surgery is something that interests a large number of people.

Take me, for example. The simple fact that "surgery" is involved, I can't see myself ever actually going under the knife. I'm not saying I couldn't visually benefit from a procedure or two, but the costs-including money, pain, and risk-are too high for me to realistically consider doing any type of actual plastic surgery. I mean, I can barely make it to the dentist--you're not going to see me in a Doctor 90210 episode in the foreseeable future.

However, I love digitally editing photos in a way that would create a similar look to having cosmetic surgical procedures performed. I like the artistic aspects. I like to see what I'd look like skinnier. I like to see if I could ever get confused with someone who has great skin.

Whether you're interested in real-life cosmetic surgery or just a digital version, using an editing program like Adobe Photoshop, or its free counter-part GIMP, can be instrumental in achieving a digital version of the look you're going for. Obviously, you can edit whatever you want. But here are my top picks for a quick beauty transformation.

Weight and Size-Liposuction, Tummy Tucks

A nip here and a tuck there with digital corrections is going to be the easiest way to ever lose weight-it may not be the healthiest, but it's certainly easier than running a marathon (not that I've ever tried).

The simplest realistic way that I know how to minimize a portion of an image is using the tool named IWarp in GIMP and Liquify in Adobe Photoshop. Doing the same basic procedures in both programs, this tool is extremely effective in moving object borders around in a picture. Some photos are naturally going to work better, being more conducive to having the foreground shrunk and the background enlarged, so play around with a few different pictures.

Find a picture that works well overall and then focus on getting specific sections looking their best. For tummy tucks and large areas of weight loss, I greatly increase the various IWarp/Liquify settings and move closer to the center the edges of my waist, hips, legs, arms, et cetera.

Face and Skin Care-Rhinoplasty, Chemical Peel, Face Lift, Botox, Collagen Injections

For smaller trouble spots like double chins or a bigger nose, I still use the IWarp tool, but I begin the process a little differently. I first select (with something as simple as the round selection tool) the specific area I want to work with before loading the IWarp function. This way, I can be zoomed in and work more explicitly on targeted areas with my tool settings set on lower levels creating a more realistic and polished result than would otherwise be possible.

The IWarp can also effectively be used, when zoomed in, for the equivalents of brow lifts, and collagen injections, and cheek and mid-face lifts.

For Botox, chemical peels, and laser skin resurfacing, I'd opt for the ever trusty airbrushing tool, which can be found both in GIMP and Adobe Photoshop. The airbrushing tool can smooth wrinkles and remove blemishes and imperfections with very natural-looking yet improved results.

Et Cetera-Dentistry, Hair Implants, You Name It

With photo editing programs like GIMP and Adobe Photoshop, the possibilities are really endless. Want to see what you'd look like with hair implants, or maybe with some dental prosthetics of crowns or veneers? Play around and see if you can create the results you want. Even if the picture editing goes way overboard and the result is unusable, perhaps it will help in reminding that you probably look better in real-life than you're giving yourself credit for.