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If seeing seemingly perfect celebrities on your Instagram and TikTok feeds make you contemplate cosmetic procedures, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, the algorithm has an impact on celebrities, too\u2014but not in the way you may think. Imagine if you were doomscrolling and you saw someone using the greenscreen feature to pick apart your very own face. That’s what happened to Troye Sivan<\/strong>, and he admits in a new Substack post that it really got under his skin.<\/p>\n In a post titled \u201cfeeling a bit uggo (ugly),\u201d Sivan shares that he, like so many people, has long struggled with body image; he vacillates between body positivity and wanting to do something about the signs of aging he’s been noticing after turning 30. He looked into under-eye fat transfer, he says, and, \u201cI\u2019ve also heard I\u2019m in the ideal window to start \u2018baby botox.\u2019 How does that look on men? I really don\u2019t want that frozen look, but I do notice my \u2018elevens\u2019 are starting to show even when I\u2019m not frowning.\u201d<\/p>\n And perhaps pushing the needle a little closer to\u2026 well\u2026 needles: a content creator and aesthetic practitioner in London who goes by Dr. Zayn. \u201cWhat good is money and modern medicine if not to fix all of these flaws that this random sicko fucko plastic surgeon told me I have in an Instagram reel?\u201d Sivan writes, linking out to a now-removed post in which the content creator (who is not a board-certified plastic surgeon by the UK’s standards) says that Sivan has “problem areas” on his face, like \u201cshadows, valleys, and folds,\u201d that make him appear older than he is. Um\u2026 ouch?<\/em><\/p>\n To make matters worse, Sivan writes, \u201cMy all-knowing, eternally and deeply evil algorithm saw the opportunity in this moment of vulnerability, and pulled every lever and dialled every knob to 1000. I saw video after video of deep plane facelift recoveries, and ads for unapproved GLP-1 meds that now come in pill form \u2026 I hit the \u2018not interested\u2019 button a few times and hoped for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting cosmetic procedures, but that desire should come without undue influence, and definitely without someone publicly scrutinizing your face because they see celebrities as fair targets. (For the record, Sivan clarified in a post-mortem correction that Dr. Zayn removed his post and apologized. \u201cNo hard feelings from my side whatsoever,\u201d Sivan says.)<\/p>\n So, when faced with a decision, will Sivan proceed with a procedure or continue aging as-is? \u201cI\u2019m embarrassed to say, but I can\u2019t make any promises,\u201d he writes. \u201cI\u2019m patient with myself, and understand and respect both approaches. It\u2019s us vs species-endingly-insatiable corporate greed, with access to addictive brainwashing technology.\u201d<\/p>\n May we all be as patient and tuned into the influences as he is.<\/p>\n More beauty news:<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, watch Stray Kids spill their secrets on Truth Serum:<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow<\/em> Allure on<\/em>\u00a0Instagram<\/em> and<\/em>\u00a0TikTok, or<\/em>\u00a0subscribe to our newsletter<\/em> to stay up to date on all things beauty.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n