I like to see myself in the bathroom mirror after dressing up for any event or meeting. A mirror can show you bigger or slimmer, adding happiness or spoiling your mood depending on how it shows your appearance.
Do Bathroom Mirrors Make You Look Bigger? Bathroom mirrors can make you look bigger because of the lighting conditions, mirror angle, the shape of the mirror, tilted or tinted mirrors, and its thickness. It is better to use plane, convex, and concave mirrors in your bathroom for better results.
Some mirrors show you fat, while some can make your appearance slim and smart.
Why do bathroom mirrors make you look bigger?
People like to choose bathroom mirrors with a beautiful frame or perfect size. However, they get annoyed when these make them look fat.
Light conditions
You always try to install it at a location where light has easy access, and you can see yourself in the mirror. The lighting condition in your place plays a significant role in how you look at yourself.
The type and intensity of light can affect how you look in it. For example, you look slim in dim light because it hides any bumps or lumps, and bright light makes your appearance fat while enhancing every feature and bulge of your body.
You can look bigger in the light falling above your head because it casts a shadow on your body, making you look fat.
This is because a sharp light source brings a slimmer image of you in it, while a larger geometry makes a huge image of you.
You can look fat if the color of the wall is dark because it will absorb the light and create a fat reflection of you.
Moreover, white light in your bathroom can make you look fat because it will highlight all the imperfections.
Mirror angle
The angle and distance it is mounted can affect how you look. You will observe a clear difference in your appearance if you mount it at different angles and stand in front of each to see the difference.
You look slim if its angle is fixed so that it is directed downward, and you look bigger when its angle is adjusted upward.
Changing the view angle can also affect how you look because you cannot see your whole body if you stand at different angles.
Shape of the mirror
A mirror that is curved and not has a flat surface can make you appear huge in it. This is because it varies in its manufacturing, material, and quality, which results in the variation of your appearance.
A slight curve at the center or edges can significantly impact how you look in front of it. Most bathroom mirrors have some curvature or bending that will make a difference in the image and the real you.
It can bend with time from top to bottom, while the top and bottom edges get curved because of their weight.
So different curvatures along any line can make you look bigger or slimmer, and you can check it by using the spirit level on its surface.
Tilted mirror
Many people have tilted mirrors in the bathroom if they have an aged or wheelchair person in their house.
It can tilt upward, downward, forward, backward, or any direction, and you can easily see yourself.
You can look bigger if it tilts in the forward direction as it comes closer to you, and this can make you appear wide and smaller in height, but you may look taller and slimmer when it moves backward.
You can easily adjust its angle to the position where you like to see yourself, but it will not show your actual body size as it is not mounted straight with the wall.
Tinted mirror
Some mirrors have a natural tint added to their manufacturing that can make them look a bit darker than the standard grey shade of it. Many people use these to create a focal point and add a dramatic look.
They can absorb or reflect light according to the color and texture of their surface and show your image bigger or slimmer. You can use plain ones instead of tinted ones.
Thickness of mirror
Its thickness also impacts your view in front of it as a thin mirror can make the surface curve because of its weight, and you will look fat in it.
They have better reflection, and it goes on increasing until it reaches their maximum value, such as 15%-16%. The experts recommend using approximately 1 cm thick mirrors to form an accurate image of you.
It is better to use wood backing to avoid distortion and curves, even when the thickness is not greater. A thickness of 1/4 -1/5 inches is normally used to prevent distortion in the reflection.
What kind of mirrors are used in the bathroom?
Three major types of mirrors are commonly used in bathrooms to add style and clear image depending on the glass and surface.
Plan mirror is the most common type frequently used in bathrooms with a flat reflective surface.
It forms a virtual, left-right reversed, and same-size image of the person or object. Light falling on its flat surface reflects with the same angle and makes the image in regular proportion.
Convex mirror curves forward from top to bottom and side to side, making you look bigger. It is spherical and curved outward, distorts the reflected image, and makes the regular features huge.
The concave mirror curves inward from the head and bottom like a spoon or bowl, and the reflected image look slimmer and shorter.
The direct light from the window reflects from it and makes the bathroom look more extensive and spacious. It can also help you to see your face more closely when applying makeup or shaving.
Things to consider when putting mirrors in the bathroom
It is better to consider certain things while installing mirrors in your bathroom.
They come in different sizes, styles, and shapes, and you can select them depending on decoration and size.
You can select a size that does not exceed the space around your vanity because it will look irregular and unattractive. You can choose any shape, such as circular, rectangular, or square, to create a real and full image of yourself.
Make sure to select the accurate thickness because it can affect your appearance in front of it.
You can install a light pendant above it or on the sides to reflect light so that you look slimmer.
Avoid putting tilted mirrors if you are conscious about looking fat in front of it.
Pivot mirrors are best because they are secured and fixed to the wall using a swivel rod that can be adjusted with light in your place.
Silver and aluminum coating is more reflective and commonly used to create a less distorted and actual image.
However, it is better to avoid using sprays on it for cleaning because it can cause streaks and scratches on its surface.
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