It happened in 37 seconds. In a brief time-lapse video, a woman goes from average to stunning, all with the help of makeup and heavy photo editing to alter her perceived flaws.

Upworthy.com contributor Laura Willard shared the video on her blog on Wednesday. She wanted to show how dramatically a model's image could be changed and said she's using the short clip to remind her daughter that the bodies shown in magazines may not start out so perfect.

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"Even when I was, by society standards, thin and in really good shape and healthy, it was never good enough for me," Willard told ABC News. "I want my daughter to see this video and I want her to see more like it because it makes it apparent how unrealistic this really is."

The video, titled "The power of Adobe Photoshop," shows a near-naked woman posing for a photo shoot. And then her image is digitally edited - to make her stomach flatter, her eyes bigger and her arms, legs and neck longer and slimmer. Her lips, nose and face all get the magic touch of the digital airbrush. Heavy makeup is added. Her hair is fuller, and her skin is polished and glowing. And at the end of the clip, the woman is transformed.

"That's not how people look," Willard said. "It's not real."

Global Democracy first posted the video online in 2012 in a bid to get disclaimers on airbrushed ads, but since Willard reposted it, it has racked up almost four million views as of Wednesday night.

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Retouched photos are a fixture in magazines, but there has been pushback against the practice, and experts say women and girls need to keep their expectations of beauty realistic.