When the pandemic hit and lockdown was put in place, the general consensus was that it would be a mere matter of weeks and we’d all be back to normal. How wrong we were!
Life migrated online, with a massive increase in people using virtual meeting apps like Zoom, which went from 10 million daily meetings in December 2019 to 300 million meetings in April 2020.
The increase in video calls has also led to an increase in enquiries about cosmetic surgery, Botox and hair implants. While breast enlargements remain one of the most popular types of surgery, there has also been a rise in less traditional procedures such as non-surgical nose job, thread lifting and dermal fillers.
During a normal face-to-face meeting, chances are you wouldn’t have a small picture of yourself directly in your eyeline. Even the least self-conscious of people will find they are drawn to looking at and critiquing their own appearance, noticing things that no one else will ever look at.
‘Lockdown face’ has become a phenomenon with cosmetic practitioners noticing an increase in comments such as, “I’ve noticed my frown line”, “My lips need doing” or “My nose is crooked”. Many people now using video calls for meetings are not in the ‘selfie generation’ and are not as used to seeing themselves on screens quite as much as they are currently.
Wearing masks has led to increased enquiries regarding in otoplasty, blepharoplasty and Botox more since you can only see a small part of people’s faces, you focus on that a lot more.
Many cosmetic surgery providers are also offering online consultations, in order to keep both the client and clinic staff as safe as possible, just emphasising the kind of details you can see on a video call.
This also makes it easier for people to start the process. Rather than having to go to the effort of making an appointment and going into a clinic, the process has become very similar to online shopping – just a click of a button, and you can do it from your sofa.
Requests for virtual consultations have gone up by 70% during the pandemic as a result.
While the accessibility and the options for both surgical and non-surgical procedures is a good thing for free will and choice, it’s also very important make sure you look at all your different options and make a well-informed decision before making any life changing decisions.
