16 People Share Striking Photos That Truly Show What Real Change Looks Like

Recognizing change as it unfolds — whether in people, nature, or everyday things — can be more difficult than it seems. Often, it’s only when we stop to compare past and present photos that we truly grasp how significant those changes have been.

1. “Age ~11 to 20. I owe a lot to contacts, braces, filling in my eyebrows, and my hairline somehow growing forward.”

2. “My first loaf of bread compared to my most recent one — the progress feels so good.”

3. “From 22 to 32 — definitely a late bloomer, but I finally feel good in my skin.”

4. “My wife started learning embroidery in summer 2020. I’m so proud of how far she’s come.”

5. “Our recent rescue after the traumatic situation we got him from. 4 months in and he’s made pretty amazing progress.”

6. “5 years and 25 pounds apart — it blows my mind how different my side profile looks now.”

7. “Fresh vs. 10 years old.”

8. “Before-and-after of my disgusting oven.”

9. “My sister and her partner rescued this kitten in the desert. Meet Snow — a very happy cat now.”

10. “13 and 18 respectively.”

11. “Before and after of our ugly bathroom.”

12. “Left: Pre-Op, Right: Post-Op.”

“I had DJS back in June. My upper jaw was moved 4.2 mm and my lower jaw was moved 2.5 mm with rotation.”

13. “Before and after of our scary basement bathroom.”

14. “Sheepdog before and after a haircut.”

15. “Before and after my first BBL treatment.”

16. “I’m glad my looks didn’t peak at age 13. Not a costume. God help me, I really dressed like that.”

And here are some amazing side-by-side photos of people whose jaw-dropping transformations made us look twice.