A shocking new time-lapse video has demonstrated just how dramatically a woman's body can be transformed by digital retouching.

The 36-second clip, created by GlobalDemocracy.com, shows a relatively average-looking girl turned into a bombshell glamor model with the help of a hair and make-up artist and of course, Photoshop.

The video begins with a shot of the make-up-free woman - clad in just a red bikini brief - lying on her stomach, leaning on her forearms with her legs raised and crossed behind her.

 

 

First, the studio's lighting is adjusted, making her look instantly slimmer. A make-up artist then works her magic with foundation, concealer, lipgloss and lashings of mascara, before teasing the model's flat blonde bob into glossy curls and adding a hairpiece to give the illusion of longer locks.

At this point, the photo is taken, but photographer is not done. Revealing just what happens after the model leaves the studio and the make-up artist has gone home, the video goes on to speed through digital enhancements to the model's face and body.

In the click of a mouse, the model's complexion is smoothed and given a doll-like sheen. Her eyes are made wider, her nose slimmer and her lips fuller. 

 

 

 

 

 

The retoucher then goes on to raise the shoulder, lengthening the entire upper arm. 

They then radically slim the stomach, giving the illusion of larger breasts which sit proud rather than relaxed as gravity would normally dictate.

The legs are also made significantly longer, and the calves are narrowed. The model's neck, too, is lengthened and narrowed.

The skin on the body is brightened, giving it a reflective sheen and once again, as a finishing touch, the backside and thighs are slimmed.

 

The result is that the model in the finished photo bears absolutely no resemblance to the woman who sat for the photographer.

The video adds fuel to an ongoing debate surrounding airbrushed models and how they can set unrealistic examples to impressionable young girls.

Last year, a group of teenage girls staged a protest outside Teen Vogue's offices, demanding that the fashion magazine publicly commit to using 'Photoshop-free, diverse images of real girls.'

 

 

And in late 2011, a couple launched a campaign to pass a bill that would require commercials and magazine spreads to be accompanied by disclaimers if models have been significantly airbrushed or Photoshopped.

But an anonymous digital retouched told Buzzfeed that her work 'is really about creating a beautiful image that shows the product in the best light...'

'If you look at something and the model's got dark kneecaps with dry skin, your eyes are going to go straight to the knees instead of whatever it is they're modeling. 'Or maybe there's something in the background you have to take out just to make it less distracting.'

 

And Victoria's Secret Angel Erin Heatherton argues that schools and parents should be responsible for teaching young girls about body image, and that Photoshop helps make 'things look beautiful.'

'Healthy body image is not something that you’re going to learn from fashion magazines... retouching is an essential part of our job,' she told Fashionista.com.

'We’re not selling reality; we’re selling a story. It’s all about creating this fantasy.