Video conferencing applications like Zoom have enjoyed a big boom during the pandemic. The wide use of these applications has inadvertently helped a segment in the medical industry, too. The impact of people seeing their own faces on Zoom had led to a global growth for the plastic surgery industry. And, this phenomenon has got a name—Zoom Boom.
A study by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) showed that around 70 per cent of plastic surgeons experienced an uptick in the number of consultations during the post-lockdown phase. Similarly, the French Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that cosmetic surgeries are up nearly 20 per cent in France after the lockdown was eased.
Notably, 83 per cent of the doctors who participated in the AAFPRS study said that their clients came to them because they wanted to look better on Zoom calls.
Cosmetic plastic surgery procedures range from non-invasive skin fillers to invasive rhinoplasty. The study conducted among the US plastic surgeons says that the demand for rhinoplasty (also referred to as nose surgery) saw the largest increase—up to 78 per cent. Other surgical procedures like facelifts (69 per cent), eye lifts (65 per cent) and neck lifts (58 per cent) also reported a rise.
The 20 to 40 age group accounts for a major share of the total plastic surgery market. Industry experts suggest that in the last few years there has been a remarkable shift in people’s attitude towards plastic surgery. This is largely visible in countries like China. As for the number of cosmetic surgeries, China now stands second—after the US. A recent report by Deloitte suggests that the Chinese plastic surgery market has trebled in value in four years from 2015. In 2019, the country reported a 28.7 per cent growth in the segment—the global growth rate was 8.2 per cent—with a total value of 117 billion yuan ($27.3 billion). The country reportedly had more than 60,000 illegal plastic surgery clinics in 2019.
In June 2020, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons surveyed 1,000 people who had never done a plastic surgery before. Among them, 49 per cent respondents said they are open about going under the knife. The Zoom Boom and the pandemic-induced mascne (acne caused by continuous use of masks) played a major role in this attitude change towards cosmetic treatments and surgeries.
Industry experts say the fact that the millennial generation (born between 1981 and 1996; considered having more liberal attitudes towards cosmetic surgeries compared to preceding generations) is approaching their 30s and 40s is also driving the trend.