When you think of modelling, what comes to mind? 🤔
Glitz. Glamour. Spotlights.
The dreamy world of flashing cameras and magazine covers.
But beneath the perfect poses and designer smiles, lies a world few talk about, a world where beauty is currency, but the price can be devastating.
Welcome to the real modelling industry.
Let’s strip away the filters and expose what really goes on behind the scenes.
1. The Starvation Game
What if I told you some models don’t eat real meals for days before a big show?
Many live on coffee, cigarettes, and chewing gum.
Why? To stay sample size.
Agencies often pressure models to maintain unrealistic body standards, and the competition is brutal.
Some even go as far as water fasting or taking laxatives just to lose a few inches.
And no, the camera doesn’t always add ten pounds, sometimes, it adds shame.
2. It’s Not Always About Looks
📍Shocker:
Agencies and scouts often pick who they think fits a brand’s fantasy.
Quirky features, unique flaws, or even a “runway walk attitude” can win over conventional beauty.
In this world, luck and timing matter more than perfection.
Many drop-dead gorgeous girls are never booked.
Meanwhile, someone with an unconventional face becomes the next fashion icon.
3. The “Free” Photoshoots That Cost Everything
New models are often told to build their portfolio with “free” shoots.
What they’re not told is that these shoots can sometimes come with strings:
📍Uncomfortable situations
📍Suggestive poses
📍Zero protection.
Some photographers exploit inexperienced models, especially when there’s no agency to intervene.
The promise of exposure has been the bait in too many traps.
4. Age is Just a Number: Until It’s Not
Most top models start at 14, peak by 21, and are 'too old' by 25.
Yes, 25.
The pressure to stay young forever drives some into anti-aging treatments even before they hit their twenties.
Want to start modelling at 30? 😌
Good luck unless you're in the niche "mature model" category which even then, is still an uphill battle.
5. The Fake Lives They Live Online
Instagram may show designer bags and tropical getaways, but many models sleep in cramped apartments with five other girls, sharing one bathroom and living on instant noodles.
The illusion of wealth is part of the brand.
Most aren’t paid in cash but in “clout”; exposure, free clothes, or worse, “experience.”
6. Mental Health? What’s That?
Rejection is daily bread in modelling.
You're too fat, too thin, too tall, too short, too ethnic, or not ethnic enough.
Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem are silently rampant.
The industry barely talks about it, because image is everything and emotions don’t photograph well.
Lastly,
📍Modelling is not all doom and gloom.
📍It can open doors, inspire art, and build confidence.
📍But it’s time we stopped idolizing a world built on edited images and whispered sacrifices.
📍The runway may sparkle, but the path to get there is often paved with secrets no one talks about.
📍📍So next time you admire a perfect picture, just remember: behind every pose is a story and some stories are darker than they seem.
Want to see the raw side of modelling in motion?
If this article opened your eyes, wait until you watch this.
This short video dives even deeper into the hidden pressures, behind the scenes struggles, and untold truths of the modelling world captured in real time.
Watch now: Click Here👇
It’s not what you think. It’s what they never tell you.
Leave your thoughts in the comments**
I think it drills down to more than this. There so many hidden stuff in modelling. Young girls should really be cautious when dealing with modelling gigs.
ReplyDeleteGood work and content though.
I absolutely agree with you Regina. Anyone venturing into modelling stuff should really be cautious.
DeleteDespite all this you'll still find girls trying so hard to get on the limelight in modelling.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Andy, desperation and impatience are key factors leading to this.
DeleteLinaMStyles
ReplyDeleteThis hit me hard. People don’t realize how much pressure we go through just to look ‘perfect.’ Thank you for writing this.
Thank you so much, Lina. It’s voices like yours that make these truths even more powerful. Stay strong and keep shining, your story matters too.
DeleteI’ve always admired models, but I never knew it was this intense behind the scenes. Eye-opener for real.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your honesty, Jayden! There’s always more beneath the surface, glad this piece opened your eyes to that.
DeleteI once tried modelling in my early 20s, and this article is so accurate. The part about free shoots is 100% true!
ReplyDeleteWow Clara, thank you for sharing that. It’s tough, especially when you’re starting out. Your experience is real, and it deserves to be heard.
DeleteIt’s crazy how the industry sells a dream and hides the nightmare. Respect for telling the truth!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Romeo. The truth isn’t always pretty, but it’s necessary. Let’s keep pulling back the curtain, one layer at a time.
DeleteThis article just made me rethink everything. I wanted to join a modelling agency next month but now… I’ll be more careful.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad it gave you something to think about, Naomi. Modelling can still be beautiful, just go in informed and with your eyes wide open. You’ve got this!
DeleteThis feels so personal. I used to live with 4 other models in a tiny apartment in Milan. It’s not all luxury like people think
ReplyDeleteThat’s powerful, Mika. Thank you for being vulnerable it’s these real life moments that the world needs to hear more about
DeletePowerful piece. If you ever write a part 2, I’d love to hear about how male models go through it too.
ReplyDeleteI love that idea! Male models definitely face their own silent struggles. Stay tuned, there just might be a part 2 coming your way
DeleteCan we talk about the age part?! 25 and already ‘too old’?? That’s insane. This industry needs a reset.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Ari. The obsession with youth is unrealistic and unfair. Talent doesn’t have an expiration date and it’s time the industry caught up.
DeleteThis explains why so many girls I knew dropped out of the industry so fast. The pressure is too real.
ReplyDeleteI once cried after a casting where they told me my face wasn't 'marketable'. This article held something in me.
ReplyDeletePeople love to glamourize modelling but won't talk about the trauma it can cause. Props for keeping it real.
ReplyDeleteEven here in Nairobi, the pressure to bleach, slim down and fit in is scary. We need more voices like this.
ReplyDeleteFinally, someone is saying what we all whisper about. Thank you for the honesty.
ReplyDeleteAs a photographer, I've seen some sort of this up close. Honestly, some agencies are just glorified exploitation rings.
ReplyDeleteI get the struggles, but isn't that the price of fame? Every dream has its darkness.
ReplyDeleteNot trying to be rude, but some models choose that lifestyle. No one's forcing them, right?
ReplyDeleteAs someone working in African fashion industry, I feel this deeply. The western industry influences so much toxicity here.
ReplyDeleteIt's so weird how we celebrate extreme thinness in modelling, but call it unhealthy in real life. The double standards are wild.
ReplyDeleteY'all acting surprised? The fashion industry's been fake forever. Glad someone finally said it out loud.
ReplyDeleteThis is like the dark version of America's Next Top Model. More people need to talk about the trauma behind the makeup.
ReplyDeleteI gor rejected so many times for not being a size 2, and now I model for body positive brands. This article is everything.
ReplyDeleteI got rejected so many times for not being a size 2, and now I model for body positive brands. This article is everything.
ReplyDeleteStarted modelling at 33 and was told I was 'refreshing' .Goes to show how the rules are slowly changing!
ReplyDeleteIn Asia, the standards are just as harsh. But we don't even talk about it. It's just expected.
ReplyDeleteThe dark side of it all and many more, thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete