Morphing: what it is
Quick facts
- Definition
- A technique that creates a gradual transition between two images, generating in-between frames.
- Difference from the slider
- The slider reveals one image over the other without creating in-between faces.
- Risk
- In-between frames are fabricated images and do not exist as a real result.
- Relevance in facial harmonization
- Appears in simulation apps and videos; requires a clear label stating it is an illustration.
Morphing (from the English morph, short for metamorphosis) is a computer graphics technique that transforms one image into another continuously. The software marks corresponding points in the two images (eyes, nose, mouth, outline) and calculates in-between frames, so the face gradually "transforms" on screen. It has become common in short videos and editing apps.
How is morphing used in aesthetics?
On social media and in some apps, morphing appears in videos showing one face "turning into" another, or the "before" changing into the "after" within seconds. It is visually appealing, but it has a problem: the in-between frames do not exist as a real result. They are images fabricated by the software, and the sequence gives the impression of a continuous, predictable transformation.
What is the difference from the before and after slider?
| Feature | Morphing | Before and after slider |
|---|---|---|
| In-between images | Created by the software | Do not exist |
| What the user sees | Continuous transformation of the face | One image revealed over the other |
| Risk of a misleading impression | Higher | Lower, if labeled |
| Control | Usually automatic | The user drags the line |
The before and after slider keeps both images whole, and the movement only decides how much of each is shown. This preserves the "before" and "after" reading without inventing in-between stages.
What ethical care applies?
The main point is not to confuse illustration with result:
- label any animation or morphing as an illustrative simulation;
- never present a generated or transformed image as a real patient result (see misleading advertising);
- obtain informed consent to use the patient's image and make clear whether it is a simulation;
- follow your professional council's advertising rules and the CONAR standards (Brazil's advertising self-regulation body) on publishing before and after images.
When does it actually help?
In a private consultation, to talk about expectations, any visual aid can support the conversation, as long as the patient knows exactly what they are looking at. In public marketing, more caution is needed. The safest practice is to use images of a fictional person, labeled as an illustration.
In Harmy
The app does not do morphing. The projection is an image generated from the frontal photo, and the patient compares it with the original on a slider: you drag the gold line to reveal the Before or the After, and two fingers zoom. There are no invented in-between frames, and every image carries the illustrative simulation notice.
Also called: image-to-image transformation, digital metamorphosis.
Frequently asked questions
Are morphing and a before and after slider the same thing?
No. In morphing, the software creates in-between images that do not exist. In a slider, both images exist and the user drags to reveal one over the other.