Instagram influencer spends hundreds on freckle tattoos to resemble popular Instagram filter

woman who got tattoos to look like freckles
"Now the real Kate looks just like the one with the Instagram filter!" Photo credit: Instagram/Kate Merlan.

Many of us have killed some time in lockdown playing around with various Instagram filters, with some hilarious and some downright bizarre results. Some of them might have left you wishing you had the features in real life, like a pair of bright blue eyes, a smattering of delicate freckles or even some puppy ears.

But one Germany-based Instagrammer has turned fantasy into reality, revealing she got freckles tattooed onto her face after liking the 'Freckle' filter so much.

Kate Merlan, 33, describes herself as a "tattoo lover'" and "rebel" on her Instagram page and shared footage of herself going under the needle with her 26,000 followers. 

"I found myself always using the Freckle filter on Instagram," she said, adding that she liked how it made her "look younger". 

"I decided to get them for real.

"Now the real Kate looks just like the one with the Instagram filter!" 

According to The Sun, the process took two and a half hours and cost around NZ$445. 

The move reflects a wider trend of Instagram filters being used as inspiration for surgery, as some people grow unhappy how with their real faces compare. 

Dr Max Malik, a cosmetic doctor at the Cosmetic Clinic, told New Statesman that Instagram filters are "altering people's perception of beauty worldwide". 

"There is a hugely prevalent trend with young girls asking for bigger lips and contoured cheeks in a bid to emulate their filtered selfies on social media," he said.