Zoom on the screen who is the fairest of all…. The surge in Plastic surgery during Covid.

The pandemic has made a drastic change in our life, due to frequent usage of social media and apps for both work and leisure activities. This lockdown and quarantine life has made people stare at mobile phones and PC screens for consecutive hours for video calls, virtual meetings, and get together.  People learned to stay home but stay with their devices more than ever, from working at home, attending meetings, virtual classes, streaming videos, playing games to online shopping. Research by the Eyesafe company showed that during the pandemic, adults have spent more than 13 hours per day on average which was 9 hours in 2019.

What is the effect of over-time exposure to screens?

Smartphones, laptops, and such devices transmit blue light, which is toxic for the eye retina, causing vision impairment. Continuous exposure to blue light merely kills the retina cells, leading to macular degeneration. Dry, itchy, or even painful eyes; blurred vision, burning, stinging, redness; watery eyes, a foreign body on the eye surface are the basic symptoms of Digital-related eye strain. 

Has Pandemic video calls made us scrutinize ourselves more?

Ms Radhika (name changed) a senior manager in the reputed company came to me for consultation, Her concern was ” I see a lot of wrinkles and lines around my forehead and eyes which bothers me a lot in video calls than in real life”. 

The long-duration video calls make us stare at the video thumbnail, noticing the flaws in our face we never saw before. It is because you never see your face while talking directly to someone. So certain people seem to scrutinize themselves a lot during zoom calls and start analysing their facial features. Things like crows feet, wrinkles along the forehead and eyes, crooked nose, lip shape or size disparity, or balding of the hairline, the contour of the jawline, folds along the neck has become more noticeable to oneself now.

Psychologists have reported that seeing oneself over and over again during the video calls leads to obsession over the body image. Perceptual distortion occurs when the flaws in our body are highlighted and disproportionately focussed on until it becomes magnified in our perception. Zoom boom is just a continuation of the trend that started with a selfie. It was called selfie dysmorphia, now it is less to do with photos and more to do with video calls. What initially was thought of like a celebrity or a beauty industry demand is slowly catching up with regular people due to video calls and self analyses. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic doctors around the world have reported an unprecedented surge in non-surgical and surgical procedures during the lockdown. The other reasons for the surge in cosmetic procedures worldwide include pent-up demand after months of lockdown, WFH  being an opportune moment to keep the surgery private, having good recovery downtime at home,  usage of masks to cover any postoperative swelling and no social meetings during recovery are the other reasons for the surge in plastic surgery during Covid times.

Most sought after treatments include fillers, botox and skin resurfacing which reduces the lines that we notice during a video call. Other procedures for which there is a surge include eyelid rejuvenation, blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty, facelifts, neck rejuvenation and neck lifts.

• Botox:  For crows feet, frown lines around the eyes
• Fillers: Hyaluronic acid Fillers -For tear troughs or depressions under the lower eyelid causing a tired look to the face.
• Blepharoplasty:

Saggy eyes, puffiness of lower eyelid, festooning of eyelids, the droopy brow is a natural ageing symptom and you may prefer surgery if you are really conscious and bothered about your appearance. Certain lifestyle trends like improper food habits, lack of sleep, smoking also lead to droopy eyes, sagging eyebrow and dull looks. Blepharoplasty at times goes beyond cosmetic concerns. You can also choose the surgery if you are suffering from vision impairment due to saggy eye muscles or eyelids. 

Blepharoplasty is basically performed on an outpatient basis where people can recover fast after the procedure. The surgeon would inject a numbing agent into the eyelids before the surgery for anaesthesia.  Excess skin is removed, fat is repositioned,  and orbital tissues are tightened. Eyelid swelling, bruising, dry eye and discomfort after the surgery is managed with medications.

If you are concerned about your facial flaws or you have vision-impairment due to your sagging eye muscles or skin, consult an expert. Before you go for treatment take advice on if you are really fit for the same with all physical conditions. Make sure you opt for safe and secure treatment without any after-effects. Make sure all the covid protocols are taken care of during the procedure.

Zoom-inspired plastic surgery may be a new reality that we need to be aware of, however, I would caution the judgement it elicits on our looks and not over scrutinize ourselves. The mirror on the wall is not always flattering.