The photos you see on social media aren't always representative of real life.

From filters, to clever posing and sneaky Photoshopping, there are many ways celebrities and influencers tweak their snaps.

So to expose how fake Instagram can be, a body positive influencer shared the same photo before and after editing.

Isabelle – AKA fitness4lazygirls on Instagram – posed in a neon pink bikini before making some subtle adjustments with the Facetune app.

She nipped in her waist, made her abs look more prominent and added curvier hips.

Even though the changes look subtle, she also altered her face by sharpening her jawline.

Isabelle captioned the images: "If you saw the right photo in your feed, would you know it was edited?

"Personally, I don’t think I would. So much of what we see online these days from models or influencers is edited (and often very subtly) that it’s hard to know what’s real…or attainable!

"The unedited picture on the left is still a great photo of me (flexed, posed, makeup, good lighting, self tan).

"That alone is unrealistic – I don’t even look like that 90% of the time!

"It only took a few minutes here to shrink my waist, define my abs, make my make my hips bigger, and even edit my jawline and forehead."

The self-love guru urged her followers not to feel disheartened when scrolling through social media.

She added: "I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Instagram is a highlight reel.

"There is no reason to compare yourself to someone’s Instagram photo when they probably don’t even look like that!

"Don’t let unrealistic pictures make you feel like you aren’t good enough.

"Stop scrolling & focus on becoming the best possible version of YOU!! You’re perfect."

Isabelle's post garnered more than 10,700 likes – and many were inspired by her message.

One fan wrote: "Thanks for saying it !! So many girls feel bad about their bodies based on what the see on Instagram… They should see this kind of post more often."

Another said: "I completely agree with what you’re saying, social media is so fake."

And a third added: "Absolutely – it's wild how quickly and easily it can be done."

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