The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of everyone across the globe in more ways than just one. Quarantine alone has brought on a whole set of changes, one of the most relevant ones being that nearly 26 percent of the population is working from home. Sure, this means you can work from the comfort of your own home, even now with many covid restrictions having been lifted, which many of us actually prefer anyways. However, this also means more zoom calls, more videos, and more face-to-face out of office action. “Zoom face” is a phenomenon that has come about since the pandemic and the rise in zoom meetings, and describes the idea that we have become hyper aware of our physical and facial appearance due to the heavy focus on what our faces look like to others during Zoom calls. As such, there has also been a rise in cosmetic procedures, particularly at clinics such as Skinly Aesthetics, located in larger cities such as New York, run by the corporate world.
More Botox, less frown lines
One of the best known cosmetic treatments is Botox, a minimally invasive injectable neurotoxin that works by relaxing or “freezing” the muscle in which it is injected. Sitting in front of a computer screen hard at focus can cause us to unknowingly make facial expressions such as frowning. This causes the formation of what are called the “11s” lines or frown lines, which are the noticeable furrows between your eyebrows. To reduce these lines, many people working from home are getting their glabellar region injected with Botox. Not only is the treatment minimally invasive, but it only takes 5 – 10 minutes, making it quick and easy for anyone working from home to escape their desk for a brief “pick me up”.
More under eye filler, less dark circles
Most of us are familiar with dark circles or under eye hollows. Unfortunately, working from home has also caused many to sleep less and sit in front of a screen more than usual, which may be contributing to the rise in under eye dermal filler injections administered at MiracleFace MedSpa. This hollowness below the eye creates the illusion of “dark circles” as it casts a shadow making you appear tired and older. Under eye filler, typically made up of a given hyaluronic acid based dermal filler, is injected into the tear trough, filling in this lost volume, allowing you to look more youthful and more alert (which is a huge plus during those early morning Zoom calls).
More neck lifts, less neck lines
One area you may not have thought about before it was too late: your neck. Just like the rest of our body, the neck is prone to aging, especially because it is frequently exposed to the sun and has a thin and delicate layer of skin covering it. With constant muscle contractions and neck movements come loose neck skin and horizontal circular lines looping around our necks. While Botox can be used to reduce and prevent these lines, many people working from home are now getting dermal fillers to fill in these horizontal lines, as well as neck lifts to lift and tighten that loose skin that has developed over the years. Depending on the severity of each case, there are both surgical and non surgical options to accomplish a neck lift.
More fat freezing, less double chin
Another hit in the world of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures is cryolipolysis. While it comes in many shapes, sizes, and names, all cryolipolysis tools utilize the fact that fat has a higher freezing point than other tissues in the body, allowing you to freeze off fat cells without damaging any surrounding tissue. This is frequently used around the chin and jawline area to get rid of that stubborn double chin that may have creeped its way into your life during quarantine and is now sitting front and center in your Zoom meetings. Fortunately, the treatment leaves you with no downtime or side effects, meaning that no one will know that you had anything done. The only downside is that it can take 1 – 2 months to actually see the results.
Based on plastic surgery statistics, the number of cosmetic procedures performed has risen since the pandemic and has been partially blamed on “Zoom face”. In addition, the fact that so many people are working from home, has opened more windows for people to conceal their cosmetic procedures or spend time at home to recover, without having to take time off from work. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic experts have been experiencing an influx in new patients of all ages, not only for reversing visible signs of aging, but to prevent them from appearing in the first place. However, it is important to keep in mind, that while you very well may fall under the category of a new cosmetic procedure patient, there has also been a rise in injectors (both qualified and unqualified), meaning that you need to put in a little bit of extra work to make sure that your treatment is being performed by a qualified board certified cosmetic physician with plenty of experience to ensure that you get the results that you are looking for, whether it be for a few Botox injections or a full on surgical neck lift.