A sharp rise in enquiries for cosmetic surgery during the pandemic has led one surgeon to wonder if video calling has left us all in need of a lockdown lift
We’ve spent months living our personal and professional lives via video calls – and apparently it’s making us view our looks in a whole new (not-so fabulous) light. According to one UK cosmetic surgeon, the defining features of ‘Zoom Face’ – namely sagging eyes and jowls – staring back at us from the glare of a screen are all too much to bare.
So much so, in fact, that Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon & Aesthetic Medical/Surgical Practitioner, Ian Morgan, who runs a clinic in Cannock, has said that enquiries are up by 130% since lockdown.
And two of the most sought-after procedures are a direct result of Zoom Face – the term affectionately used to describe the often unflattering image we see staring back at us during virtual video calls.
“We’re used to seeing our posed reflections in the mirror but for many of us this is the most we’ve ever seen ourselves on screen, moving and talking,” explains Mr Morgan.
“It gives us a whole new perspective on our face and may highlight issues we haven’t noticed before.”
Two of the issues that women are noticing most are their jowls and eyes. A potent combination of unflattering phones or computer camera angles plus bad lighting can highlight these areas in particular.
And these two features of Zoom Face have led to a dramatic increase in procedures that Mr Morgan and his team at Soul Care Aesthetics are now terming Lockdown Lifts.
“It’s interesting that we’ve had so much interest in particular procedures used to address both these areas specifically,” explains Mr Morgan. “I highly suspect it’s because they’re two areas that can fare quite badly on video calls.
“As anyone from the younger generation will tell you taking a selfie that emphasises big eyes is incredibly flattering,” continues Mr Morgan. “But when you have excess skin puffy fat on your eyelids, they can seem small and tired.”
Mr Morgan is especially seeing enquiries for the ‘One-Stitch Facelift’ soar. It’s a relatively new procedure that is becoming the go-to for sagging jowls and cheeks, as well as loose necks and double chins.
But all these problems may actually be exacerbated by our obsession with our phones; our constant looking down means that gravity is taking its toll on our jawline and necks.
“The One Stitch Facelift, performed under local anaesthetic is a 70-minute procedure whereby we make a small incision in the hairline, cut and remove skin and fat, then tighten the muscle tissue using not one but many stitches in the deeper tissue within the cheek and then close the incision with stitches,” explains Mr Morgan.
Downtime for the procedure is typically 7–10 days.
To see more about Mr Morgan’s work visit www.soulcareaestheticsltd.co.uk
