Ashley James thinks retouching photos is dangerous.
The model and DJ has slammed companies who allow people to retouch their photographs with "one swipe" and whilst she understands why people do it, she feels "lucky" that she didn’t grow up in this era as she thinks it has such a "devastating impact" on young people.
She said: "We shouldn’t be able to completely Photoshop our appearance with one swipe. It’s not to bash anyone who does it, because I get it. Why wouldn’t we want to make ourselves look better, especially when everyone else is doing it? But a worry that I have – at the age of 33 – is that if you don’t do it, and everyone else is, then you’re kind of looking older.
"Young people are absorbing retouched images all the time, and it’s having such a devastating impact. I feel lucky that when I was younger, I didn’t have all these apps at school and I think it’s so hard. Anything we can do is a step in the right direction. And hopefully in the future, we won’t even have to declare retouching because it just won’t be a thing."
And the 33-year-old star – who is expecting her first child – has had Botox herself in the past, but doesn’t speak about it publicly as she doesn’t want to influence any of her followers to do the same based on her posts.
Speaking to Grazia magazine, she shared: "I’m not criticising any of this. I’ve had Botox in the past. And the only reason I don’t talk about online is because I don’t want anyone ever to be like, ‘Oh, that’s what she does, so I’ll get that.’ I think it’s such a personal choice."