A Plus-Size Influencer Reveals True Version of “Flawless” Pics, Proving Beauty Is Not What We Used to See

Meet Joann van den Herik, a bold voice redefining beauty beyond society’s narrow ideals. As the cousin of supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid, Joann is carving her own path by challenging the impossible standards often seen on social media.

The pictures she posted vs the pictures she deleted

With more than 460,000 followers on Instagram, Joann shares glimpses of her life, her journey with body positivity, and, most importantly, her unfiltered self. She highlights the contrast between the ‘polished’ images we scroll through daily and the reality behind them. She openly discusses the editing and thorough organization involved in online personas, urging fans to appreciate their unique journeys.

Joann emphasizes that most of the stuff we see online is carefully selected, edited, and often far from reality. She adds that comparing yourself to others only robs you of joy. The message is clear: self-worth isn’t tied to social media’s ideals but to personal growth, self-acceptance, and embracing your imperfections.

The stark contrast between posed and real life pictures.

Joann also shows the difference between her edited photos and unfiltered ones, as well as pics where she posed and moments captured casually. She reminds people how easy it is to get caught up in unrealistic standards. Real beauty isn’t hidden behind a filter, it shines through in your raw, authentic moments.

She emphasizes that we should stop measuring ourselves against the polished snapshots we see online. Most of it is curated, edited, and far from the truth.

She wrote: “Your self-love sunday reminder that pictures don’t define you: when you take a picture of a sunset or the moon, and it doesn’t look as good as in real life, we don’t say the moon or the sunset is ugly. it’s because we know the camera can’t capture the full beauty in that moment.. the same goes for you.”

People reacts differently to her honesty.

While a lot of people support Joann’s desire to show true side of social media images, some individuals express their concerns.

• I don’t like posts like this. It actually invites me to look through and scrutise photos of her, which in turn feels like some kind of self-condemnation. She’s gorgeous. There’s no need to highlight what we are and are not posting. I understand the message but I’d worry about the long term impact of a ‘this or that’ formula. © zoe_anna_88 / Instagram
• Actually your deleted post was good comparitiveley to normal. I didn’t see you in nature look. But i said by my opinion... © anbuanbu06 / Instagram

“What you see online is not reality.”

Social media often doesn’t show real life. According to Joann van den Herik, today’s easy-to-use editing tools mean that more people than we realize are editing their photos. Her experience reveals that many influencers use apps to create flawless, poreless images that don’t reflect reality—often just to fit in. Joann admits she once believed everyone else naturally looked perfect, only to later realize it was mostly editing. Although she no longer edits her photos, she recalls feeling that she had to back then, just to look “good enough” to be an influencer.

The takeaway is that we’re all human, with real bodies, textures, and imperfections—and that’s what makes us unique. You don’t need to compare yourself to internet photos, as most are filtered and posed. Joann also stresses that even when people share ’real’ photos like she does, they still pick the ones where they look the nicest.

A proud plus-size model and self-love advocate, Joann uses her platform to celebrate authenticity. It is great that influencers like Joann remind followers that true beauty isn’t found in filters or perfect angles — it’s in the raw, real moments that make us who we are.