Plastic Surgery In The Pandemic And What You Need To Know

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At the start of the pandemic, it was evident that plastic surgery would be hit hard when all elective surgeries were banned. Many clinics were closed, and for a moment, it all seemed like plastic surgery in the pandemic was all gloom and doom. However, restrictions were soon lifted, and things turned around. 

While many industries struggled with low client numbers, plastic surgery clinics experienced a surge. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) estimates that in 2020, Americans spent over $9 billion on cosmetic procedures. 

There were several reasons for the boom in plastic surgery during the pandemic. 

  • The Zoom boom. The surge in demand for plastic surgery is primarily attributed to how self-aware people became during zoom meetings. They became more aware of the fine lines and other skin imperfections, so they chose to fix them.
  • Video calls. When people were no longer meeting, especially at the height of the pandemic, video calls took over. The downside is people now spent more time analyzing their appearance on the video calls, and many did not like what they saw. They were more conscious of their appearance on video than during face-to-face meetings. 
  • Time for cosmetic procedures. Now that more people were working from home, they had the time to spare for cosmetic procedures. They also had enough time to recover from the treatments. 
  • Extra money. Before the pandemic, some people didn’t have extra money for cosmetic enhancements, or it wasn’t a priority. They had a little more to spare during the pandemic since staying at home cut some normal expenses, such as gas and travel costs. 

Procedures That Saw A Boost

Breast augmentation, liposuction, eyelid surgery, facelifts, and rhinoplasty have always topped the list of popular cosmetic procedures. It is not surprising that they were still in demand during the pandemic. However, there were a few surprises. 

Facial procedure demands were at an all-time high. This was primarily attributed to Zoom and video calls. Procedures, such as botox, chin liposuction, and fillers. Some plastic surgery clinics even had to be creative. They opted for drive-through procedures for fillers and other simple procedures that don’t require much time. 

The Future Of Plastic Surgery

Is the high demand for plastic surgery likely to continue after the pandemic, or is it just a fleeting trend? The pandemic brought about what everyone refers to as the new normal. People are more careful now about where they go or what they touch. Things are unlikely to go back to what they used to be, and the same can be said for plastic surgery.

It is difficult to tell if demand will remain high or fall when more people return to work. However, there is no doubt that now more than ever, people are aware that they can change what they dislike in their appearance. 

Plastic surgery has evolved, and today one can get treatment within 15 minutes with no downtime. This awareness may be a lifeline for plastic surgery, resulting in a high influx of patients seeking enhancement treatments. 

People have also become more comfortable with video calls and Zoom meetings. This is unlikely to change, and more people may go back for follow-up treatments to maintain their looks and newfound confidence.

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