Snapchat is asking users to “take the selfie of a lifetime” with its new AR lens that lets you change the appearance of your age.

Officially launched last night, ‘Time Machine’ is available as part of the Lenses Carousel.

Users must first centre their face on the screen using either the front-facing or rear-facing camera and select the Time Machine lens.

They can then adjust the slider either left to ‘wind back the clock’ or right to rapidly accelerate the ageing process.

Russian-owned FaceApp enjoyed some success with a similar concept earlier this year, but enthusiasm around the app was soon quashed when security concerns were raised.

Similarly, a baby filter launched by Snap earlier this year quickly gained a viral following.

Snapchat first introduced Lenses in 2015 as a way for users to creatively interact with their friends.

Today, Lenses are a major part of Snapchat’s overall offering, with 70 per cent of daily active users playing with or viewing them every day.

“Every day, Snapchatters see over a dozen Lenses to choose from in the main Lens carousel,” a Snapchat spokesperson said.

“These Lenses may vary from Snapchatter to Snapchatter based on that person’s Lens preferences and usage patterns.

“Today, most Lenses available in the main Lens carousel are designed by Snap’s in-house team of designers; thousands of additional Lenses created by the community using Lens Studio are also available in Lens Explorer.”

Snapchat says it is using “advanced training models and robust neural network technology” to continue to bring fun lenses that can transform the hair, face and features of any user.