Your lips look different on screen. Bring that question with you

Begin with what the screen brought to your attention

Was it the upper lip seeming smaller while you spoke, a corner that looked lower, or the outline appearing less clear than in the mirror? Naming that one detail is enough. You do not have to arrive knowing whether it reflects the camera, your expression or a feature you would like to discuss.

Try to distinguish a preference you have held for some time from a question that appeared after one awkward image. Both can be talked through. The useful appointment question is what matters to you in ordinary life, and what information would help you make an informed decision.

Camera distance can change recorded facial proportions

Derakhshan and colleagues photographed 12 people using smartphone and full-frame cameras at different distances. They found distortion of midfacial features at short selfie distances. This was a photography study, not a study of lip treatment. It cannot tell us how much your own lips differ from their screen image. Read the research on digital photography distortion.

The practical implication is modest: record how an image was taken before treating it as a measurement. A close phone image and a photograph taken farther away are different pieces of information. Corey can look at the image that prompted your concern while assessing your actual facial proportions independently.

What to bring, if you want to use a screen example

• The original image: an unedited version is useful if you have it.
• The context: phone selfie, laptop meeting, recorded presentation or another setting.
• The specific feature: point to the area you noticed rather than grading the whole face.
• The everyday comparison: whether the concern also arises in the mirror, conversation or other ordinary photographs.

Avoid bringing confidential work material or images of colleagues. Crop unrelated information if necessary, while keeping enough of your own face to explain the concern. There is no need to email images containing health or workplace information before the clinic has explained the appropriate way to share them.

If you bring no image, the consultation can still proceed. Your description and direct assessment provide the starting point.

What research can say about looking at ourselves on video

Pikoos and colleagues surveyed 335 adults living in Australia about video use and appearance concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found associations between self-focused attention on calls and greater appearance concern. Because the study was a survey, it does not establish that video calls caused a particular person’s concern or that cosmetic treatment would help. Read the Australian video-call study.

If watching your preview has become tiring, you can explore the application’s option to hide your own view while remaining visible to others. If you feel compelled to keep checking or the concern is affecting work or daily life, tell Corey or your GP. That information helps the conversation support your wellbeing.

From a screenshot to a useful clinical question

Corey can ask you to explain what you want to understand about the outline, upper and lower relationship or movement of your lips. He observes those features during an ordinary conversation and considers relevant skin condition, dental information, health history and previous care.

For example, ‘I notice the outline only in this video’ leads to a different discussion from ‘I have wanted to discuss this shape for several years’. The lip consultation page explains the examination and decision process in more detail.

Once the question is clear, ask how any suitable option relates to it, what it cannot change and what recovery would involve. A procedure cannot be expected to make your face appear identical across devices and settings.

Scheduling around work, recordings and review

Tell Corey about a presentation, recording or other commitment that affects when you could comfortably attend. If a procedure is considered, discuss visible recovery, possible bruising or swelling, discomfort, and the option’s more serious risks. Ask when you should contact the clinic and what review will involve. There is no universal camera-ready date.

A consultation can lead to suitable treatment planning, including same day discussion where assessment, consent and any required prescriber involvement permit. You can also arrange care around a later date. Your individual suitability and recovery requirements determine that plan.

New pain, unexplained swelling, sores or loss of movement need appropriate medical or dental assessment. Tell the clinic about these symptoms when booking so the type of appointment can be clarified.

Visiting from Notting Hill

Your destination is Core Aesthetics, 12A Atherton Road, Oakleigh VIC 3166. For a local reference, Monash Council lists Notting Hill Neighbourhood House at 37 Westerfield Drive. If you are leaving from elsewhere in the suburb, use that address in your journey planner instead.

The clinic visit page provides the destination map. Check travel for the time you would actually leave and allow space in your calendar for assessment and questions. Consider how you could get back to Oakleigh if an in person review is recommended.

You can confirm Corey Anderson RN’s Ahpra registration NMW0001047575 through the verification guide. Consultation fees are listed on the pricing page; for booking assistance call 0491 706 705.

Explore the concern with a clearer reference

The Melbourne lip guide covers the broader subject, while the front and profile guide considers a different viewing question. If you would like to discuss the feature in person, book a consultation with Corey. This information prepares the conversation and does not establish a personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation.