After shooting 37 episodes of Love Island USA straight into my veins, I felt an uncomfortable discrepancy between the faces in the Villa—where contestants live without contact to the outside world—and my reflection. Scanning over my nearly 40-year-old face, I see my skin is too dull, eyes too small, lashes too non-existent, lips not nearly full enough and don’t get me started on my nose—asymmetrical and the opposite of daintily upturned. Recalibrating to life after the Island—even just watching the Island—is realizing how strange the composite face of Love Island is. It’s not really about individual faces as it is about how similar the faces look. Turning away from Love Island and looking back, the vibes are less romance and more Uncanny Valley. Curious as to what exactly ‘Love Island Face’ is and why it’s so eerie to me, I reached out to experts in plastic surgery and mental health to get to the bottom of it. 

'Love Island' Made Me Buy It: A Viral Wavy-Hair Game-Changer

Meet the Experts

Dr. Angela Sturm is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Bellaire, Texas, and one of Houston’s most respected and accomplished female facial plastic surgeons. While skilled in all areas of facial plastic surgery, Dr. Sturm focuses on facelifts and rhinoplasty. Known for her precision, attention to detail and artistic approach, she delivers natural-looking results tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

Erin Pash, MA LMFT is the founder and CEO of Pash Co. She rocked the mental health world as founder and CEO of Ellie Mental Health for a decade, revolutionizing outpatient care with her innovative approach. This relationship guru and anxiety whisperer knows her stuff when it comes to complex family dynamics, healthcare industry insights, scaling businesses from scratch and turning wild ideas into reality (franchising, anyone?). When she’s not authoring books, captivating audiences as a speaker or creating must-see content, she’s somehow managing to wrangle six kiddos at home. Talk about a superhero without the cape.

So, What Is ‘Love Island Face’ Exactly?

According to Dr. Angela Sturm, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, it seems like the female contestants on the show have a LOT of filler. It’s everywhere, she says, but notably in their cheeks, lips and chin. Not to mention, the frozen Botox look. It’s the “snatched” look, where you can tell that they had their lips done, their foreheads injected, etc. But, says Dr. Sturm, “It’s like makeup. Certain looks may look OK in pictures, but not look natural in person or on video.” And this makes sense. At no fault of their own, Love Island contestants are Gen Z, born and raised on social media where their image precedes their substance. 

Why We See It Everywhere

Pash says the ‘Love Island face’ taps into a deep psychological need: “It represents our culture’s pursuit of perceived safety through conformity.” When a narrow beauty template is constantly validated—thin, contoured, filtered—it becomes a shortcut to acceptance and love. Algorithms feed us the same faces over and over, creating what psychologists call the mere exposure effect. “We start to prefer what we see most often,” she says.

There’s also a sense of control. “In an uncertain world, changing your appearance can feel like one area where you have agency over your social success.” For young people navigating economic instability, climate anxiety and political chaos, the medspa may feel like the only place where a desired outcome is guaranteed.

Younger Generations and Emerging Beauty Standards

It’s not just about looking like a Kardashian. It’s about growing up with a distorted baseline for what’s “normal.” Pash sees it in her therapy sessions all the time: “Young adults are particularly vulnerable because their identity is still forming. When every image is filtered, edited and curated, it distorts their sense of reality.”

She describes clients who spend hours analyzing their faces in mirrors, avoiding certain photo angles or researching procedures they can’t afford. “What’s particularly concerning is how normalized cosmetic procedures have become,” Pash says. “Clients sometimes present wanting Botox or fillers as their first solution to anxiety, rather than addressing the underlying self-esteem issues.”

So Why Do People Over 35 Find This Unsettling?

From Dr. Sturm’s POV, it’s visual and visceral: “People over 35 don’t like the look that you can tell had work done. We see the beauty of a natural youthful face. You can’t go back to being 20 with flawless skin, but if you spend that time of your life with too many injectables, it’s like lost time to us.” She also warns that the look doesn’t age well. “They already look older, and we’ll continue to see filler migration and filler blindness”—a phenomenon where people don’t notice their own filler anymore and keep adding more.

Pash agrees, but takes it deeper. “People over 35 have reference points for natural aging and human variation that younger generations may lack. There’s also the ‘uncanny valley’ effect: when something looks almost human but not quite, it triggers discomfort.” And there’s empathy too. “Older adults may unconsciously recognize the emotional labor and insecurity these looks represent, which can evoke concern rather than attraction.”

Yes—and many are trying. Pash notes an increasing number of clients, especially younger ones, who are questioning or even reversing their cosmetic decisions. “The shift usually happens when clients realize the procedures didn’t solve their self-esteem issues, or when they start to feel like they’ve lost their authentic selves,” she explains. “They describe looking in the mirror and not recognizing themselves, or feeling like they’re maintaining a persona rather than expressing who they are.”

This change of heart often comes during life transitions—new relationships, career changes or simply aging into new priorities. “The most successful reversals happen when clients develop internal validation skills and broader definitions of beauty and self-worth,” says Pash.

Of course, this generational divide in how we approach beauty isn’t going away overnight. “Younger people often view cosmetic procedures as routine self-care,” says Pash. “Older generations may see them as unnecessary or concerning. This creates communication gaps where parents feel helpless and young adults feel judged.” But the goal, she says, is for both generations to recognize the universal human need beneath it all: to feel valued, attractive and connected.

Where Do We Go From Here?

‘Love Island face’ may be the aesthetic of the moment—but it’s not a moral failing. It’s a symptom of a hyper-visual, algorithm-driven culture. If you find yourself unsettled, envious or just plain exhausted by it all, you’re not alone. Turn off your phone for a few designated hours every night and stop the face-scrolling. 

Pash reminds me that these beauty standards are not indicative of health, happiness or worth. And if you’re struggling with body image concerns, consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional.

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