Despite the lessons taught by our mothers, fathers, teachers, grandparents, and psychologists, appearance still matters. It’s a sad fact, but humanity has faced this reality for centuries. Truth be told, people are judged by how they look, and deep down, most of us feel better when we present ourselves more attractively.

The “body positivity movement” on social media has helped people feel comfortable in their natural appearance and has taught many that “every body is beautiful.” But no matter how hard we try to encourage acceptance of different looks, sometimes our biggest critic regarding our own appearance is ourselves.

“Many people have flabby bodies. I work out several times a week and sacrifice hours of my free time away from my family just to look better—and even then, I’m never satisfied. Social media can help people appreciate the bodies they have, but it also bombards us with images of supermodels and fitness athletes every minute. The truth is, it’s really hard to accept yourself as you are,” says 26-year-old Sophie Atwood.

Since she was 14, Sophie refused to leave the house without full makeup. It got to the point where she slept with her makeup on, so boyfriends and friends never saw her natural look if she stayed over.

Sophie, a PR consultant in Staffordshire, England, began her transformation journey with a non-surgical nose reshaping procedure costing $586. This procedure tightens and “smooths” the nose using hyaluronic acid injected into the bridge of the nose. Sophie shared, “Although everyone told me my nose was just fine, I was always unhappy with it. I thought it was too wide and really wanted it not to be so flat. It was a strong obsession for years, and I found myself covering it with makeup every day—no matter where I was going.”

Two weeks later, Sophie returned to Elite Aesthetics Clinic for lip fillers. She had always wanted fuller lips and had created the appearance of them with makeup for years. Fillers offered a more permanent solution. Sophie then visited Tracy Fenns, a permanent makeup specialist, and paid $645 for a two-hour procedure to apply facial tattoos.

“All these methods have had a huge impact on my self-esteem and confidence,” she added. “Many people might think I’m crazy, but I now feel much happier with my appearance.”