Japan youth share photos to show before and after cosmetic surgeries raise copycat concerns

South China Morning Post · Feb 22, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Young people in Japan are using artificial intelligence (AI) to make before-and-after cosmetic surgery photographs which look like they are two “different” versions of themselves in a single setting.Data suggests the country is relatively relaxed about cosmetic procedures, but the latest trend is raising concerns about the effect it might have on youngsters.A cosmetic surgery clinic in Japan, a country which is relatively relaxed about such procedures. Photo: BaiduAccording to the Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the country logged about 3.3 million aesthetic medical procedures in 2022, making it one of the world’s biggest markets.Compared with South Korea, known for cutting-edge, trend-led treatments, Japan’s industry is often associated with precision and subtle, natural-looking results.This month, a Japanese online user called @rori_bb went viral after posting an AI-made “two-shot” that placed her current face beside her pre-surgery self. She captioned that she compared the two and ended up crying.The above image shows an artificial intelligence-generated image of the same person before and after cosmetic surgery. Photo: BaiduThe post racked up 15.8 million views and sparked a wave of copycat images across social media.